Pond seen as threatened
Man who lives near Glenmore pond says wildlife being killed off by toxic runoff
The biodiversity in a Kelowna pond has greatly diminished in recent years, a longtime resident of the area claims.
Many types of waterfowl are now less common at Redlich Pond than they used to be, says James Anderson.
“It’s almost barren out there now in terms of wildlife,” says Anderson, who has lived in a home on the edge of the pond, in the Glenmore area, for 25 years.
He believes pesticides and herbicides washed into the pond through stormwater drainage pipes have greatly reduced its water quality, particularly in the past decade.
“Insect life in the pond has virtually disappeared,” Anderson says, “and insects are the lifeblood of the pond in terms of providing food for birds.”
Anderson has posted a video to YouTube in which he claims the pond is in “peril.” He includes a succession of images from home videos he’s made over the past decade which appear to show ducks, otters and other creatures that depend on wetlands were once much more numerous.
City officials say Redlich Pond was built in 1971 as a stormwater facility when the neighbourhood was developed. Its purpose, aside from being a scenic spot, is to help improve the quality of runoff before it reaches Okanagan Lake, city officials say.
“Stormwater systems in the city are installed to minimize the impact of urban design on our creeks and lakes,” reads part of a statement from the city. “These retention facilities offset the impact of pavement, concrete, roofs and sidewalks that can increase the peak flows entering our streams and alike. This reduction in flow reduces the impact of erosion and ultimately improves the water quality in Okanagan Lake.
“Staff sample the inflow and outflow of Redlich Pond monthly,” the city statement says. “For the most part, the water flowing into the pond is clear, but it does experience high E. coli sometimes, as well as when it rains it is very turbid. The pond itself does experience algae blooms in the summer and also can become stagnated.”
Lillian Redlich, whose family used to own land in the area, disputes the city’s assertion the pond was built specifically for stormwater management purposes in 1971.
“The pond was there long before that,” says Redlich, 84. “There were lots of ducks and birds and other things in there.”
Anderson has discussed his concerns about the pond’s diminished biodiversity with city staff, and he says they’ve told him that the regular testing is for things like oxygen levels, turbidity, temperature, alkalinity and acidity.
But there is no testing for levels of pesticides and herbicides, something he believes should be added to the regular sampling.