Environmental review for new roads near pond
An extension of Burtch Road could ruffle a few feathers in a wetland that’s an important rest stop for migratory birds.
Road noise and other traffic impacts might lessen the appeal for waterfowl of the 11 ha. Munson Pond area that’s directly east of the proposed extension of Burtch through to KLO Road.
The possible impact of the proposed road link on the pond has been noted by city officials as a “specific consideration” in their plans for the long-planned road project.
“As the project is currently only at a conceptual design, there has yet to be a full analysis of environmental considerations,” Brittany Hallam, a city engineering manager, said Wednesday in an email.
“An environmental review will take place during the detailed design phase. With that said, Munson Pond has been noted as a specific consideration for that phase,” Hallam said.
The extension of Burtch Road through to KLO Road has been on the city’s books for many years. It would provide a more direct route to central Kelowna for residents of the Lower and Upper Mission, and take some traffic off Benvoulin Road and Gordon Drive. Delayed several times, it’s now estimated to cost at least $6 million, and is currently scheduled for completion by 2027.
However, city councillors have recently given direction to staff to fast-track some transportation projects, particularly those that involve building new roads. On Monday, councillors will take a tour of various sites around Kelowna where new transportation projects are proposed or already underway.
One of their stops is the proposed alignment of the Burtch Road extension near Munson Pond.
“As a heightened focus has been placed on accelerating transportation infrastructure projects in line with council priorities, this project has been identified by staff as a candidate for acceleration,” Hallam said.
“Once the project is fully conceptualized, the scope and accelerated timelines will be put forward to council for approval and capital funding,” she said. “If approved, detailed design and construction will commence as soon as possible, with construction anticipated to be completed as soon as 2026.”
Munson Pond, near the north-east corner of KLO Road and Benvoullin Road was long hidden from public view and had little public access. The area was screened by large trees and most of the land around the pond was privately-owned.
But former Mayor Walter Gray had championed the city’s acquisition of the wetland as an important environmental preserve, and the Central Okanagan Land Trust also set that objective as one of its key goals.
Despite appearances, the pond is not a natural feature of the landscape; it’s the site of an old gravel pit that was used to haul rock to build the first Okanagan Lake bridge in the late 1950s. Over time, it became filled with water and is now frequented by several species of migratory birds.
After the city bought 11 ha in the area in 2005, no municipal funds for the pond’s development as a nature preserve with sensitively-designed public access were approved by council until 2014.
Invasive weeds and trees had to be cleared away, and more than 10,000 seedlings were planted with varieties such as willows, snowberries, and wild roses.
Workers in hazmat suits had to fish out biological waste, including needles and vials, along with barbed wire and other hazardous items, before walking paths and viewing platforms with interpretive signage could be built. The area was opened to public access on Earth Day, April 22, in 2018.
“It’s an ecological gem in the heart of Kelowna,” Wayne Wilson of the Central Okanagan Land Trust said at the opening ceremony.
An earlier plan by the city, in 2016, to designate the area immediately west of the pond as an off-leash dog park was scrapped by the city for fear the wildlife would be bothered by the dogs. “It’s an important resting and feeding area for waterfowl, and that’s just not a good environment for dogs to be in,” Wilson said at the time.
The Birding in BC website says of the pond: “It’s a great spot for migrant geese in the spring and fall. Check the pond and nearby fields for numbers of Canada geese with the possibility of finding a Snow, Greater Whitefront or Cackling goose amongst them. The pond is worth checking at other times of the year for uncommon waterfowl.”