Projects ramp up in regional park

Visitors to Mission Creek Regional Park will notice additional construction activity over the next few weeks.

From Thursday, August 1 until approximately the middle of the month, the area around the short foot bridge over the spawning channel near the Kokanee Bridge Information Kiosk will be closed as the pedestrian bridge is removed and replaced.

Access to the Turtle Pond trail in this section of the park will also be closed while the work is underway.

Visitors can get to the Turtle Pond trail by using the foot bridge approximately 170 meters upstream and either the Kokanee and Pine Loop trails.

As well through mid-August, B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development crews will also be cleaning the spawning channel and the associated settling pond in the park. Each year, any material that is deposited in the channel by the spring runoff is removed and the gravel in the channel is cleaned using high pressure washers in order to improve the potential for successful spawning by the land-locked fresh water salmon.

All work is expected to be complete ahead of the annual Kokanee spawning season.

While these projects are underway visitors to Mission Creek Regional Park, the Mission Creek Greenway and the spawning channel should watch for signage and stay out of marked areas and trails when heavy equipment is operating.

Some equipment may also be entering and leaving the park along the Hall Road access and trails.