Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: February 20, 2009 4:00 PM
Opposition to a proposed 200-slip marina on Wood Lake is growing. The North Okanagan Regional District will pursue details on the marina planned for 2.3 hectares of Crown land, but one director already has concerns. “It does have an impact on Kalamalka Lake, and it’s incumbent that we have some comment. It’s a significant development,” said Doug Dirk, Coldstream director. Wood Lake is in Lake Country (part of the Central Okanagan Regional District), but it drains into Kalamalka Lake (largely in NORD), which then drains into Okanagan Lake. A canal also allows vessels to travel between Wood and Kalamalka lakes. “A marina will generate boat traffic and have an impact on the lakes. Those boats will go into Kalamalka Lake,” said Dirk.
NORD did not receive an official referral from the provincial Integrated Land Management Bureau, and only became aware of the matter after being contacted by the Society for the Protection of Kalamalka Lake. “I want to make sure we don’t slough it off,” said Dirk of why he pushed his colleagues to pursue the matter further. The Coldstream-based society claims that a marina will increase pollution from gas and oil spills and lead to litter, safety concerns, diminished water quality and negatively impact wildlife including kokanee spawning grounds. “In recent years, the health and desirability of Kalamalka Lake has been negatively impacted by a large increase in motor boat traffic,” states the society in a letter to NORD. “Wood Lake and Kalamalka Lake are intrinsically linked by a canal at Oyama. What affects one, arguably affects the other. As Wood Lake is relatively small, the prospect of even 100, let alone 200 motor boats on it is unimaginable, to say the least. It is likely that many boaters would choose to migrate via the canal to Kalamalka Lake, adding further congestion, turbidity and pollution to Kalamalka Lake — the primary source of drinking water for Greater Vernon.” The District of Lake Country, as well as many residents from that community, have expressed similar concerns about the marina plan.
But Jayson McCarthy, spokesman for the developer, Ponderosa Enterprises, insists the environment is a key priority. “We’re legislated to do it. It’s not an option,” he said of environmental assessments. “These applications are very complex. There are numerous agencies that review the application and set regulations. This is very much the beginning of the process.” Environmental assessments will take into account Kalamalka Lake, as well as Wood Lake. The marina could ultimately be less than 200 slips, and McCarthy doesn’t expect that construction would begin until at least 2012. “The final design will likely be something different based on comments from referral agencies,” he said.
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Morning Star Editorial: Agency misses the boat Published: February 20, 2009 4:00 PM
One has to wonder if anyone with the provincial government's Integrated Land Management Bureau has looked at a map lately? If they had, they would quickly discover that Wood Lake is not only next to Kalamalka Lake, it runs into it. And if they had actually bothered to get into a car and visit the area, they would understand that a canal allows boats to travel between the two water bodies. But obviously none of this had happened because the North Okanagan Regional District was never officially asked to provide comment on a proposal for a 200-slip marina on Wood Lake. Wood Lake may be in the Central Okanagan Regional District, but the potential implications from such a large marina could be significant for NORD and its member communities. Keep in mind that Kalamalka Lake is the primary source of drinking water for Greater Vernon so increased boat traffic could impact water quality, while Wood Lake won't be able to handle 200 boats, so they're going to use the canal to get into Kalamalka Lake. That could lead to congestion on the lake and more people using the beaches and other facilities. It's positive that the Integrated Land Management Bureau is seeking input from various agencies, including the District of Lake Country, while considering the application from the developer. But it's hard to understand why the ILMB didn't understand local geography enough to know that sticking to artificial jurisdictional boundaries isn't enough.Wood Lake runs into Kalamalka Lake, which runs into Okanagan Lake. It's not that hard to figure out.
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