Low water levels in two ponds at Jericho Beach Park is prompting concern among residents, worried about wildlife who rely on the ponds.
For decades, Tanya Hockley has been coming to Jericho Beach Park, but says she’s never seen water levels so low.
“It’s quite concerning. I don’t know what’s going to happen to the animals. Apparently, some of them are dying already,” she said, adding that animals she used to see in the pond are nowhere to be found.
“I don’t see the turtles so much anymore. I used to always see the turtles, so I don’t know where they’re going. And I haven’t seen any otters. There’s a lot of things I haven’t seen anymore,” she said.
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Adelle Bernadette, who lives near the park, has also been keeping an eye on the dwindling water levels.
“It’s hard to walk through here and see it worsening by the day,” she said.
Bernadette has been in touch with the Vancouver Park Board and Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services – who confirm an offer has been made to the Park Board to pump water into the pond.
No one from the Board was available for an interview today. However, in an email, they point to this summer’s dry conditions as a big part of the problem, adding the ponds are “slowly infilling with vegetation and sediment which also reduces open water.”
They also say an application for federal funding last fall to excavate some areas to enhance open water was denied.
Late Sunday afternoon, a spokesperson with the city confirmed a Park Board biologist would visit the ponds on Monday to check the situation.
Both Bernadette and Hockley hope more action is taken soon.
“If they can bring in water, that would really help a lot, but they’d have to bring a fair amount I imagine…and I don’t know where they’d bring it from,” said Hockley.
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