KELOWNA – The Kelowna landfill is one of the few sites in B.C. where American Avocets nest.
The migratory shore birds lay their eggs at a wetland within the landfill boundaries.
However, landfill operations will have to move into the nesting area meaning the avocets will have to move out.
“The city recognizes this is an issue,” says Utilities Planning Manager Andrew Reeder. “We want to make sure we’re doing the right thing as a corporation.”
So the city is spending $60,000 on an avocet nesting study.
“The grant will be used to investigate whether we can enhance the Avocet Pond so that it is better used, enhance existing wetlands south of the landfill or create a new depression and wetlands more suitable for the avocets,” says Reeder.
The Avocet Pond was created in 2010 at the landfill but the birds haven’t taken to it.
“There are some possibilities there,” says Reeder. “We’d have to see if we can shallow it up and create the salinity that they need. The challenge is we have fresh water coming into it.”
The city hopes to have the study results in the fall.
Then it will have two to three years before landfill operations expand to find or build suitable, alternative nesting habitat for the avocets.
Half of the cost of the study is covered by a grant from the Okanagan Basin Water Board.
Comments