The restoration project that will see the former Crawford Hill water reservoirs site in Creston transform to an area of natural wetlands is scheduled to begin on March 22.
The announcement was made by the Town of Creston on March 16, which co-owns the former reservoirs alongside the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK). The former Erickson reservoir will be addressed first, which will begin by removing dirt berms and filling the reservoir.
“Transforming our former reservoirs into wetlands helps to establish and improve the habitat for wildlife in our area, while reducing maintenance concerns and risks associated with the site”, said Mayor Ron Toyota.
According to Toyota, the project will have two phases: restoring the area to its natural state, followed by the potential of converting the site into an outdoor public space for community use, which would come through consultation with Crawford Hill residents.
At a 2019 meeting between staff at the Town of Creston and Crawford Hill residents, concerns about the potential of converting the area into a natural public space were raised, which included increased traffic and vandalism, according to Michael Moore, the chief administrative officer (CAO) at the Town of Creston.
“We will be contacting the residents of the area in the coming weeks with our thoughts on how some of their concerns can be addressed, and listen to any additional feedback to provide this information to council, prior to council making any decisions about opening the site to the public,” said Moore.
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