Options Explored For Kalavista Lagoon

Officials in Coldstream are taking a long look at bringing new life to Kalavista Lagoon.

The lagoon has changed since it was developed in the 1940’s as a drainage pond when the subdivision was built.

The lagoon has been stagnant for years since channels that fed it from Coldstream Creek were closed to prevent flooding of the neighbourhood.

Mayor Jim Garlick says councillors are looking at two ideas.

“One is putting water into the lagoon for the water to be fresh all of the time and that way we would have oxygen in it and we wouldn’t get hydrogen sulphide forming which causes the smell.”

Water would either come from Kalamalka Lake, Coldstream Creek or groundwater.

The other idea is to create a natural wetland, which would mean sealing it off.

“Doing a lot of planting around the edges and putting material around the edges and soil would raise it up so you would have a bit of a transition going from land plants down to aquatic plants.”

Garlick says that’s the favoured option, but much more information is needed, including what environmental regulations would have to be met.

That also means ensuring the protection of the painted turtles that live in the lagoon.

The mayor says they cant just pump water out into Kal Lake without major infrastructure to ensure water goes far out into the lake so there’s no contamination near the beach or the drinking water intake.

He says bringing in water from Coldstream Creek would mean the need for a pipeline from the creek through various channels.

Bringing in water from Kalamalka Lake would require a pumping system that would recirculate the water from the lake into the lagoon and back out again.

One move that will be done in the fall is to develop a system to deal with carp in the lagoon.

“They were estimating there were about a hundred carp in the lagoon. They come in there to breed and live for the summertime. They like the warm bottom. They just stir it up and don`t allow any of the aquatic plants and that,” says Garlick.

A fence will be put up at the mouth of the lagoon when the carp leave this fall to prevent their return.

The consulting firm that put together the report for council will now go back to narrow down proposals.

The mayor hopes to have it back in September so that it is available inclusion in the 2018 budget discussions.