By Tiffany Goodwein

Kin Beach excluded from rototilling, despite relaxed regulations

Nov 12, 2019 | 5:15 AM

Following intense pressure from local municipalities and the Okanagan Basin Water Board, the provincial government has granted some leeway for rototilling milfoil, but it appears the swimming area at Kin Beach is not part of that equation.

“What they’ve changed now is that they’ve provided a specific depth restriction, so starting at 1.5 metres in depth from the low water in the winter, we can start rototilling anything that’s deeper than that,” said James Littley

The change means that milfoil growing in prime swimming areas at Kin Beach won’t get rototilled because of their depth.

The province issued the rototilling restrictions this past winter following concerns for the Rocky Mountain Ridge Mussel, a freshwater mussel species deemed at risk by the ministry.

According to the OBWB, the milfoil will get harvested in the swimming areas of Kin Beach but harvesting only cuts the plant, much like a lawnmower does to grass, and does not pull it out like rototilling.

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Speaking at a recent board meeting at the Regional District of the North Okanagan, Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming said the exclusion of Kin Beach for rototilling doesn’t make a lot of sense, and more will be done at a local level to pressure the provincial government.

“This issue is not over,” remarked the mayor.

The province has issued a rototilling permit for Paddlewheel Park. In Aug. 2018 the province prohibited rototilling the lake because it was deemed a mussel zone (Tiffany Goodwein/ VernonMatters Staff)

Despite the exclusion of Kin Beach, the beach at Paddlewheel Park has been granted a permit for rototilling. The beach previously had no restriction but in August 2018 the province deemed Paddlewheel Park a mussel zone and prohibited rototilling the entire length of the park.

The province’s change in tune means the entire public beach at Paddlewheel Park will have no depth restrictions for rototilling while adjacent areas near the Yacht Club will be subject to a one metre depth restriction.

The OBWB argues the province needs to consider the impact of these restrictions on high value public areas like Kin Beach as well as the economic ramifications to local communities.

“I think it’s one thing to restrict us in areas that might be private shoreline, but when we are talking about high-value public beaches where, not only is there economic uncertainty if we lose those public beaches, but there is actually a risk to swimmers,”

Vernon Matters has reached out to the Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations for a comment.

by Tiffany Goodwein

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