Beaver Lake, one of the last remaining wetlands in the City of Vancouver, is rapidly declining and could disappear as soon as 2020 if no measures are taken.
The Vancouver Park Board and Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) have been working in partnership, under guidance from the Stanley Park Ecological Action Plan (2011), to come up with potential plans for restoration of the lake. To ensure the long-term ecological viability and diversity of the lake, a consultant team (Aquaterra Environmental Ltd) were contracted to help gather more information and devise a series of restoration plans.
The public are invited to a series of Open Houses this week to review and comment on the range of options developed.
Open House Dates
Thursday, November 21, 4-8pm,
Coal Harbour Community Centre, 480 Broughton Street.
Saturday, November 23, 12 – 4 pm,
West End Community Centre, 870 Denman Street.
“ SPES believes keeping this freshwater lake open is important for maintaining biodiversity in Stanley Park. Invasive plant removal, a degree of lake dredging and/or the removal of floating islands would help us retain and support a larger variety of wildlife and native vegetation, including coastal cutthroat trout, a species of special concern in BC. Restoration of the lake may also allow for the reintroduction of extirpated wildlife like the western painted turtle and Pacific tree frog. Restoration would benefit over 80 species of birds that currently rely on the lake and beavers, a species that recently returned here after a 60 year absence, ” announced stanleyparkecology.ca.
[mappress]
Press Release, November 19, 2013