Farmland could be flooded as part of a city-led initiative to return parts of Mission Creek to a more natural state.
Council will consider a proposal Monday for the city to buy four acres of land immediately south of the creek and west of Swamp Road.
A dike built long-ago that protects the area from seasonal flooding would be moved farther back from the creek so soggy conditions could develop on the property, particularly during spring run-off.
The newly restored wetland would provide additional habitat for kokanee salmon and waterfowl, and the area would act as a natural filter to improve the water quality in Mission Creek, city officials say.
Deliberately diminishing the amount of productive farmland in Kelowna runs counter to city policies aimed at supporting and protecting agriculture. But in this case, staff say, the environmental benefits associated with returning a stretch of Mission Creek to a more natural state are worth the negative impact to agriculture.
Ron Seymour – Daily Courier – April 13, 2015.
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