Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area |
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IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
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| Nearest city | Creston, British Columbia |
| Area | 69 square kilometres (27 sq mi) |
| Established | 1968 |
| Governing body | Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area |
| Official name: Creston Valley | |
| Designated: | 21 February 1994 |
| Reference #: | 649 |
The Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area is a special place in British Columbia, Canada. It is a huge wetland area near the town of Creston. This area is where the Kootenay River flows into Kootenay Lake.
Most of this area is marshland. It's so important that it was named a "wetland of international importance" in 1994. It's also a very important spot for birds from all over the world. The area stretches about 20 kilometers north along Kootenay Lake. It also goes south all the way to the United States border.
This wildlife area is the only place in British Columbia where Forster's terns breed. It's also the only home for leopard frogs in the province. Plus, it's one of the few Canadian homes for the Coeur d'Alene salamander. Many birds stop here to rest and nest during their long journeys. They use this area as a "staging" point on the Pacific Flyway.
The Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area covers about 69 square kilometers. This land belongs to the province. Inside this wetland, you'll find Duck Lake, which is 15 square kilometers. There are also 17 smaller marshes. The Purcell Mountains are to the east, and the Selkirk Mountains are to the west.
Protecting the Wetland
The Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area team works hard to keep this wetland healthy. They try to stop plants that don't belong there from growing too much. These include plants like cattails and reed canary grass.
To control these plants, they sometimes lower the water level in the marshes. This helps to dry out the ground. Then, they can plough the soil. This gets rid of the seeds of unwanted plants. This method helps many different kinds of plants and animals to live there. It stops one type of plant from taking over the whole area.
History of the Area
The Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area was officially created in 1968. This happened after many years of hard work. Conservationists, biologists, and local people wanted to protect Duck Lake. They also wanted to save the important wetland habitats around it.
Later, with help from BC Hydro and Ducks Unlimited, special structures were built. These included dykes and other controls. These structures help manage the water levels in Duck Lake and the wetlands. This reduces the problems caused by yearly dry spells and floods.
We know that First Nations people have lived in this area for thousands of years. The land is the traditional home of the Ktunaxa people.
