The Duncan Lardeau focal area was added in Year 5 (2023-24) of Kootenay Connect Priority Places. Consequently, the project results reported for this area include Year 5 and Year 6 (2024-25).
Year 6 Highlights (2024-25)
In 2024, this project undertook a number of measures that emerged as priorities out of last year’s inventory and investigations. Our long-range goals continue to be restoring wetlands and other key habitats; maintaining landscape connectivity; inspiring ecological resiliency; protecting and enhancing for Species at Risk and encouraging beavers as part of this process. Throughout 2024, we monitored the activities of the beavers along the Argenta Slough that had been translocated in 2023, confirming the valuable role served by beavers in drought conditions for many species in addition to themselves. We completed one water supplementation project (Hamill Ditch) and several small-scale beaver-small wetland enhancement projects including willow live-staking.
Year 5 Highlights (2023-24)
In 2023, the Duncan-Lardeau Kootenay Connect DLSAR Beaver & DL Connectivity project surveyed, mapped and assessed several components of the Duncan-Lardeau floodplain ecosystem with a long-range goal of restoring wetlands and other key habitats; maintaining landscape connectivity; inspiring overall resilience, protecting and enhancing for Species at Risk and working in this process with beavers. We made an effort to identify the highest priorities for restoration/conservation action and options for ‘on-the ground ‘projects over the coming years. In addition, we undertook several ‘hands-on’ projects in 2023 that had been previously identified and planned, including augmenting the local beaver population with a translocation and monitoring the whereabouts and activities of the beavers in the months that followed.
