The Regional District and the province are locking horns over the possible sale of recreational and commercial crown leases next to reservoir lakes.

The Regional District is concerned about the potential degradation of water quality and increased costs associated with future upgrades of community water systems.

The Regional Board came down against the sale of 15 lease lots adjacent to Crooked Lake at its meeting Monday.

All local governments within the Regional District, as well as water purveyors, have expressed opposition to the sale of these properties.

Regional District Planner, Ron Fralick, says the province is pursuing the project even though there is opposition.

"Our concern is that if they go ahead with it, that we will be left out in the dark with no opportunity to address requirements," says Fralick.

He says the board passed a two part resolution, one that the Regional District does not support the sale and conversion of the 15 lots.

"The second part of the resolution identified all of the issues we felt need to be resolved if the province is going to pursue the actual conversion to fee simple status and sale of these recreational leases."

Fralick says leases on most reservoir lakes have an R1 zoning, which is a standard single detached housing zone. He says there has never been an appropriate zone for recreational cottage lots.

"The other part of that zoning is this conservation land zone that we've introduced. The intent there is to basically apply it to the reservoir lakes, everywhere around all of the existing uses."

Fralick says there are concerns around the Beaver/Dee Lake chain, McCulloch and Postill Lakes.

"All of these watersheds have commercial and recreational leases on them right now and it's not something you really want to promote as part of a domestic system. Having said that, we're trying to work through this and come up with strategies of how we can at least protect these areas."

He says the province appears committed to proceed with the project, despite local objections.

"That's where they've got us. They are able to do this conversion through a process through the land act where they bypass the normal subdivision requirement that we would impose on anybody else. We're trying to tie in some of our standard subdivision requirements as part of this in the event that they go ahead with it."

Fralick says he'll be very interested to hear the province's reaction to Monday's decisions.

Meantime, the Regional Board also supported an application on behalf of the District of Lake Country to raise the dams on Crooked Lake, Oyama Lake and Beaver Lake.