District of Lake Country aware of dredging requests for Kal/Wood lakes channel, awaiting permission

Photo: Google Maps

There is little progress on requests to have the channel between Kalamalka and Wood lakes dredged.

Public appeals to have the waterway dredged of sediment to allow larger boats through have been growing, but Lake Country officials say there is no word yet when, or if, approval will be given.

“Council is aware that local citizens have independently applied to the province to dredge the channel. The district has not received notification from the province of the application nor has a referral been received from the province,” says a post on the District of Lake Country website.

“Although dredging may seem simple, there are many different factors for the province to consider when reviewing a dredging application. Considerations include: ownership of the channel corridor; underwater utilities; and the environmental impacts dredging would have on the lakes – including drinking water intakes. Applicants will also need to consider financial implications of dredging the channel.”

Under provincial and federal law, excavating in a waterway without a permit is illegal – and dangerous.

Andrew Spear has been working for the past two years to have the canal dredged, and has even developed an environmentally friendly plan to do it, but has been bogged down in government red tape.

“The Oyama Canal is a navigable waterway sanctioned under the federal government. Thus, we as boaters should have the right of safe passage through the canal,” he said, noting the channel is as shallow as eight inches in spots.

Spear has crowdfunded to have the silt removed with the blessing of Tween lakes Resort and Camp Hatikvah, which sit on either side of the canal.

Spear hired an environmental consultant for guidance and has a company lined up to do hydro-vac dredging, which would have the least amount of environmental impact.

Now, all Spear needs is government approval.

“They will park a truck on top of the bridge and just vacuum the silt and dirt out,” he said.