Fall sights and smells are upon the Creston Valley as the months of September and October have quickly passed. Each year the Western larch surprise me with their beauty. The orange and yellow hues are brilliant right now!
The picture to the right is of the grass growth in and around the boardwalks in Corn Creek Marsh this year, it was so tall and lush by the end of the summer.
The Tails on Trails summer program has wrapped up now, and our staff at CVWMA would like to extend a BIG thank you to Gen and the team at Hound N' Mouser for collaborating on this pilot project with us, as well as the public who were respecting the CVWMA 'dogs on leash' policy and interested in learning more on the importance of this. We enjoyed interacting with the public on the dykes and chatting with dog owners about the program. The conversations had out on the trails, and data collected are beneficial. I found positive feedback from folks about the importance of dogs being kept on leash while walking in this sensitive ecosystem, for the wildlife and other people in the area alike. Hound N' Mouser provided the prizes for monthly draw winners and we had great feedback from happy pets and pet owners about their prizes! Let's keep up the good work and continue the discussion around the importance of keeping our fuzzy friends leashed while visting the CVWMA!
Waterfowl surveys have continued weekly in the CVWMA this fall, counting and identifying species in the different areas. Some vegetation and habitat work was completed out by Duck Lake in October, and will be an onging process along with monitoring in the months and perhaps years to come. Some other maintenance work will also be completed in the coming weeks within the Corn Creek Marsh area.
Enjoy the beautiful fall days and see you out on the trails!
Alyson Brda
Office Administrator, CVWMA
Do YOU Know WHERE To Go?
Article by: Julia Shewan, Conservation Programs Assistant, CVWMA
Fall greetings everyone. As the temperatures moderate and the birds are migrating through, it’s a great time to get outside walking. The Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area(CVWMA) has several places that the public can go walking, and one of the most popular areas is Corn Creek Marsh or what some of the locals might call the “Wildlife Area” or “Wildlife Centre”. These monikers pay homage to the fact that Corn Creek Marsh was where the former Wildlife Interpretive Centre was located and it was a go-to hub for education and stewardship programs at the CVWMA. The Centre was built in 1974 and was maintained and operated by the Canadian Wildlife Service before the CVWMA took over its management in the 1980s. The Interpretive Centre served the local and international populace for nearly a half century before it was deconstructed in the winter of 2019/20 (more information can be found here). The Kootenay-Columbia Discovery Centre Society (KCDCS) now takes up the torch, serving the community with environmental educational and awareness programs.
Nice little bit of history, right? However, these recent changes have caused some folks to get steered in the wrong direction, literally. We regularly get visitors showing up at the CVWMA Administration Office, located at 1874 Wildlife Road, inquiring about access to walking trails. Unfortunately, the Administration Office is the top hit for search terms like “Creston Wildlife Area” or “Creston Wildlife Centre” or even “Creston Wildlife Walking Trails”, even though the Administration Office is not the place to access any of the walking trails on the CVWMA. While we love to see your eager faces as you ask about the whereabouts of recreation areas, we realize that you’d rather be somewhere else! We hope with the following visual, you’ll know where to go for what purpose. We ask that you share this story widely with your friends, since we can’t change how Google or other search engines do their work.
Do note that maps of walking trails on the CVWMA can be found on the both the CVWMA website or KCDSC website (along with a host of other information with regards to what our respective organizations do) and there are also several site maps and signage located throughout Corn Creek Marsh. Want to bring your furry friend? Please note that the CVWMA is an on-leash area and we ask visitors to respect the rules for the safety of wildlife and the comfort of other users.
On October 10, 2025, a prescribed burn was implemented in the two southern compartments of Six Mile Slough complex. The burn aimed primarily at reducing over 30 years of accumulated dead vegetation such as reed canary grass, cattails, and bullrushes to improve hydrology in the wetland and hopefully enhance breeding and foraging habitat conditions for a variety of species of waterfowl, water birds, amphibians, and other wildlife. Big shout out to the BC Wildfire staff and the Ministry of Water, Land and resource Stewardship that helped make this happen!! The attached photo shows what the area looked like on October 14, 202. Monitoring re-growth and wildlife use will be conducted in the coming year(s) to determine if the burn was effective.
A reminder to the public members that are currently a Boat Permit holder, or who would like the opportunity to have a permit. The Creston Valley Wildlife Management Authority is making changes to the permitting system that has allowed permit holders to store non-motorized boats at Sirdar Point since 2009. These changes will take effect after Nov 30, 2025. Due to community feedback, the “first-come first-served” permitting system will be abandoned and updated to an annual “lottery” permitting system to increase fairness among users.
Changes include:
Current permit fees of $25/year have not changed since 2009. Permit fees will increase to $100 starting in 2026 to cover the costs of managing and administering the permit program.
Permits will be valid annually from February 1st to November 30th.
All boats currently stored at Sirdar Point must be removed from the site by November 30th, 2025.
Individuals who wish to acquire a boat storage permit for the 2026 season will be required to enter their name into a lottery that will open on December 1st, 2025, and close on January 20th, 2026.
Names will be drawn within 2 days of the closing date and CVWMA will notify successful participants by January 23rd, 2026.
If you are interested in entering into the lottery:
Enter your name by emailing the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area directly at this email askus@crestonwildlife.ca
The Winter 2024/2025 Wetlander newsletter is now available for viewing. Check out the articles and photos of the Northern Leopard Frogs, Waterfowl banding, research in the CVWMA and much more!
