By Andru McCracken

An aging water control structure on Cranberry Marsh is failing, threatening habitat for a host of water fowl, but fortunately the ducks, tourists and locals who enjoy the marsh, help is on the way.

Ducks Unlimited and a number of funding groups are replacing the dam, a $27,000 project.

Nichole Rae of Ducks Unlimited Canada said that without the dam, the water level would vary, and reduce the quality of the habitat for a lot of animals

“Over the past couple years we’ve been noticing that it is getting towards the end of its life. It is still working but at the point it needs to be replaced,” she said.

“The water control structure allows us to regulate the water level so that waterfowl can use it for nesting. In some marshes water levels start to drop during the nesting season. The nests can flood or dry out and chicks don’t have anywhere to go.”

Cranberry Marsh, or Starratt Sanctuary, is just south of the village boundaries on the east side of Highway 5.

She said that the site is used as part of an environmental education program at Valemount Elementary School and that community groups like the Friends of Valemount do a lot to keep the marsh accessible and from being overrun by invasive weeds.

Rae said that the area was first enhanced in the early 1980s, and that it is a prime example of the work of Ducks Unlimited.

“This type of habitat is absolutely what we have to preserve into the future,” she said. “There is a lot of wildlife that rely on it.”

Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, the Columbia Basin Trust, and the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program are funding the projects.