Take Refuge Put Creston Valley Wildlife Area On Itinerary

Deciding what gear to take to the Creston Valley Wildlife Area is easy.

Fitting it all in the car is tougher.

Canoe or touring kayak?

Yep.

Mountain bike?

You bet.

Hiking boots, binoculars, bird books?

Without a doubt.

Underadvertised and overlooked, the wildlife area and its interpretive center are well worth a short detour for vacationers heading to Kootenay Lake or Ainsworth Hot Springs. Once visited, it may become the destination of choice for many Inland Northwest residents heading across the border.

Biologists have counted 250 species of birds in the 17,000-acre refuge that straddles the Kootenay River (known as the Kootenai south of the border) where it flows into Kootenay Lake.

The world’s third-largest concentration of osprey nests and perches in cottonwood trees along the river, diving into its rich water for fish to feed themselves and their young. Most other wildlife is attracted to the ponds, lakes and marshes that are fed by the river’s water.

The wetlands were nearly lost to wildlife, said Anne deJager, manager of the Creston Valley Wildlife Interpretation Centre.

Historically, the broad Creston Valley flooded each spring, and the water would hang around until late summer. Vast flocks of waterfowl, including uncounted thousands of tundra swans, found ample food and nesting cover.

But farmers took a liking to the valley’s rich soil and diked the Kootenay River, leaving many of the wetlands permanently dry. Libby Dam in Montana, as well as other dams in Canada, further controlled the floods.

Under pressure from conservationists, the provincial and federal governments ordered large portions of the valley preserved or restored for wildlife in 1968. Volunteers from Ducks Unlimited spent $1 million building 35 kilometers of dikes.

Instead of holding out the water, these new dikes hold it in, artificially restoring many of the wetlands that were destroyed. Water is pumped into the ponds from the river and its feeder streams.

“Because of the dams, we can never return to the natural flooding,” said deJager. “We’ve lost that ability.”

The dikes make good paths for bicyclists, and good platforms for wildlife viewing. Some are open to visitors in cars.

Pedestrian visitors can get an intimate look at the wetlands from the many trails in the wildlife area, or the short boardwalk and three-story viewing tower at the interpretive center.

Canoeists can enjoy some of the best wildlife viewing on 3,000-acre Duck Lake, where motorboats are banned, or on numerous streams, channels and ponds. Hour-long canoe tours, guided by volunteer naturalists, are offered at the interpretive center.

The center is open from the last weekend in April until Canada’s Thanksgiving holiday (Oct. 14 this year). The wildlife area itself is open year around, with the best wildlife viewing in spring and fall.

Autumn brings large flocks of ducks and geese, which use the refuge as a rest stop during their annual migration from the Arctic. Tundra swans still show up each year, though they are not nearly as plentiful as they once were.

“It’s nice to come for the birds, but also for the fall colors,” said deJager.

The river is framed in the red, purple and yellow of cottonwoods and other deciduous trees and shrubs. Snow could cap the distant Selkirk and Purcell peaks any day, while the valley’s weather remains mild.

Fall visitors share the woods and marshes with hunters, and should remember that the refuge might not have been saved if not for the efforts of Ducks Unlimited, an organization comprised primarily of hunters.

The waterfowl flocks return in spring, and many of the birds stick around to nest.

Five species of grebes, a bird known for its lake-top courtship dance, are among the spring stars. The spectacle is best viewed at Duck Lake.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: IF YOU GO

General The Creston Valley Wildlife Area is a three-hour drive from Spokane. From the Porthill border crossing in Idaho, follow B.C. Highway 21 nine miles to Creston, then turn left on B.C. Highway 3. It’s about five miles to the wildlife area and interpretive center. The wildlife area, designated a wetland of international significance, is a permanent home or occasional stop-over for 250 species of birds including bald eagles, osprey, grebes and swans. Other animals include black bear, Rocky Mountain elk, beavers and kokanee salmon, which spawn in some streams in late summer.

Hours Wildlife area is open year around, seven days a week. The interpretive center is open each year from the last weekend in April until mid-October. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Hours before and after that period are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

Fees There is no fee for visitors to the wildlife area. Admission to the interpretive center is $3 for adults; $1.50 for children or students; $7 for families. (All prices Canadian.)

Activities Wildlife watching and photography; hiking and biking on trails and dikes; canoeing in Duck Lake and other waters. Most of the wildlife area is open to hunting and fishing. Duck Lake boasts some of the best bass fishing in British Columbia, and is popular spot for ice fishing. Guided canoe tours are $5 per person at the interpretive center. Camping: The Summit Creek Campground (open the same months as the interpretive center) features hot showers and 300-year-old cedar trees. Fee is $12 per night for tents or RVs. (Additional charge for more than four people.) Rental canoes and bicycles available. Call (604)428-7441. Additional information: Creston Valley Wildlife Centre, 1874 Wildlife Road, Box 640, Creston, B.C., VOB IGO, (604)428-3259. For a Creston area visitors’ guide that lists motels, inns, restaurants, guides and other businesses, call Creston Community Projects Ltd. at (604) 943-6869.

Other area attractions Creston has a museum, outdoor pool, two golf courses and an ice arena. Columbia Brewery (maker of Kokanee Beer) offers free tours. Creston Valley is known for its orchards and spring blossoms. Cross-country skiing is abundant in the area.

Kootenay Lake is popular with boaters, and features some campgrounds accessible only by boat. A ferry crosses the lake about 45 miles north of Creston. British Columbia officials boast that the 40-minute trip is the world’s longest free ferry ride.

Ainsworth Hot Springs is about 75 miles north of Creston. (Trip requires ferry crossing.) Call (604) 229-4214 for information.