One of Powell River’s most accessible and popular backcountry campsites is getting a facelift.
Nanton Lake Recreation Site, located approximately 30 kilometres east of Powell River, north of Lois Lake, is one of five vehicle-accessible campsites on the Powell River Canoe Route.
“The view there you get of the mountain ranges makes this site one of the best, if not the best local freshwater campsites,” said Hugh Prichard, coordinator of the Powell River Education Services Society (PRESS) contract. “The project has been on the books for a long time, from both an aesthetic and safety perspective.”
The recreation site, which is free for public use, has needed project funding for a number of year to clear danger trees, increase the number of campsites and cut back vigorous vegetation growing at the lakeside.
Over 150 red alder were identified as danger trees at the site and felled to improve safety.
Work has been ongoing since September and expands the recreation site to include day-use picnic areas and four new campsites located away from the lakeshore.
Funding for the restoration and enhancement project came through a government storm damage relief fund, said Prichard.
Jessica McKierahan, recreation officer for the Sunshine Coast-South Island Recreation District, said the province funds between $16,000 to $30,000 for annual maintenance of the canoe route each year, but this recreation site needed extra attention because of the flood damage.
Prichard estimates the project is about 80 per cent complete and expects the recreation site to reopen on November 1.
The site, which was cleared more than half a century ago as a logging camp, had not been replanted with Douglas Fir, Hemlock or Cedar, so Alder trees over took the area, said Pritchard.
Alder has a lifespan of about 60 years and once it starts to deteriorate the top starts dying and branches fall off, said Nancy Pezel, a spokesperson for Western Forest Products.
“The root structure is weakened and eventually the tree will break or fall over,” said Pezel.
Following high winds, PRESS has received complaints from campers that falling branches dented parked vehicles.
“We’ve had situations where campers were taking matters into their own hands and felling trees dangerously on their own,” said Prichard.
Last year the recreation site sustained a significant amount of flood damage when Nanton Lake’s water level rose due to heavy rains, he added.
For the past five years, PRESS has held the local maintenance contract for the canoe route in partnership with Western Forest Products and the Province of BC.
