Thousands of birds and hundreds of local people and tourists agree that the 100 Mile Marsh is an asset to the village of 100 Mile House and a treasure worth preserving. However, as it is surrounded on all sides by the makings of man, our marsh is in a tenuous spot. Recent plans to create a bicycle park caught my attention because the bicycle park will be created in an area that I feel affects the health of the marsh.

Ever since moving in next to town I've studied 100 Mile Marsh with its wide range of migrating and nesting birds. And I've gathered information on possible threats the 100 Mile Marsh may one day face.

An incoming supply of fresh water is essential and necessary to stop any marsh from becoming stagnant and foul. 100 Mile Marsh has degraded habitat on three sides so it is particularly vulnerable. Fortunately, the southern side of the marsh has some natural coverage, and water finds its way to the marsh through storm water, seepage, and surface flow.

However, storm water runoff occurs just once in awhile, after a heavy rainfall, or after the snow melts in springtime. Seepage, another source of water for the marsh is a slow, year-round supply of water that saturates the ground just north of the high school playing fields. A third water source is surface flow. It originates in several swampy areas connected by small streams immediately south of the marsh.

A few years ago the property with the flowing surface water was swapped with the village, and then stripped of all trees. The impetus for logging and land swapping being that someone felt the playing fields should be constructed at the south end of town, so the partially constructed fields at the north end of town were abandoned. At this time the stream flowing into the marsh was considered seasonal, and accorded no protection. However, I felt the water flow was a critical source for the health of 100 Mile Marsh and I wondered what impact logging would have.

Somewhat later the town decided to once again work on the playing fields at the north end of town, at the old sewer lagoon, and now abandoned the fields by the marsh. The stream continued to flow despite its now barren situation, until last week when things once again changed.

I was curious to see what portion of the logged property was given to the bicycle park, so last week I wandered into the area. Several types of earth moving vehicles were on site and I was surprised to see all the activity right next to the swampy area by which the small stream flowed. Given that there are some few dry acres at the site, why would they build on the wettest, soggiest area?

Now, I'm no engineer but I immediately noted the machinery had effectively created a dam at the east end of the swampy land. Perhaps the people working on the project didn't realize that the swampy land expelled its excess water through an almost invisible channel which they have now managed to build a dam across. Who would know this if they weren't familiar with this bit of land? But even someone without a degree in hydrology knows two things about water - it does not compress and if it wants to go somewhere, it will go even if it has to flood to do it. A problem was brewing and it needed remedying.

I went home and telephoned the person in charge. He said that culverts would be installed at the spot in question. Crisis averted. And so, like a heart with gradually clogging arteries, the marsh goes on for a while longer.