Ducks Unlimited Canada - Special Project: Elizabeth Lake-Urban Wetland

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Ducks Unlimited Canada- Special Project:

Elizabeth Lake - Urban Wetland

Ducks Unlimited Canada - Special Project: A perfect example of a thriving urban wetland, Elizabeth Lake is located at the west end of the City of Cranbrook on Highway 3.
This 249 acre, special project wetland was enhanced and preserved for waterfowl and wildlife through the co-operation of the City of Cranbrook, the BC Ministry of Environment and Ducks Unlimited Canada in 1972. The urban wetland is open to public use for personal and educational enjoyment.

Elizabeth Lake - photo by DJO

What will you see?
Elizabeth Lake is an important nesting and staging area for several waterfowl species. It is situated in the Pacific Flyway - Rocky Mountain Trench Corridor. This conserved wetland has a water level control structure and nesting islands that ensure habitat enhancement now and for the future.

Waterfowl: Canada Goose, mallard, teal, ringneck, scaup, redhead, goldeneye, bufflehead, and ruddy duck.

Other Birds and Animals: Coots, grebes, black terns, blackbirds, songbirds, muskrat, skunk, whitetailed deer, elk and moose. Elizabeth Lake also holds a large population of Western Painted Turtles, BC's only indigenous turtle species. There is a ongoing enhancement project to keep the turtles from leaving the marsh area and crossing the adjacent highway only to meet their demise by motorvehicle traffic.

Finding the Fun - Experience the Excitement
The southern East Kootenays area is bordered on the north at Canal where the Kootenay River rejoins Hwy 95/93. The western boundary would be Moyie Lake and the eastern boundary extends to the Alberta border. The southern boundary is the US State of Montana.

The main towns and cities include Cranbrook, Kimberley and Fernie. The East Kootenay south country has long been a vacation destination for RV'ers, hikers, hunters, bikers, watersports and anglers.

Cranbrook is the business, commercial and transportation hub of the southern East Kooteney's. Known as the Key City, Cranbrook is thriving town of nearly 20,000. There are lots of things to see and do in the area with plenty of highway access to the action and where you want to be. Cranbrook and Kimberley also share an international airport to add to your transportation options.

Kimberley has long been known as the Bavarian Town of the Rockies. The whole town has adopted a Bavarian look capped off with the Kimberley Ski Resort literally in their backyard.

Fernie lies to the east on the Crowsnest Highway right in the middle of the spectacular Rocky Mountains and offers easy access to the Elk Valley, including Sparwood and Elkford. The Fernie area offers world class skiing, hiking and wildlife viewing including elk, deer, black and grizzly bear.

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