By David Clements/Special to 91原创 Advance Times
The Radium Hot Springs pool in Kootenay National Park is one of the largest hot spring pools in British Columbia.
So, as my family and I were driving towards Radium one sunny summer evening that was the body of water most on our minds.
Looking out the car window, I couldn鈥檛 help but notice a very extensive wetland鈥� it seemed to go on and on鈥� and on.
鈥淲hat on earth is that?鈥� I wondered.
It turns out I was seeing the Columbia Wetlands, a stretch of the Columbia River running from its twin sources 鈥� the Columbia and Windermere Lakes 鈥� then extending 180 kilometres downstream.
It adds up to 150 square kilometres of spectacular wetland.
How had no one ever told me about this, yet another 鈥淪uper Natural鈥� British Columbia wonder?
How had I missed it as an environmental scientist who is supposed to know about such things?
The Radium Hot Springs pool we were anticipating was a mere drop in the bucket by comparison.
Still, the Radium pool was a welcome, therapeutic place for my son, Victor, and I to relax in after kayaking for five hours one afternoon through a mesmerizing network of Columbia wetland channels enroute from Invermere to Radium.
We took the advice of the man at the kayak rental place to take the scenic route, discovering many secret rivers through the reeds, sometimes paddling through ever narrowing channels until we could paddle no further.
We actually kayaked one hour longer than intended, but it was worth it for the scenery and the wildlife 鈥� full immersion in British Columbia鈥檚 largest wetland.
We met up with bald eagles, ospreys, flycatchers, waterfowl, dancing dragonflies, splashing fish, and much more along the way on that bright sunny day.
Such biodiversity is the treasure of untold worth held in wondrous, watery wetlands.
The Columbia River wetlands are home to many large mammals such as moose, elk, grizzly bears, black bears, whitetail deer, mule deer, wolves, cougars, and the smaller but enigmatic and endangered badger.
The wetland boasts 180 species of birds, with thousands migrating through in spring and fall.
It was in 2005 that the Columbia Wetlands was designated as a wetland of international importance according to the Ramsar convention, meeting all 8 Ramsar criteria (it only needed one).
Then in 2023, Victor and I discovered it and put our stamp of approval on it 鈥� with kayak paddles.
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鈥� David Clements PhD, is a professor of biology and environmental studies at Trinity Western University
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