By Dave Branco

Cottonwood Island Park Channel

Park to stay open as work begins on fish-saving channel upgrades

Sep 12, 2025 | 3:19 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Cottonwood Island Park is a green space celebrated for its diverse wildlife and majestic cottonwood trees. Unfortunately, the park’s water channel has been responsible for the deaths of numerous small fish each season. To address this issue, plans are underway to revitalize the channel and enhance fish survival rates.

One of the park’s standout features is a wooden bridge that spans the channel, posing an annual risk to the lives of hundreds of fish due to its depth.

For over five years, Spruce City Wildlife has been diligently monitoring and rescuing fish in the area; however, many still end up trapped. In light of this, a collaborative initiative involving local governments and various organizations has led to the creation of a comprehensive plan to restore the channel.

“We will be cleaning up the bottom and restoring the side banks. And then once that is all done, we will be willow planting.”

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Jesi Lauzon

Spruce City Wildlife Association

The goal is to kick off the restoration work this year. Lauzon notes that, although there will be some noise from construction machinery, the park will remain open throughout the process.

To keep the community informed, a public information session is scheduled for September 17 at 7:00 PM at Spruce City, providing residents with an opportunity to learn more about the side channel restoration project.

Email: Dave.Branco@pattisonmedia.com

TikTok: @DaveBrancoVJ