RECREATIONAL ROUTE STUDY — MERRITT TO BROOKMERE TRANS CANADA TRAIL — LINKING COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE MERRITT LINKING COMMUNITIES BROOKMERE TransCanadaTrail—LinkingCommunitiesInitiative RecreationalRouteStudy—MerrittToBrookmere FinalReport Friday,2ndJune,2000 Preparedby: Preparedfor: GrahamSeefeldt CityofMerritt AestechConsultingInc. POBox189,2185VoghtStreet POBox4062,529AberdeenRoad Merritt,BCV1K1B8 LowerNicola,BCV0K1Y0 Telephone:(250)378-4224-Fax:(250)378-2600 Telephone(250)378-3512-Fax(250)378-3542 E-mail:[email protected] andthe Withassistancefrom: NicolaValleyExplorersSociety POBox1499 Merritt,BCV1K1B8 MurphyShewchuk POBox400 Merritt,BCV1K1B8 Sponsoredby: Telephone/Fax:(250)378-5930 MinistryofCommunityDevelopment,Cooperatives and andVolunteers POBox9915,StnProvGov Victoria,BCV8W9R1 ElizabethSalomon-de-Friedberg Telephone:(250)387-0053-Fax:(250)387-2935 1964GreavesAvenue Merritt,BCV1K1B8 Telephone:(250)378-4087 2011-04-14 AestechConsultingInc. TRANSCANADATRAIL—LINKINGCOMMUNITIESINITIATIVE RECREATIONALROUTESTUDY—MERRITTTOBROOKMERE MERRITT PATCHETT ROAD BROOKMERE BRODIE 2011-04-14 AestechConsultingInc. TRANSCANADATRAIL—LINKINGCOMMUNITIESINITIATIVE RECREATIONALROUTESTUDY—MERRITTTOBROOKMERE TableofContents 1. ExecutiveSummary 3 4.4.1 Introduction 31 1.1 Overview 3 4.4.2 MerritttoPatchettRoad 31 1.2 Methodology 3 4.4.3 PatchettRoadtoBrodie 32 1.3 RouteRecommendation 4 5. MajorInfrastructure 33 1.4 IssuesandResolutions 5 5.1 Bridges:BrookCreek 33 1.5 StudyRecommendations 6 5.1.1 BrookCreekBridge#1. 33 2. Introduction 7 5.1.2 BrookCreekBridge#2. 33 5.1.3 BrookCreekBridge#3. 34 2.1 AreaDescription 7 5.2 Bridges:ColdwaterRiver 35 2.2 ReportBackground 7 5.2.1 ColdwaterBridge#1 2.3 ReportFundingSource 8 (Brodie). 35 2.4 ReportPresentation 8 5.2.2 ColdwaterBridge#2 (BrodietoKingsvale). 35 3. Methodology 9 5.2.3 ColdwaterBridge#3 3.1 PublicConsultation 9 (BrodietoKingsvale). 36 3.2 FieldReconnaissance 10 5.2.4 ColdwaterBridge#4 (BrodietoKingsvale). 36 3.3 Research 10 5.2.5 ColdwaterBridge#5 3.4 DraftandFinalReports 10 (BrodietoKingsvale). 37 5.2.6 ColdwaterBridge#6 4. RouteRecommendations 11 (BrodietoKingsvale). 37 4.1 MerritttoPatchettRoad 11 5.2.7 ColdwaterBridge#7 4.1.1 Statistics. 11 (PatchettRoadtoMerritt). 38 4.1.2 RouteDescription. 11 5.2.8 ColdwaterBridge#8 (PatchettRoadtoMerritt 4.1.3 RecommendedImprovements. 12 MerrittMtnMusicFestival). 39 4.1.4 Maps:Merritt-PatchettRoad. 13 5.3 Bridges:VoghtCreek 40 4.2 PatchettRoadtoBrodie 19 5.3.1 VoghtCreekBridge 4.2.1 Statistics. 19 ColdwaterRoadatKingsvale. 40 4.2.2 RouteDescription. 19 5.4 Washouts&Landslides 41 4.2.3 RecommendedImprovements. 21 5.4.1 MerritttoPatchettRoad. 41 4.2.4 Maps:PatchettRoadtoBrodie. 22 5.4.2 PatchettRoadtoBrodie. 41 4.3 BrodietoBrookmere 29 5.4.3 BrodietoBrookmere 43 4.3.1 Statistics. 29 4.3.2 RouteDescription. 29 6. Issues&Resolutions 45 4.3.3 RecommendedImprovements. 30 6.1 Introduction 45 4.3.4 Maps:BrodietoBrookmere. 30 6.2 IdentificationofIssues 45 4.4 RouteOptions&Rationale 31 6.3 IssuesandProposedResolutions 46 2011-04-14 Page 1 AestechConsultingInc. TRANSCANADATRAIL—LINKINGCOMMUNITIESINITIATIVE RECREATIONALROUTESTUDY—MERRITTTOBROOKMERE 6.3.1 Planning&DevelopmentCosts 46 6.3.2 RoadCrossings 47 6.3.3 Washouts-RepairVs.Relocation 47 6.3.4 LongTermMaintenance 47 6.3.5 Toilets&Campgrounds 48 6.3.6 WeedControl 48 6.3.7 PolicingtheTrail 49 6.3.8 AcceptableTrailUses 49 6.3.9 ImpactsonLandowners 50 6.3.10 PrivateProperty:Access&Fencing 51 6.3.11 AgriculturalLandReserve 52 7. Recommendations 53 8. Appendices 55 8.1 AppendixA PlanningTeamMembers 55 8.2 AppendixB CommunityParticipation 55 8.3 AppendixC Fig. 1.BrookmereWaterTank. ProjectScheduleandTimelines 57 (Date:2000-04-02—By:MurphyShewchuk.) 2011-04-14 Page 2 AestechConsultingInc. TRANSCANADATRAIL—LINKINGCOMMUNITIESINITIATIVE RECREATIONALROUTESTUDY—MERRITTTOBROOKMERE 1. ExecutiveSummary 1.1 Overview Overthepastseveraldecades,thedevelopmentoftrailsandtrailnetworkshasbecomeatopicofmuchinterest throughoutNorthAmerica.Inrecentyears,thepromotionoftheTransCanadaTrailhascreatedadditional interestinthedevelopmentoflocalandregionaltrailnetworks. InOctober1995,theProvinceofBritishColumbiaannouncedtheacquisitionofmorethan425kilometresof abandonedrailwaycorridors.Thisincludedmorethan250kilometresoftheformerKettleValleyRailway/ CanadianPacificRailwayright-of-waybetweenSpencesBridgeandOkanaganFalls.Theonlysectionsnot includedinthepurchasewherethosepassingthroughIndianReservesandMunicipalities. Todate,thedesignatedrouteoftheTransCanadaTrailincludesmuchoftheformerKVR/CPRright-of-way betweenMidwayintheBoundaryDistrictandBrodie,somesixkilometreswestofBrookmere.FromtheBrodie junction,theTransCanadaTrailisexpectedtocontinuetoHope,buttheexactroutehasyettobedetermined. SignificantinterestinlinkingMerritttotheTransCanadaTrailatBrodieviatheKVR/CPRright-of-wayledtoa studyfundedbytheMinistryofCommunityDevelopment,CooperativesandVolunteers. Thepurposeofthestudywastwofold: 1)ToidentifyandrecommendaroutethatwilllinktheCityofMerrittwiththeTransCanadaTrailnear Brookmere. 2)Toidentifyworkthatneedstobedonetobringtherouteuptoasafestandard. TheprincipallocalsponsorsofthestudyweretheNicolaValleyExplorersSocietyandtheCityofMerritt. AestechConsultingInc.washiredtocarryoutthestudyinconsultationwiththecommunity,stakeholders, interestgroups,industry,governmentagenciesandministries. 1.2 Methodology Thestudyincorporatedanextensivepublicconsultationprocess,in-depthfieldreconnaissanceandmapping,and researchintolandownership,issuesandresolutions.Giventherelativelyshorttimelinesforcompletingthis project,thefirsttaskfortheconsultantgroupwasthesettingoutofaprojectschedulethatdidthreekeythings: a)helpeddefinethepublicconsultationprocess; b)delineatedtherolesandresponsibilitiesofthePlanningTeamandtheconsultinggroup; c)provideddirectionforeachstageoftheprojectandsetoutfixeddatesfortwoofthethreecomponentsofthe publicconsultationprocess:publicmeetingsandplanningteamworkshops. Thepublicconsultationprocessfocusedongettingtheinvolvementandactiveparticipationofthecommunity andinparticular,certainstakeholdergroups.Thiswasachievedthrough: a)publicmeetings,threeinnumber; b)threePlanningTeamworkshops;and c)consultationswithindividuallandowners(andtenureholders)adjacenttoorinthevicinityoftheroute. Inordertoensurethatinformationreachedthekeystakeholders,some125lettersweresentatthestartofthe studyperiodtolocalranchers,forestlicenseholders,FirstNations,interestgroups,electedofficialsinMerrittand theTNRD,andtoprovincialgovernmentagenciesandcrowncorporations.Thisletterincludedgeneral informationaboutthestudy,aninvitationtoattendthefirstpublicmeetingandtocontactAestechConsultingInc. todiscusstheprojectandanyissuesorconcerns.Thefirstpublicmeetingintroducedandexplainedthenatureof thestudyandtheobjectives;andinvitedmembersfromthecommunitytobeapartofthePlanningTeam.A detailedprojectscheduleandtimelinewasalsodistributedatthemeeting. Afterthefirstmeeting,afurther60lettersweresenttootherlandownersthatcouldbeimpacted.Therecipients wereinvitedtojointhePlanningTeam,tocontacttheconsultantandtoattendupcomingpublicmeetings. 2011-04-14 Page 3 AestechConsultingInc. TRANSCANADATRAIL—LINKINGCOMMUNITIESINITIATIVE RECREATIONALROUTESTUDY—MERRITTTOBROOKMERE MeanwhilethePlanningTeamattendeditsfirstworkshopandasecondonefollowedthreeweekslater.The discussionandfeedbackattheseworkshopsprovidedtheconsultinggroupwithvaluableinformationandhelped directtheirwork.Routeoptionswereidentifiedanddiscussedatlength,issuesraisedandsolutionsproposedand theconsultantreportedonworkdoneinbetweentheworkshops. Afterthesecondworkshop,asecondpublicmeetingwasheldatwhichthemostviablerouteoptionswere presentedforcomment.Inaddition,therewasapresentationinissuesandpossiblesolutionswithaquestionsand answerperiodthatfollowed.Feedbackfromallmeetingswasincorporatedintoadraftreport,asummaryof whichwaspresentedatthethirdpublicmeeting.Inallninety-eightpeopleattendedthepublicmeetings.The workshopswerealsowellattendedwithanoverallattendancerateof80%. Furtherconsultationtookplaceviameetingswithstakeholdersaswellaslengthytelephoneconversationswitha numberoflandowners.AmeetingwasarrangedwiththeChiefoftheColdwaterIndianBandanddiscussions followedwithhimastherouteoptionswerenarrowed.TheColdwaterIndianBandandtheotherIndianBandsin theareaallreceivedthefirstletterofinvitationatthestartofthestudy.Finally,oncetherecommendedroutewas identified,theconsultinggroupattemptedtocontactalllandownerswhohadnotyetbeenheardfrom. Inordertomeetthesecondstudyobjective,adifferentapproachwasrequiredandinvolveddriving,cyclingor walkingeverymetreoftherecommendedrouteandalmosteveryrouteoption.Inthisway,therouteoptionswere inventoriedwiththehelpofaGPSandadigitalcamera.Inaddition,theroutecorridorwasviewedfroma fixed-wingaircraft.Airphotoswereusedtoverifylandmarksandlandscapefeatures. Thethirdcomponentofthemethodologywasresearch.Onceissueswereidentifiedtheyweremorefully investigatedwithparticularemphasisonsolutions.Avarietyofsourceswereaccessedwiththemostimportant beingtheLandUseCoordinationOffice,MinistryofForests-MerrittDistrictOffice,TrailsBC,BCAssetsand LandCorporationandtheMinistryofTransportationandHighways,NicolaHighwaysDistrict. Researchwasalsoundertakentodeterminelandownership.ThiswasdonebyvisitingtheBCAssessment Authority(Kamloops),theLandRegistrationOffice(Kamloops)andtheMinistryofTransportationand Highways-NicolaHighwaysDistrict. 1.3 RouteRecommendation ThestudyhasidentifiedafeasiblerouteforarecreationaltrailbetweenMerrittandtheTransCanadaTrailat Brodie.ItisrecommendedthattheroutebeginatClaybanksBridgeinMerritt(seepage 11),andcontinuesouth alongthewesternslopesoftheColdwaterRivervalley,viaMiddayValleyRoadandsecondaryroadsandtrails