Kirkland Island
Encyclopedia
Kirkland Island, also known as Rose-Kirkland Island, is located within the municipality of Richmond, British Columbia
and is part of a small alluvial archipelago known as the South Arm Marshes located within the Ladner Reach of the South Arm of the Fraser River
in British Columbia, Canada. It is the northernmost island of the group and lies between Richmond on Lulu Island
in the north and Delta
and Ladner town centre
in the south.
The island is predominantly alluvial in nature and is approximately 1.5 miles long. It is separated from Rose Island
to the south by a narrow tidal channel; they are sometimes collectively referred to as Rose-Kirkland Island. It is uninhabited and is under the management of the Kirkland Island Waterfowl Society, which does not allow public access . The entire archipelago, comprising Kirkland, Woodward, Barber, Duck, Rose, Gunn and Williamson Islands, falls within the Agricultural Land Reserve
and is under the administration of the British Columbia Ministry of Environment, designated as the South Arm Marshes Wildlife Management Area.
In 2008, Kirkland Island gained attention as the site for discovery of several disarticulated human feet
.
In February, 2009, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and Port Metro Vancouver
(PMV) announced completion of an intertidal enhancement project increasing fish habitat at Rose-Kirkland Island . PMV contributed $1.5 million as part of a multi-year plan to offset loss of wildlife habitat from the development of the Deltaport Third Berth Project (DP3). The Rose-Kirkland Island project included breaching Fraser River dikes to create an intertidal environment; raising the elevation of a kilometer of dike to mitigate flooding of the fields on the island; excavating the pool area to facilitate tidal flushing; and upgrading 250 meters of rock riprap along the foreshore to protect against erosion due to waves caused by Fraser River boat traffic.
Another Kirkland Island
is located in Monroe County, Tennessee, USA.
resident John Kirkland, who with his descendants were prominent landholders in the Surrey
and Delta
area.
Until 1960, Kirkland and Rose islands were privately owned by HR McMillan , when ownership was transferred to Kirkland Island Waterfowl Society. In 1989, The Nature Trust along with the Pacific Estuary Conservation Program partners purchased the islands and subsequently leased it to the B.C. Ministry of Environment. The ministry, in turn, licensed annual agriculture management and production to the Kirkland Island Waterfowl Society to attract and support migrant waterfowl. In exchange, the society received exclusive use of the islands as a hunting club.
) and Western St. John’s Wort (Hypericum scouleri).
Richmond, British Columbia
Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
and is part of a small alluvial archipelago known as the South Arm Marshes located within the Ladner Reach of the South Arm of the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
in British Columbia, Canada. It is the northernmost island of the group and lies between Richmond on Lulu Island
Lulu Island
Lulu Island is the name of the largest island in the estuary of the Fraser River. The island makes up most of the City of Richmond, a major suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia...
in the north and Delta
Delta, British Columbia
Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. Located south of Richmond, it is bordered by the Fraser River to the north, the United States to the south and the city of Surrey to the east...
and Ladner town centre
Ladner, British Columbia
Ladner was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. It is a part of the Municipality of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver....
in the south.
The island is predominantly alluvial in nature and is approximately 1.5 miles long. It is separated from Rose Island
Rose Island
- In Canada :*Rose Island in Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, Ont.*Rose Island in the South Arm Marshes of the Fraser River delta, also known as Rose-Kirkland Island, B.C....
to the south by a narrow tidal channel; they are sometimes collectively referred to as Rose-Kirkland Island. It is uninhabited and is under the management of the Kirkland Island Waterfowl Society, which does not allow public access . The entire archipelago, comprising Kirkland, Woodward, Barber, Duck, Rose, Gunn and Williamson Islands, falls within the Agricultural Land Reserve
Agricultural Land Reserve
The Agricultural Land Reserve is a collection of land in the Canadian province of British Columbia in which agriculture is recognized as the priority use. Farming is encouraged and non-agricultural uses are controlled. In total, the ALR covers approximately and includes private and public lands...
and is under the administration of the British Columbia Ministry of Environment, designated as the South Arm Marshes Wildlife Management Area.
In 2008, Kirkland Island gained attention as the site for discovery of several disarticulated human feet
Discoveries of human feet on British Columbia beaches, 2007–2008
Since August 2007, twelve detached human feet have been discovered on the coasts of the Salish Sea in British Columbia and Washington . The feet belong to five men, one woman, and two other persons of unknown gender, the two left feet having been matched with two of the right feet...
.
In February, 2009, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and Port Metro Vancouver
Port Metro Vancouver
Port Metro Vancouver is a non-shareholder, financially self-sufficient corporation, established by the Government of Canada in January 2008, pursuant to the Canada Marine Act, and accountable to the federal Minister of Transport. It is the principal authority for shipping and port-related land and...
(PMV) announced completion of an intertidal enhancement project increasing fish habitat at Rose-Kirkland Island . PMV contributed $1.5 million as part of a multi-year plan to offset loss of wildlife habitat from the development of the Deltaport Third Berth Project (DP3). The Rose-Kirkland Island project included breaching Fraser River dikes to create an intertidal environment; raising the elevation of a kilometer of dike to mitigate flooding of the fields on the island; excavating the pool area to facilitate tidal flushing; and upgrading 250 meters of rock riprap along the foreshore to protect against erosion due to waves caused by Fraser River boat traffic.
Another Kirkland Island
Callaways Little Island
Callaways Little Island, or Kirkland Island, is a small island 1.4 miles WSW of Tallassee, Tennessee within the Chilhowee Shoals of the Little Tennessee River, Monroe County, Tennessee. There is another Kirkland Island in British Columbia, Canada....
is located in Monroe County, Tennessee, USA.
Ownership History
Kirkland Island derives its name from LadnerLadner, British Columbia
Ladner was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. It is a part of the Municipality of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver....
resident John Kirkland, who with his descendants were prominent landholders in the Surrey
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
and Delta
Delta, British Columbia
Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. Located south of Richmond, it is bordered by the Fraser River to the north, the United States to the south and the city of Surrey to the east...
area.
Until 1960, Kirkland and Rose islands were privately owned by HR McMillan , when ownership was transferred to Kirkland Island Waterfowl Society. In 1989, The Nature Trust along with the Pacific Estuary Conservation Program partners purchased the islands and subsequently leased it to the B.C. Ministry of Environment. The ministry, in turn, licensed annual agriculture management and production to the Kirkland Island Waterfowl Society to attract and support migrant waterfowl. In exchange, the society received exclusive use of the islands as a hunting club.
Fauna
Many animal species, both endemic and transient, frequent Kirkland Island and the South Arm Marshes. They include:- Loons and grebes. The South Arm Marshes are frequented by many loon and grebe species, especially during spring and fall migrations. The most easily observed are the common loon, red-throated loon, horned grebe, red-necked grebeRed-necked GrebeThe Red-necked Grebe is a migratory aquatic bird found in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Its wintering habitat is largely restricted to calm waters just beyond the waves around ocean coasts, although some birds may winter on large lakes...
and western grebeWestern GrebeThe Western Grebe, , is a species in the grebe family of water birds. Folk names include "dabchick", "swan grebe" and "swan-necked grebe"....
.
- Great blue herons. Herons are easily seen throughout the year.
- Ducks and geese. Many reside in the South Arm Marshes year-round, but the largest concentrations are observed during the spring and fall migrations. The most common species include mallard ducks and northern pintailNorthern PintailThe Pintail or Northern Pintail is a widely occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator...
ducks, green-winged tealGreen-winged TealThe Green-winged Teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of North America except on the Aleutian Islands. It was considered conspecific with the Common Teal The Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis) is a common and widespread duck that breeds in the northern areas of...
and american wigeonAmerican WigeonThe American Wigeon, also American Widgeon or Baldpate, is a species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. If this is split up, all wigeons will go into their old genus Mareca again...
. Snow geese are present in large numbers on the west portion of the area in March and April.
- Bald eagles. Bald eagles nest throughout the Fraser River estuary.
- Hawks. Concentrations of hawks are greatest during migratory waterfowl stopovers. Hawk species include: Northern harrier hawk, red-tailed hawkRed-tailed HawkThe Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
, sharp-shinned hawkSharp-shinned HawkThe Sharp-shinned Hawk is a small hawk. In fact, "sharp-shins" or "sharpies" are the smallest to reside in USA and Canada, though some Neotropical species are smaller...
and Cooper's HawkCooper's HawkCooper's Hawk is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from Canada to Mexico. As in many birds of prey, the male is smaller than the female...
.
- Falcons. Peregrine falcons are often seen hunting shorebirds and waterfowl.
- Shorebirds. During low tides, mud flats and marsh areas are frequented by shorebirds, especially during the migration periods.
- Songbirds. PasserinePasserineA passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
species may be observed throughout the year. The greatest diversity of songbirds occurs in late spring and through the summer. Easily observed are the marsh wrenMarsh WrenThe Marsh Wren is a small North American songbird of the wren family. It is sometimes called Long-billed Marsh Wren to distinguish it from the Sedge Wren, also known as Short-billed Marsh Wren....
, red-winged blackbirdRed-winged BlackbirdThe Red-winged Blackbird is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras, and...
and song sparrowSong SparrowThe Song Sparrow is a medium-sized American sparrow.Adults have brown upperparts with dark streaks on the back and are white underneath with dark streaking and a dark brown spot in the middle of the breast. They have a brown cap and a long brown rounded tail. Their face is grey with a streak...
.
- Mammals. The South Arm Marshes are home to both beaverBeaverThe beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
and muskratMuskratThe muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
. Raccoons and minkMinkThere are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...
may also be observed.
- Seals and sea lions. The channels of the Fraser River are frequented by harbour seals throughout the year, and in the spring by California sea lionCalifornia Sea LionThe California sea lion is a coastal sea lion of western North America. Their numbers are abundant , and the population continues to expand about 5% annually. They are quite intelligent and can adapt to man-made environments...
s. These species are most visible during fish runs.
Flora
Rare plant elements appearing in the WMA include Hendersons Checker-mallow (Sidalcea hendersonii), Rice Cutgrass (Leersia oryzoidesLeersia oryzoides
Leersia oryzoides is a species of grass known by the common name rice cutgrass. It is a widespread grass native to Europe, Asia, and North America and present in many other regions, such as Australia, as an introduced species. This is a rhizomatous perennial grass growing to a maximum height...
) and Western St. John’s Wort (Hypericum scouleri).