We’ve just been informed of a summer closure of the inner ponds at Iona Island Sewage Treatment Plant.

The official notice is posted here:

****

NOTICE TO BIRDERS from the IONA ISLAND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

Iona Sewage Lagoons – Richmond
Closure: Saturday July 5 through mid- September, 2014

Access Will Be Closed to the public from Saturday July 5 through to Mid Sept, 2014, between 7am and 5pm (weekends included). After 5:00pm access will be allowed into the evenings. There will be days through this closure where public access may be permitted, but there is no schedule for these open days. The natural ponds immediately west of the Sludge Storage Lagoons are not affected.

In order to clean out our South East Sludge Storage Lagoon, the contract hauler must utilize ALL of the outer perimeter lagoon roads. The tandem dump trucks will be making continuous trips through each day they work. I have deemed this condition to be too unsafe to allow simultaneous public access during these times, therefore the entire Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Sludge Storage Lagoon area will be closed to the public during this time. Access to the Sludge Storage Lagoon area will be physically prevented by chain-locking the 2 “Birders Gates” closed during these hours/days (specifically the main birder’s gate at the SE corner, and the west birder’s gate at the far west side of the lagoons). The contractor will post a sign at each of these gate locations warning of the work and closures.

Any unauthorized visitors caught in the Sludge Storage Lagoon area in these dates/ times will be asked to leave immediately. Anyone caught re-entering the site after being asked to leave will be considered trespassing.

Andrew Hunt
Superintendent
Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant
Metro Vancouver

****

You may still get to view birds such as the Yellow-headed Blackbird below in the outer ponds, but the inner ponds are closed as per the official announcement above.