Dyke Road Tidal Marsh Feature

The tidal marsh restoration project at Dyke Road Park hit another big milestone last spring – the completion of intertidal planting work. 

In April, 16 dedicated volunteers spent two days planting another 10,000 native sedges and rushes into newly prepared tidal marsh platforms. This brings the total number of tidal marsh plants in the ground to 20,000! 

To give these plants their best chance at survival, the K’ómoks Guardians were on site to help install Canada goose exclusion fencing around the tidal marsh platforms. Non-migratory Canada geese are an introduced species in this area. They will eat all the tender shoots of shoreline grasses and saltmarsh vegetation in an area causing that habitat to disappear. The temporary exclusion fences are of such a size that geese cannot land or take off inside the areas they encompass. They are made of natural materials and are an ecologically conscious way to mitigate goose impacts. 

In July, Project Watershed staff were back on-site doing plant surveys in the new tidal marsh. Our monitoring showed encouraging signs of establishment and new growth, with many plants taking root and settling into the restored tidal channels and benches. The data we collected will help track the progress of the restoration and inform future projects up and down the coast. 

The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) is now hard at work planning the next phase of the park redesign, which includes building a new pavilion and picnic deck for the community to enjoy. Expect to see this construction work taking place through the winter. The CVRD team hopes to have the park ready for public use by late Spring 2026. 

The Dyke Road Park project will improve rearing habitat for juvenile salmon and protect the shoreline from erosion and flood risk. It is an excellent case study in applying Green Shores principles to municipal park development – restoring a shoreline’s ecological processes while also enhancing the space for public use.  

Thanks to the hard work of the project partners and community volunteers, Dyke Road Park is transforming into a place where people and nature can thrive together!