BC Parks

The British Columbia Parks System manages and protects almost fourteen percent of the land in British Columbia for conservation, preservation, and recreation. A primary goal of BC Parks is to protect biodiversity and sites of special natural significance. Especially relevant to this goal is the protection of Pavilion Lake, nestled within the steep walls of Marble Canyon Provincial Park. BC Parks formally added this unique lake bed to Marble Canyon Park in 2001. Since the establishment of the Pavilion Lake Research Project in 2004, BC Parks has been proud to offer support and assistance to the PLRP and its partners for their research into this special place. BC Parks issues park-use permits to allow the PLRP access to explore the lake bed with a variety of submersible equipment and SCUBA divers. We have also made an effort to educate the public about this unique aquatic environment by installing interpretative signs on the lake-shore that explain the significance of the microbialite structures. BC Parks has made a commitment to protecting the aquatic environment of Pavilion Lake by designating a large portion of it as a “Special Features Zone,” off limits to recreational diving. A variety of regulations and guidelines have been developed for boaters and divers that will help preserve the microbialite structures in perpetuity, so that they may be studied and their clues unleashed. BC Parks is committed to scientific partnerships that may allow us to better understand our world and give us clues about the history of others.

Craig Baillie – Senior Park Ranger, Lillooet Area, BC Parks