In order to enable the development of the adjacent Mission Recreation Park, several local agricultural drainage ditches were to be intercepted and “improved”.  In place of a more conventional approach of simply deepening and widening these ditches, an ecologically restorative design was developed which provided the necessary drainage, while creating valued creek, marsh and riparian habitat. One of the innovations of the project was the use of soil cement banks on the north and east sides of existing tree groves, providing relatively deep water in the shade of the trees, to the benefit of fish species.  The resulting landscape is now functioning as wildlife habitat for many species, including Kokanee salmon.  It is also a very popular urban nature experience for the residents of Kelowna.