Contractors working with the City of Cranbrook will begin removing invasive golden willow root wads along Joseph Creek.
City officials said the work will focus on a stretch of creek between 15th Avenue South and 1st Street South.
Once work is finished, the creek channel will be replanted with a variety of indigenous plants and trees that city officials said are better suited to a creek habitat.
“This work is the culmination of several years of consultation with the Ktunaxa and ?aq’am local governments, the Ministry of Environment and Fisheries and Oceans Canada,” said Cranbrook officials.
Cranbrook staff said the project is meant to help mitigate flood and erosion risk, with the added benefit of reintroducing native species to the local ecosystem.