Photo by Doug Smith
Kamloops has many beautiful waterways that attract all manner of recreational paddlers and boaters. The Thompson Rivers and Kamloops Lake are at the heart of our valley and our community. In fact the name Kamloops is derived from the Secwepemc name for the location: Tk'umlups, meaning "meeting of the waters".
Beyond the mighty Thompson River System and up in the hills surrounding Kamloops, hundreds more beautiful lakes surround us. However, accessing many of these rivers and lakes can be surprisingly difficult: trains, fences, gates, steep banks of rip-rap and debris, private property and in many cases a lack of adequately maintained right-of-ways make if challenging or dangerous to get to the water.
The Kamloops River and Lake Access Initiative is a coalition of user groups and optimistic citizens who want to make sure that a plan is put in place by the City of Kamloops and our surrounding regional districts to ensure a gradual improvement in access to our waterways for recreational users of all types.
Improving river and lake access in all communities and all neighborhoods has a multitude of benefits for society. Here are a few:
Please visit the other sections of this website to see what events we have planned, learn more about our ideas, and of course to get involved!
You can stay involved by joining our Facebook Group too:
Kamloops River Access Facebook Group