Seeking Volunteers for Lake Monitoring Program

In May of 2012, funded by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), we began a monitoring program of the big lake.  No data of significance had been collected from the lake since the 1970s so after meeting with Marg Sydney from the MOE eight nice old gentlemen volunteered to begin the data collection process. The monitoring involves three steps:

1. First, we lower a multi coloured disk into the lake until it begins to disappear. This provides a reading of water clarity. 
2. The second step involves lowering a sophisticated monitoring gauge into the lake at the deepest point and taking readings every meter until the bottom is reached. 
3. In the third stage, we lower a water capturing device and get water samples from usually six different depths of the lake. These samples are placed in small bottles which are labelled, frozen, and stored in a freezer until one of us takes them to the MOE. Some of the captured water is placed in a larger bottle which is later filtered, with the filter later being frozen and also taken to the MOE. 

 In May of this year, MOE provided funding for us to begin this more sophisticated monitoring of the little lake. (The funding is to pay for the laboratory analysis of the water samples and filters we provide.) The monitoring process is the same on both lakes. It takes from 1.5 hours to 2 hours to complete the task on the big lake and about a half hour less on the little lake. The difference in time is because the big lake is around 24 meters deep at its deepest point and the little lake is just over 7 meters deep so the big lake requires more readings in the second step.

We have made a commitment to the MOE to complete the monitoring cycle of three years on each lake. The monitoring season lasts from ice off (May) to ice on (November) and involves twelve different monitoring sessions...roughly every 16 days. So far this year we have completed four monitoring sessions and are scheduled to gather data on the following eight dates:

• Friday July 12
• Sunday July 28
• Tuesday August 13
• Thursday August 29
• Saturday September 14
• Monday September 30
• Wednesday October 16, and 
• Friday, November 1. 

We have found that the process works best when there are three people on each "monitoring team". One person to record data, one person to lower the gauge meter by meter while the third takes the readings from the gauge and provides the data to the recorder.

We are finding that with the addition of the little lake to monitor, it would be very helpful to have a bit more help. With some of the original eight unavailable to help for a variety of reasons from time to time it sometimes gets a bit hectic. If any of you are able or would be willing to assist in this project on one or more of the above dates, it would be greatly appreciated. You would get to learn a lot more about the ecology of the lakes and also get to hang out with eight nice old gentlemen.

If you are able to help on one or more of the dates above, please give David Wyse (250-374-8542) or Casey Sheridan (250-372-2628) a call and we'll add your name to the schedule.