Campfire ban

Reposted from the BC Wildfire Management Branch Website

Campfire ban throughout most of Kamloops Fire Centre

8/16/2012 11:02 AM
KAMLOOPS -- Effective at 12 noon on Friday, Aug. 17, all campfires are banned in all areas of the Kamloops Fire Centre except the Clearwater Fire Zone.

A map of the area covered by the campfire ban is available online at: http://bit.ly/Q0tEMK

This step is being taken to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety.

The fire danger rating is currently "high" throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre, with scattered pockets of "extreme."

With the current trend of warm and dry weather, wildfires in the region have displayed very aggressive behaviour and required additional fire suppression resources. Human-caused wildfires can divert critical resources and crews from responding to naturally occurring wildfires.

Open burning is prohibited throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre. This prohibition applies to open fires of any size, fires with a burn registration number, industrial burning, fireworks, tiki torches and burning barrels. The prohibition does not apply to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes, or to a portable campfire apparatus with a CSA or ULC rating that uses briquettes, liquid or gaseous fuel, as long as the height of the flame is less than 15 centimetres.

The open burning prohibition covers all BC Parks, Crown and private lands, but does not apply within the boundaries of local governments that have forest fire prevention bylaws and are serviced by a fire department. Please check with local governments for any other restrictions before lighting a fire.

Anyone found in violation of an open fire ban, including campfires, may be issued a ticket for up to $345. Anyone who causes a wildfire through arson or recklessness may be fined up to $1 million, spend up to three years in prison and be held accountable for associated firefighting costs.

This prohibition will remain in place until the public is notified that it has been rescinded.

You can also follow the latest wildfire news --

• On Twitter at: http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
• On Facebook at: http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Fire Centre Bulletin 1924

Ross Lorimer

On 7 August, Ross Lorimer, a loved and long-time resident of Lac Le Jeune, died suddenly while in the woods near his home.

The obituary copied below appears on the In Memoriam website, where you may leave your condolences. Note also that the Lorimer family is holding an Open House this weekend.

We are all very saddened by this news. On a personal note, I think back on the last time I saw Ross. It was at the LLJ transfer station and, as always, he was his usual cheery, friendly, smiley self.

---

Ross McIntosh Lorimer was born May 18, 1945. He died suddenly on August 7, 2012 while gathering firewood in the woods near his home in Lac Le Jeune.

Ross is survived by his wife of 41 years, Beverley, and his children Michael (Tammy) and Kathryn (Jason). The pride of Ross' life were his two grandchildren Talyn and Lauren. Since retirement, he has taken every opportunity to spend time with his two beautiful grandchildren. He is also survived by siblings Ted (Leanne), Jeanie, Jamie (Jennifer), Keith (Chris), sister-in-law Barbara (Tom) and many nieces and nephews.

Ross spent his entire working career in sales with Cadbury/Schweppes, Fraser Valley Foods, Pillsbury and Golden Boy. During his career, he worked with customers and friends throughout the entire province. Whether it was major retail chains or mom and pop corner stores, he built friendships that lasted throughout his entire career.

Ross enjoyed many vacations at Salt Spring Island and the Oregon Coast. This love of the west coast began with his boyhood summers spent at the family home on Salt Spring Island. Ross has travelled to Scotland numerous times over the past decade to visit daughter Kathryn and her family in Edinburgh. He loved the outdoors and took daily walks on nearby trails with his four-legged pals Kootenay and Tanner. Retirement also brought a renewed interest in golfing, fishing and spending time around the pool table with his friends.

At Ross' request, his life will be celebrated in a small family ceremony on Salt Spring in October.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Variety Children's Charity would be appreciated.

For those wishing to pay their respects, an Open House will be held at his home in Lac Le Jeune on Sunday, August 19th from noon until 2:00 p.m.

Lakeridge at Lac Le Jeune Q&A

Gregg Lindros prepared this Lakeridge Project Q&A to address the most common questions asked by local residents. He will also provide a brief update at the Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association AGM Saturday, 18 August.  If anyone has other questions or would like more details, Gregg will be available one hour before and after the AGM at the lodge meeting room, or by telephone (numbers listed below).

Lakeridge at Lac Le Jeune Q&A – August 13, 2012

This question and answer piece has been prepared with the intent of bringing everyone in the Lac Le Jeune community up to date with the Lakeridge development project.

1. Ownership and Development Planning

(a) Who owns the property?

Derick MacDonald, owner and operator of Lac Le Jeune Resort and Conference Centre, and 30 year resident of Lac Le Jeune is the property owner. Cressida Holdings Ltd. (CH) is the business entity owned by Mr. MacDonald that the property is registered under.

(b) Who is leading the property rezoning?

Derick MacDonald is being assisted by Gregg Lindros, a land planning, design and development consultant, who is a 23 year resident of Lac Le Jeune. Gregg has over 30 years experience assisting municipalities, regional districts, the province, developers, and First Nations with a wide variety of development work. Gregg co-authored the TNRD Lakeshore Development Guidelines which provide land development policy that has been incorporated into the Lakeridge plan.

2. Property and Zoning

(a) How big is the property?

Approximately 162 hectares or 400 acres.

(b) What was the previous use?

The Lac Le Jeune Ski Ranch operated from 1947 to 1992, offering both downhill and cross country skiing and a day lodge facility. At its peak the ski area would attract upwards of 2000 people on event winter weekends and several hundred on a regular weekend basis.

(c) What is the property currently used for?

Although private property, hiking, tobogganing, and other low impact recreation use by the neighbourhood has not been restricted. Off road vehicles including dirt bikes, quads, and snowmobiles have consistently trespassed the property over the years, regardless of fencing and signage intended to restrict access.

(d) What is the existing zoning?

The property is currently zoned AF-1 (Agricultural/Forestry) which, in addition to various agricultural and forestry uses, permits single family dwellings on lots with a minimum size of eight hectares. Other permitted uses not requiring rezoning include poultry, swine, or cattle operations, sand and gravel operations, harvesting and processing of all on-site timber excluding riparian areas.

(e) What is the proposed zoning?

The proposed zoning to accommodate the Lakeridge development is LR-1 (Lakeshore Residential Single Family) with site specific amendments setting out the maximum number of lots and dwelling units. The community park and conservation area is proposed as being rezoned to P-1 (Recreation) which accommodates the proposed facilities for the community park and passive recreation uses for the conservation lands.

(f) What is the history of the Lakeridge rezoning process?

The property has been in holding since the ski hill facility closed in 1992. Rather than sell the property to outside parties who would use the lands for permitted uses or rezone for other forms of recreational, residential, or resort development, the goal is to develop the lands in a manner that is considered both compatible and beneficial to the Lac Le Jeune community in comparison to alternative development plans that could unfold.

The first rezoning application and report was submitted to the TNRD in September 2008. In response to review agency input, a revised application and engineering report was submitted in August 2010 that incorporated a new, independent, groundwater source community water system to service the development. In May, 2011, a third revision to the application and accompanying engineering report was submitted in response to further review agency input that encouraged amalgamation with the Ridgemont water system. First reading of the rezoning application with the new TNRD Zoning Bylaw No. 2400 on June 14, 2012 received unanimous approval from the TNRD Board of Directors.

3. Residential Development

(a) What is Lakeridge?

Lakeridge is a single family rural infill residential development project that includes a dedication of  43% of the property for public community park and conservation area.

(b) What is the type of residential land tenure?

The residential lots would be sold and owned on a fee simple basis, same as the adjoining Ridgemont subdivision.

(c) How many homes would be built?

The zoning permits a maximum of 45 single family lots with one home per lot with the exception of four of the larger lots which would be permitted to have a free standing, secondary dwelling unit in addition to the primary residence.

(d) How big are the lots?

Excluding a 57.8 hectare/142.9 acre single family mountainside lot, the average lot size is .75 hectares/1.8 acres. The minimum lot size is .45 hectares/1.1 acres and the largest lot, excluding the mountainside lot, is 2.7 hectares/6.7 acres.

(e) How much area would housing occupy?

Including the single family mountainside lot, approximately 89 hectares/219 aces, representing 55% of the overall property area, would be utilized for residential use. Not factoring in the mountainside lot, 19.2% of the area would be used for housing.

(f) Is lake access provided?

Crown land separates the Lakeridge housing from Little Lake the same as is separates Ridgemont from Lac Le Jeune. Just as for all Lac Le Jeune residents, the Provincial Park is available for boat launching and swimming.

(g) What kind of homes would be built?

Lakeridge is envisioned as a collection of high quality rural resort homes. Mobile homes would not be permitted. Home and site design would be governed by mandatory design guidelines.

(h) How much would the lots and homes cost?

It’s expected that most lots would range between $200,000. and $300,000. Home construction costs are expected to be in the $350,000. to $500,000. range.

(i) When would lots be available for sale?

Lot sales would commence as soon as subdivision approval is complete.

(j) How long would it take for the project to be built-out?

We expect that lot sales would occur over a ten year period. Completion of all home construction could take up to 25 or more years where lots are purchased as investment or retirement property. For comparison, the Ridgemont subdivision is still not built out after 35 plus years.

(k) How would homes be marketed and to who?

A tier one marketing and sales company specializing in resort properties would lead an advertising and on-line marketing campaign attracting potential buyers to the area to view lots and surrounding area. The majority of buyers are expected to be from Kamloops and the lower mainland.

4. Community Park and Conservation Area

(a) What is the size and location of the park and conservation area?

The conservation area is approximately 65.8 hectares/162.6 acres and includes the land from the old ski lift west to the property boundary.

The community park is approximately 3.5 heactare/8.6 acres and is located between Lac Le Jeune Rd and the base of the ski hill.

Together the park and conservation area represent 43% of the total property.

(b) What is the purpose of the park and conservation area?

The province requires that the development include a minimum 5% dedication of public park space. Lakeridge includes a 43% dedication.

The community park component is intended to create a community focal point that offers all Lac Le Jeune residents with facilities for outdoor recreation and social events. Community park facilities would include a picnic shelter and outdoor skating rink. Other permitted uses include a horse boarding stable and riding ring that would be accessible by all Lac Le Jeune residents.

The conservation area component would be retained in its natural condition and permit passive outdoor recreation uses such as walking, hiking, snowshoeing, tobogganing, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The conservation area would provide non-vehicular access to Crown lands south of the property including Ridge and Mildred Lake.

(c) Who pays for the park and conservation area?

Site improvements (including building demolition and clean-up of fill and debris local residents were permitted to dump), and community park facilities including the picnic shelter and outdoor rink, would be paid for and constructed by the developer. In addition, a one-time $50,000. contribution by the developer towards an operation and development reserve fund, accessible by the operating organization, would also be provided.

(d) Who owns the park and conservation area?

Ownership would be transferred to the TNRD with the possible exception of lands occupied by a potential horse riding facility. Ownership and operation details of a riding facility have not been finalized.

(e) Who operates the park and conservation area?

If the LLJCA wishes, it would be the operation and maintenance entity. If LLJCA is not interested, a new non-profit would be formed specifically for the purpose of park operation and maintenance. Either way, there would be an operating agreement with the TNRD.

(f) When would the park and conservation area be created?

The land dedication and transfer to the TNRD would be concurrent with the registration of the subdivision plan. Park facilities funded by the developer would be constructed during the early part of phase one of the project and anticipated to be completed within one year of construction start-up.

5. Environmentals

(a) Would lake water quality be affected?

CH commissioned an environment assessment in July 2008 as well as a Water Quality Analysis in February 2012. Both of these studies, completed by Don Holmes, president of Lakeshore Environmental Ltd. and a registered biologist, concluded that the development would not be harmful to the lake water quality and that the subdivision should be allowed subject to conditions that have been adopted into the development plans. Don Holmes was the former section head of  B.C. Water Stewardship in Kamloops and board member of the B.C. Lake Stewardship Society.

Mr. Holmes stated in his 2012 report “I still consider the conclusions of the 2008 Environmental Assessment Report valid and do not believe that construction of this development will be harmful to lake water quality.”

(b) How would sewage be disposed of?

Each lot would be serviced by on-site sewage disposal systems that must meet Interior Health standards. Lakeridge would be utilizing new and proven septic field treatment technology considered to be superior to typical field construction and highly suitable for applications near lakes. Installation of this system type would be a condition for lot purchase. Brent Dennis, P.Eng., is the Canadian representative for the preferred treatment system product, president of BWD Engineering Inc., as well as president of the Western Canada Onsite Wastewater Management Association.

(c) How much tree clearing would occur?

Tree clearing would be permitted as needed for roads and utility constructions, as well as on residential lots to create building sites and yard areas. The overall intent would be to minimize the extent of tree removal and design guidelines would be applied to this affect.

(d) Would the night sky be affected?

Lakeridge would not incorporate street lights.

(e) Are there lakefront lots?

Of the 45 lots in the development there are eleven that back or front onto Crown land that is adjacent to Little Lake. The buffer depth varies from 40 to 200 meters. There are no lots directly fronting onto Little Lake.

(f) How much of the development would be visible outside the property?

The lots below the ski hill would be screened from view by a tree buffer adjacent to Lac Le Jeune Rd and Crown land adjacent to Little Lake. Some of the homes on the hillside lots would be visible when coming down the hill approaching Lac Le Jeune, similar to some existing homes in Ridgemont that can be seen from a distance on the north side of Lac Le Jeune.

6. Water Supply

(a) How would water be provided?

The use of lake water, groundwater, or a blending of both as a water source has not been finalized. A community water system would be provided, either by way of  a new, independent, groundwater source utility or an expansion of the Ridgemont subdivision water system. Interior Health and the TNRD have stated they would support either option. The Provincial Utility Regulation Section has the ultimate decision making authority as to which one of these two options will be approved. Our preference is a new, independent, groundwater source system.

(b) Is there sufficient water source?

The source for a new, independent, groundwater source is a tested well that has excellent capacity. Interior Health would need to approve the well as a drinking water source. Testing of both quantity and quality are very favorable.

An expansion/amalgamation with the Ridgemont Estates Water Users Society (REWUS) would involve utilizing lake source water made available by an amended REWUS water license. Water Stewardship, who is responsible for lake water allocation, has been presented with the amalgamation concept and has conveyed their initial support for using the existing or adjusted REWUS license to service Lakeridge.

(c) What is the status of a decision on water supply?

The Provincial Utility Regulation Section has been requested by the TNRD to provide an opinion to indicate certainty as to whether a new, independent, groundwater source community system or amalgamation with REWUS will be approved. We expect an opinion from Utility Regulation in August, 2012.

7. Community Benefits

(a) What are the benefits of the Lakeridge development for the community?

Land use certainty would be provided with the Lakeridge development as proposed. The ski hill property will ultimately be developed in some form. If developed by others, existing zoning permits a range of uses that may be far less compatible and beneficial for the neighbourhood than the Lakeridge proposal. Other owners/developers may also pursue rezoning for another form of residential use (ie. gated single family strata) and/or private resort development (ie. year round accommodation marketed as an off road recreation base camp).

Land use compatibility would be provided. The Lakeridge proposal is considered by the proponent as a modestly scaled rural infill project and a good fit with the existing community. Lakeridge lot size, buffering of views to existing residences, quality of homes, community park facilities and a significant conservation area all contribute to a residential development proposal that would mesh well in the natural environment and neighbourhood setting. The proposal is consistent with TNRD policy as set out in the Regional Growth Strategy.

Home values would be strengthened and property exposure  increased. Lakeridge lots and homes, with anticipated pricing in the $550,000. to $800,000. range will help to maximize the value of existing Lac Le Jeune homes. Also, any existing homes that are for sale will receive additional exposure as a result of Lakeridge marketing.

A community park and conservation area would be created. Lac Le Jeune has grown in scale and demographically to the point where a community park would be well used by kids and active adults. The conservation area protects the face of the ski hill and maintains non vehicular public access to the ridge above.

A fire cache would be provided to the LLJCA. The community park would include a storage building with equipment and hand tools for use by local residents. Basic equipment consisting of a mobile water tank, pump, and hoses would be securely stored. This equipment would be well suited as a precaution at controlled burns as there have been several “run-away” burns in recent years on residential lots.

Who do I contact for more information?

Gregg Lindros
W 250-374-0824
C  250-318-2964
lpd@telus.net

Stop Ajax Mine Petition

YOU can help to stop the Ajax Mine.

1. Download and print the petition document:http://www.stopajaxmine.ca/files/documents/Stop-Ajax-Petition.pdf
2. Collect signatures
3. Mail it to the address on the form

Once enough signatures have been collected, the petition will be tabled and presented in Ottawa.

Petition Guidelines 

1. A signature (not a printed name), and home address are mandatory. The email address is optional. 
2. Only residents of Canada are allowed to sign. 
3. The text of the petition can't be altered by erasing or crossing out words. 
4. It must be printed on 8.5 x 11 paper.
5. There is no minimum age requirement for anyone signing the petition.
6. No one can sign for anyone else. If a petitioner can't sign due to illness or a disability, this must be noted on the petition and the note signed by a witness.
7. Signatures cannot be pasted, taped, photocopied or otherwise transferred to the document.
8. Print the petition in landscape mode

This is an edited version of the information available on the Stop Ajax Mine Website.

Description of the proposal on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency website:

KGHM Ajax Mining Inc. is proposing to construct and operate the Ajax Mine Project located partially within the City of Kamloops, British Columbia. The Ajax Mine Project is an open pit copper/gold mine and is expected to process 60,000 tonnes of ore per day (21.9 million tonnes per year) for export over a mine life of 23 years.

Slow down

So, in other words, you're driving 40 km/hr over the speed limit to...nowhere? 

Please stop driving like maniacs in our community.

Knapweed

You may have noticed that knapweed is becoming a big problem in our area. Yvonne Babij sends along this information:

"I just contacted the Southern Interior Weed Management Committee (SIWMC) regarding the use of bio-control on the knapweed that is sprouting up around Lac Le Jeune. They are a not-for-profit group funded by government and other sponsors to control noxious weeds. I have asked for Lac Le Jeune Park Drive East to be put on their list."

Here is some information about this invasive plant. If you have spotted knapweed in other areas around Lac Le Jeune, please contact SIWMC.

LLJCA Annual General Meeting Agenda



LAC LE JEUNE CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

  

Saturday, August 18, 2012

10:00 am – 11:30 pm

Lac Le Jeune Resort Meeting Room (downstairs)

Agenda: 

1. Approval of AGM Minutes of September 17, 2011

2. President’s Report

3. Treasurer’s Report

4. Water Monitoring Group Report

5. TNRD Updates  

6. Ski Hill Rezoning Update

7. RCMP Report

8. Lac Le Jeune Blog – http://laclejeune.blogspot.com 

9. Community Advisory Group 

10.   Elections: Positions open are President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer on Executive and a Rep needed for Lower Subdivision

11. Other/Question Period

*****************************

The minutes from the 2011 LLJCA AGM are available here for review prior to the meeting. Please remind your Lac Le Jeune neighbours and friends to attend the AGM.

Dues for the Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association will be collected at the AGM. Dues are $10 per household for 2 years. If mailing your dues, please send a cheque payable to LLJCA to the address below. Please update any contact information, including your current email address.

LAC LE JEUNE CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION 

PO Box 5044

Lac Le Jeune, BC

V1S 1Y8 

Arlene Isley now maintains the Emergency Call List for the Lac Le Jeune community. If there have been changes to your contact information (phone, address or email), please contact Arlene at arleneisley@gmail.com

A reminder

2012 LAC LE JEUNE CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION AGM

LAC LE JEUNE CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION 

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Saturday, August 18, 2012 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Lac Le Jeune Resort Meeting Room (downstairs)

The agenda for the AGM will be available here on the blog at a later date. The minutes from the 2011 LLJCA AGM are available here for review prior to the meeting. Please remind your Lac Le Jeune neighbours and friends to attend the AGM.

Dues for the Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association will be collected at the AGM. Dues are $10 per household for 2 years. If mailing your dues, please send a cheque payable to LLJCA to the address below. Please provide and update your contact information, including your email address.

LAC LE JEUNE CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION 

PO Box 5044

Lac Le Jeune, BC

V1S 1Y8 

Water Monitoring Program

Water Monitoring Program at Lac Le Jeune

Following the Annual General Meeting of the Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association, held on September 17, 2011, a group of concerned Lac Le Jeune residents met at the home of David and Kathy Wyse on September 29th. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the potential impact of the proposed development above the Little Lake on the water quality we all rely on. The meeting was attended by permanent residents from all around the lake, including the Big Lake, the Little Lake, Ridgemont and Lookout Road. The result of the meeting was that a working group was formed made up of Bob Brown, Hugh Burton, Jim Phillips and David Wyse. The purpose of the working group was three fold:

• 1.  To study the potential impact of further development at Lac Le Jeune on the quality and supply of water for current and future residents.
• 2.  To become familiar with the TNRD Lakeshore Development Guidelines.
• 3.  To communicate information concerning development with Lac Le Jeune property owners and with appropriate government agencies.

The working group met a number of times in October and November to share and discuss information they were studying. The executive of the Lac Le Jeune Conservation Association was contacted about the work and purpose of the group and the working group was designated as a sub-committee for the Association whose mandate was the same as the purpose of the group.

On December 11th, a letter was sent to the TNRD outlining our concerns.  (A copy of this letter can be seen on the Lac Le Jeune blog as well as on the bulletin board at the dump). Copies of the letter were sent to different departments within the Ministry of the Environment and to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. We received a letter from the TNRD acknowledging receipt of our letter but no other responses for two months.

On February 29, 2012, we received an e-mail from Marg Sidney who is with the Water Quality Section of the Ministry of the Environment. In her e-mail to us, Marg indicated that Lac Le Jeune had been "on her radar" for some time and asked if there would be interest in beginning a water monitoring program for the lake(s). She also told us that before a water monitoring program could begin we would have to join the B. C. Lake Stewardship Society (BCLSS). The $40.00 group membership fee included a Secchi Disc worth $45.00 as well as insurance for volunteers involved in the lake monitoring. The executive of the LLJ Conservation Association approved membership in the BCLSS.

Our first meeting with Marg Sidney was held on April 4, 2012, when Marg described what was involved in a monitoring program. There are five levels of complexity involved in a lake monitoring program beginning with simply recording the temperature of the lake and doing a Secchi Disc reading.  Levels two to five increase in complexity with the fifth level involving a full-blown assessment of activities that occur within the watershed that feeds into the lake that could have potential impact. Because of the interest and commitment shown by our group, Marg felt that we could begin monitoring at the third level which involves Ministry funding to pay for an analysis of the water samples we are providing to the Ministry of the Environment.  Following this first meeting with Marg, Howie Mattfeld contacted our TNRD Area J representative to see if the TNRD would provide a grant to pay for the water meter needed to conduct the monitoring we are doing. After a bit of discussion back and forth with the TNRD, they agreed to purchase the required equipment and contributed close to $2000.00 to cover the cost.

Hats off to the grey haired group of volunteers who have committed to the monitoring program for the next three years (Bob Brown, Hugh Burton, John Krawchuk, Howie Mattfeld, Jeff Perry, Jim Phillips, Casey Sheridan and David Wyse). Hugh Burton has graciously agreed to coordinate this program. Anybody else interested in helping would be more than welcome (training provided!).

Over the past few years our resident anglers have reported a number of factors that have given rise to a heightened level of concern about the health of the lake.  These include significant changes in:

• 1.  The number and size of the hatches of those insects which our fish feed on.
• 2.  An apparent increase in the size of the algae blooms that occur during the summer months.
• 3.  Changes in the water chemistry as indicated by the water assays that are done on the water that is used by the subdivision, eg., increases in sodium and chlorine concentration from road salt.
• 4.  An increase in the average size of the fish caught in a relatively short time span. This may seem to be contradictory given that the hatches appear to have diminished but this is not necessarily the case. (see below)
• 5.  The first recorded winter kill of fish in Lac Le Jeune last winter. 

The purpose of the water sampling is to attempt to determine what is causing these changes at an early enough stage so that appropriate corrective action can be taken. 

The level three protocol aims at providing data on:

• 1.  The clarity of the water which is done with a Secchi Disc. This is a simple, black and white patterned metal disc that is lowered into the water until the pattern disappears. The depth is accurately recorded and gives a general idea of how much light blocking material is in the water e.g., fine suspended sediment and varying densities of algae, bacteria and other organisms.
• 2.  The level of nitrogen and phosphorous in the water. As with your garden, in the right proportion, these two promote regulated growth of phytoplankton (algae) and aquatic weeds, both of which are essential to the health of the aquatic system. In excess, however, they produce algae blooms and heavy, undesirable growth in aquatic vegetation. Since both nitrogen and phosphorous are major components of outflow from raw sewage and septic systems, monitoring their levels provides a good insight into how well our septic systems are working and how much danger there might be from run off from fertilizers used on lawns and gardens.
• 3.  The concentration of oxygen dissolved in the water. This level is critical to the welfare of our fish as well as to all the other organisms in the aquatic systems that require oxygen to support life. Some of the oxygen in the water diffuses into it from the air at the surface and is mixed deeper by wind action. But the vast majority of it is obtained during the daylight hours from the weeds and phytoplankton through photosynthesis. You might imagine that the more weed and algae in the system, the better. Unfortunately, there are two reasons against this.  First, when an excessive amount of nutrient is present, it promotes the growth of some species of blue green algae, which produce toxins. Second, algae and aquatic plants produce oxygen only during daylight hours when light levels are adequate. At night or when light levels fall below a critical point, plants respire in the same way we do, producing carbon dioxide. In the fall, light and temperature levels drop and the plants and algae stop producing oxygen and many of them die off. When they do, they begin to decay, a process which uses up oxygen. When lakes freeze over, oxygen can no longer diffuse into the water from the air and the decaying organic material depletes that which is left resulting in a fish winter kill. Plants and phytoplankton become detrimental when they are too abundant.
• 4.  Chlorophyll a sampling is done as a means of estimating the quantity of algae in the water. A known volume of water is taken from three levels of the lake that light penetrates into and this volume is assayed for the presence of Chlorophyll a. The higher the reading, the greater the population of phytoplankton (algae).
• 5.  It is important to know the temperature of the lake water throughout the full depth of water, so this is measured every meter at the deepest part of the lake. At each level, measurement is made of dissolved oxygen and specific conductivity. Water temperature relates to the water's ability to hold dissolved oxygen. Colder water can hold more oxygen than warm water. This reading relates to the viability of oxygen dependent organisms.
• 6.  Finally, we measure the specific conductivity of the water. When present, certain minerals and salts increase the electrical conductivity of the water. In more common term it speaks to how hard or soft water is.  When these materials are present in high concentrations the water is said to be hard. Our lake water is moderately hard, while water in Vancouver is soft. Well water her is very hard and would have high conductivity.

The fact that this was the first recorded fish winter kill indicates that the overall health of our lake is not good. The big lake is probably reasonably safe for the foreseeable future but the little lake, where the kill occurred, is already at a critical point. It is shallow, has a very high biomass index (lots of plants and phytoplankton), has a low flow rate, hence poor exchange for the volume of water present, and receives water from a populated water shed and from roads adjacent to it.

It is our hope and that of the Ministry personnel, that our three year study will allow us to counteract the adverse conditions that have led to the present state and to make educated, constructive and timely recommendations that will ensure continued viability of our beautiful and valuable resource.

~ Submitted by Hugh Burton and David Wyse

Marg Sidney, who is with the Water Quality Section of the Ministry of the Environment.

Marg instructs the water testing team.

Howie Mattfeld

Jeff Perry

John Krawchuk

David Wyse and Howie Mattfeld

Hugh Burton

Team mascot.