Friday, July 9, 2021

Evacuation Plan for Lac Le Jeune

A final step, if you have time. Photo by Sylvia Currie.

Here is the most recent evacuation plan for Lac Le Jeune: 

LAC LE JEUNE – MILE HIGH – MAMIT LAKE – HIGHLAND VALLEY EVACUATION PLAN (2016 - PDF)

It is an updated version of the 2013 document available on the TNRD website. There have been a few additional minor modifications but this is the document available at this time. 

In addition to this document, TNRD advises the following (received via telephone):

  • Make sure we have visible address signs. (The RCMP notify by our street address, so lack of address signage can slow down the notification process.)
  • Have a meet up plan for your family, especially if you have children that might be at home alone. It can be a meeting place or everyone check in with one family member. It can be really distressing for all involved if there is delays in families reuniting. 
  • Sign up for the Voyent Alert System. The TNRD send out urgent emergency information this way. 
  • Review the emergency preparedness information on the TNRD website. 
  • Review the evacuation alert/order procedures so you are prepared with the information in advance. 

As Lac Le Jeune community members are aware, there is only one obvious exit from Lac Le Jeune. We have been advised by TNRD that there are contingency plans for this depending on where a fire might be.

Thank you to Corinne Shock for connecting with RCMP and TNRD to gather this information for our community.

Friday, July 2, 2021

All Terrain Vehicles - Wildfire Risks

Given the current weather conditions now is a good time to remind residents and visitors to our community that driving any type of vehicle off road is very risky. Hot mufflers and exhaust residue can ignite grass. For everyone's safety, please wait until we have cooler temperatures and precipitation before heading out on dirt bikes and other vehicles, and operating a chainsaw. 



This advice and infographic is from BC Wildfire Service. 

Monday, June 28, 2021

BANS: Campfires, Fireworks, and Other Activities

News Release: June 28, 2021

Effective at noon (Pacific time) on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, campfires, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will be prohibited throughout the province of British Columbia.
This prohibition will remain in effect until noon on Oct. 15, 2021, or until the order is rescinded.

-------------------------------------

Effective at noon (Pacific time) on Wednesday, June 30, 2021, campfires, Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will be prohibited throughout the province of British Columbia.

This prohibition will remain in effect until noon on Oct. 15, 2021, or until the order is rescinded.

The provincial weather forecast calls for record-breaking high temperatures throughout B.C. this week and follows a spring of lower-than-average precipitation in the southern half of the province. These conditions are expected to persist in the coming weeks.

Camping is a long-standing tradition in this province. The B.C. government recognizes that people also enjoy having campfires, so it takes any decision to implement a campfire ban very seriously.

The BC Wildfire Service takes these extreme heat conditions seriously. Additional precautions are being undertaken throughout the province, including fire warden patrols, fixed-wing aircraft patrols and an active enforcement presence. Wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility. Human-caused wildfires are completely preventable and divert critical resources away from lightning-caused fires.

The BC Wildfire Service is constantly monitoring current and forecast conditions and maintaining preparedness.

A campfire is defined as any fire smaller than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide.

In addition to campfires, Category 2, and Category 3 open fires, the following activities are also prohibited:

  • The use of fireworks
  • The use of sky lanterns
  • The use of burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
  • The use of binary exploding targets
  • The use of tiki and similar kinds of torches
  • The use of chimineas
  • The use of outdoor stoves or other portable campfire apparatus without a Canadian Standards Association (CSA) or Underwriter Laboratories of Canada (ULC) rating
  • The use of air curtain burners in Cariboo, Coastal, Northwest, Prince George and Southeast fire centres  

To report a wildfire, unattended campfire, or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cell phone.

Anyone found in contravention of an open-burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, may be required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, may be fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.

The FireSmart Begins at Home Manual was developed to help people reduce the risk of personal property damage due to wildfires. Download your copy here: https://firesmartbc.ca/resource-types/guides-manuals/

Learn More:

For further fire prevention information and resources, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention

People can follow the latest wildfire news from the BC Wildfire Service:
The free public mobile app, available for Apple (iOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bc-wildfire-service/id1477675008?ls=1
And Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.bc.gov.WildfireInformation&hl=en
Twitter: twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo
Facebook: facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Press Release: Internet Speeds Study

 

Opportunity for TNRD Residents to Participate in Internet Speeds Study

Kamloops, BC—June 16, 2021— to help understand broadband needs throughout the region, particularly those in rural areas, TNRD residents, businesses and community stakeholders are encouraged to take part in an online internet speed test.

All TNRD residents can go to https://performance.cira.ca/bc to perform a quick and easy Canadian speed test. Community data collected will be used to analyze the speeds that residents in the region are actually experiencing, compared to the internet speed data published on the federal government’s National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map.

The speed test data will be collected and analyzed by TANEx Engineering, who has been engaged by the provincial Ministry of Citizens’ Services, Northern Development Initiative Trust, and the Union of BC Municipalities to collect the speed test data from all around BC.

Residents are urged to participate as soon as possible to ensure the Thompson-Nicola Regional District is adequately represented. The more tests that are completed, the more robust the data about internet speeds experienced throughout the region.

For more information, go to www.tnrd.ca/rural-broadband.

Media contact:
Ron Storie, Director of Community Services
Thompson-Nicola Regional District
Tel.: 250-377-7078
Email: rstorie@tnrd.ca

Thursday, June 17, 2021

First Shift Hockey Program for Kids

Available in Logan Lake! The Vancouver Canucks offer a program designed to help you child fall in love with hockey.
  • Ages 6-10
  • No hockey experience necessary
  • Register at Go to firstshift.ca to register




xx

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Community Yard Sale


Rain or shine!

When: Sunday June 6, 9am - 2pm
Where: Lac Le Jeune - various houses

Residents: Remember to put up signs, especially at the end of your street. Balloons help, too!

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Ospreys

This incredible photograph was taken by Lac Le Jeune resident, Tim Shields. 

Tim offers photography webclasses through Photography Academy


 

Saturday, April 3, 2021

BCLSS Loonie News - March 2021

 

BCLSS Loonie News
March 2021

  *reposted with permission*

Online Forum: Boating on BC Lakes - A Diverse Future

Join the BCLSS, Lake Windermere Ambassadors (LWA), and Living Lakes Canada (LLC) as we host an online forum on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 from 9:30-11:30 am PDT.

We will be examining the environmental impacts of boating, discussing regulatory issues, and identifying potential solutions.

Presentations:
Heather Larratt, Larratt Aquatic Consulting Ltd. Impacts of Wake Boats.
Darryl Arsenault, Arsenault Environmental Consulting Ltd. Restoring and Protecting Shorelines the Natural Way.
Alan Drinkwater, Decibel Coalition. Working to Create Boating Decibel Limits.
Shannon McGinty, Lake Windermere Ambassadors. Management Lessons from Lake Windermere.
Heather Leschied, Living Lakes Canada. Foreshore Integrated Management Planning.

Mark Fry, Templar Marine Group Ltd.. Electric Boats.

 

Please register here.


Wake Boats on Small Interior Lakes and Rivers by Jim Davies

The continuing development and popularity of wake boats has resulted in more and more of these types of watercraft impacting interior lakes and rivers. While many groups have expressed concern over the new introduction of waves big enough to free surf on, requests to Transport Canada to regulate these types of watercraft were met with little response: mainly  due to no scientific documentation to legitimize the issue. A cohesive effort is required to convince Transport Canada of the need to allow Local Authorities the ability to regulate the operation of wake boats on small interior lakes and rivers.

Wake boat manufacturers continue to develop boats that can create bigger and better shaped waves to free surf on. This is done by installing ballast tanks, trim tabs, and more powerful engines. The shoreline impacts of these waves are evident. Erosion, sediment, wildlife nesting, habitat and property damage from far larger than natural occurring waves.

Independent scientific studies were conducted by Laval University in Quebec and Larratt Consulting in Kalamalka Lake (2019) in B.C. These studies show that the required distance to dissipate wake boat  waves is 300 metres. Traditional recreational watercraft are designed to plane quickly and dissipate waves in approx. 30 metres. These studies also looked at the depth of disturbance. Wake boats create disturbance to a depth of 6 – 8 m. Aquatic plant and sediment re-suspension releases phosphorus and toxins from the lake bottom contributing to a reduction in aquatic insects and water quality. Traditional recreational boats create disturbance of 1.5 – 2 m depth. Most salmon bearing rivers are 6 m or less in depth and less than 600 m wide. The impact on fry and spawning is a concern.

There are fortunately many larger Interior lakes where wake boats can be safely and environmentally operated on. Present Transport Canada Boating Regulations would require a restriction on all types of powered watercraft in order to restrict wake boats. This blanket restriction would restrict traditional users from their recreational opportunities and affecting property values.

There is an extensive process using the Local Authorities Guide in order to apply for a Boating Restriction. Consultation with Indigenous Peoples, business, public, and property owners is required. This process insures that any lake where wake boats can be operated on without negatively impacting the environment and the safety and enjoyment of all other lake users would not be restricted. Interior lakes are the nesting sites of 1.5 million ducks and loons (Ducks Unlimited).

The Heffley Lake Community Association (HLCA) has established a point of contact with the Provincial Boating Safety Officer to receive requests for Transport Canada to change the present regulation and to permit Local Authorities to apply for a specific Ballasted Wake boat restriction, without restricting other types of powered watercraft. Contact Jim Davies (Vice-President HLCA) for further information at 
heffleyjimme@gmail.com.

Remembering David Schindler by Rick Nordin (BCLSS Vice President)

David Schindler was the most well known and respected freshwater ecologist in the world. He passed away March 4th 2021. His early career was spent doing research on eutrophication and acid rain at the Experimental Lakes Area in North-Western Ontario near where I grew up. Much of his later career was spent at the University of Alberta where he was involved with research on a number of scientific issues like the oil sands and climate change. He published many important papers but was also an environmental activist, lobbying and speaking on environmental issues. He believed that it was essential for scientists to communicate science to the public and to policy makers.
 
He had a strong British Columbia connection. In his retirement he lived at Brisco near Invermere. A very memorable remembrance for me was at a BCLSS LakeKeepers workshop organized by the Columbia Lake Stewardship Society in 2016. In a conversation with Kat Hartwig, she mentioned that David Schindler was interested in what we were doing and asked if he could attend and perhaps give a short talk on the importance of phosphorus in lake ecology. I enthusiastically said yes and he participated in the workshop and contributed information and comments from his huge base of knowledge and experience and was especially pleased to go out on the lake in the boats that had been arranged for the workshop field session and comment on the sampling we did and his observations of the lake. 
 
His wisdom, energy, and insight will be greatly missed.

David Schindler and Rick Nordin at a BCLSS LakeKeepers workshop on Columbia Lake.

Announcements and Reminders

 
Inspect aquariums to help prevent spread of invasive mussels
From the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy: Anyone that has a moss ball (marimo moss ball) in their aquarium is being asked to inspect it for invasive zebra mussels now that the highly invasive species has been found in a number of locations throughout the province.

Anyone who finds zebra mussels can call the Report All Poachers and Polluters hotline at 1-877-952-7277 to report their find. Moss balls can safely be deposed of by 1) placing them in a sealed plastic bag and putting them in a freezer for at least 24 hours, or 2) placing them in boiling water for at least one full minute and then let cool.

After this, place the moss ball and any of its packaging in a sealed plastic bag and dispose in the trash. Do not flush moss balls down the toilet or put them in the compost. Once the moss balls have been removed from the aquarium, do not dispose of untreated water down the drain or into any residential water system or waterway. More information on how to treat aquarium contents can be found at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/invasive-mussels/moss-balls-disposal.

More information on zebra mussels can be found here:
 https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/invasive-mussels

Calling all BC Lake Stewardship and Monitoring Program Volunteers
It is time to dust off your sampling equipment! The BCLSS will be contacting Level 1 (Secchi and temp) volunteers to ensure you have everything you need for this monitoring season, which runs from April to September (or later for some lakes). Remember when planning your monitoring that we require at least 12 evenly spaced readings throughout the season and that these observations should be taken between 10 am and 2 pm.

The BCLSS and the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy work in partnership on volunteer lake monitoring programs to ensure high quality data is collected from lakes in BC. This promotes community-based involvement and means healthier, better manage lakes in the province.


Ice On/Off Data
Ice events - the freeze and thaw dates of waterbodies - are easily recorded changes that, with the help of volunteer observers, can help us monitor the effects of climate change on our lakes. The BCLSS submits ice on and ice off data to IceWatch, part of the NatureWatch suite of national volunteer monitoring programs designed to help identify ecological changes that may be affecting our environment. Please submit the ice on and ice off dates of your lake to the BCLSS. A data form can be found here.

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation PCAF Grants
The Public Conservation Assistance Fund provides small grants to organizations and individuals who need financial help to implement a conservation project. Approximately $150,000 is provided each year to help implement on-the-ground conservation work, with a particular focus on hands-on, community-based, and public awareness initiatives. Grants will be due in Spring 2021 - now is a good time to start thinking about projects. More information can be found on the HCTF website.
The BCLSS is available to help our members with applying for grants of all types. Please contact the office for assistance.

 

News and Information


Giant ice circles appear on Canadian lake, but where did they come from?

After more than 2 decades of searching, scientists finger cause of mass eagle deaths

Volunteer scuba divers clean up Metro Vancouver's lakes
Not a member of the BCLSS yet?
Please consider joining our network of lake stewards! For more information on the benefits of membership, please visit our 
website.
Thank you to LUSH for funding the
BC Lake Stewardship Engagement Initiative
The BCLSS gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Government of British Columbia through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Donate to the BCLSS 

Friday, February 26, 2021

BCLSS Loonie News - February 2021

  *reposted with permission*

BCLSS Loonie News
February 2021

Online Forum: Boating on BC Lakes - Is it time for something different?

Join the BCLSS, Lake Windermere Ambassadors (LWA), and Living Lakes Canada (LLC) as we host an online forum on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. Time TBA.

We will be examining the environmental impacts of boating, discussing regulatory issues, and identifying potential solutions.

Speakers include:
Heather Larratt of Larratt Aquatic Consulting Ltd.
Darryl Arsenault of Arsenault Environmental Consulting Ltd.
Alan Drinkwater of the Decibel Coalition
Shannon McGinty of Lake Windermere Ambassadors
Kat Hartwig of Living Lakes Canada
And more.....


Further information will be sent out soon. Please email the BCLSS office if you would like to be notified when the agenda is finalized and registration is available.

Outstanding Volunteer Awards 2020

The BC Lake Stewardship Society is pleased to announce the recipients of the Outstanding Volunteer Awards for 2020. This award recognizes individuals and groups for their outstanding volunteer efforts that demonstrate our society's fundamental values - preservation, protection, and restoration of lakes throughout British Columbia. 

Doug Broadfoot of the Heffley Lake Community Association is recognized for his contribution to stewardship through lake monitoring, establishing a Clean Drain Dry program, and ongoing collection of ice and bird data.

Merle and Phyllis Hiltz, previously of Big Bar Lake, are recognized for their contribution to lake stewardship through 17 years of lake monitoring and data collection.

The BCLSS truly values the commitment of volunteers and look forward to continuing to work together on a shared vision of clean, healthy lakes throughout the province.

Announcements and Reminders

 
Ice On/Off Data
Ice events - the freeze and thaw dates of waterbodies - are easily recorded changes that, with the help of volunteer observers, can help us monitor the effects of climate change on our lakes. The BCLSS submits ice on and ice off data to IceWatch, part of the NatureWatch suite of national volunteer monitoring programs designed to help identify ecological changes that may be affecting our environment. Please submit the ice on and ice off dates of your lake to the BCLSS. A data form can be found here.

LaBounty Best Paper Award Nominated Papers Available Through Open Access
From the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS). The papers nominated for the Jim LaBounty Best Paper Award in 2020 will be available through open access through the end of March. Normally papers published in the last 3 years are only available by subscription, but as a tribute to the quality of research and importance to the lake management community, these papers are being made freely available for a limited time. The collection can be found here.

Women and Water Lecture Series
Hosted by the Global Institute for Water Security, Global Water Futures - Young Professionals and Global Water Futures. Lectures occur monthly until April. The schedule can be found here

BC Water Funders Collaborative
The BC Water Funders Collaborative is a group of funding organizations working together to facilitate the strategic use of collective resources to advance freshwater protection in BC. For more information and a reference guide to water funders, please check out their website.

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation PCAF Grants
The Public Conservation Assistance Fund provides small grants to organizations and individuals who need financial help to implement a conservation project. Approximately $150,000 is provided each year to help implement on-the-ground conservation work, with a particular focus on hands-on, community-based, and public awareness initiatives. Grants will be due in Spring 2021 - now is a good time to start thinking about projects. More information can be found on the HCTF website.
The BCLSS is available to help our members with applying for grants of all types. Please contact the office for assistance.


Learn About BC's Freshwater Fish - Fish Identification Guide
Great for educators, naturalists, and anglers. The Guide to Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia (Taylor and Tan) is a richly illustrated, waterproof, tearproof, foldable guide to 90 species of fish found in lakes and streams of BC. It includes notes on distribution, biology, and conservation. More information can be found here. Also available as an app: Fish Sorter. All proceeds go to support the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.
 

News and Information


Webinar Recording - Car Tires & Salmon Health: Exploring New Research

Researchers say widespread lake drainage on tundra another sign of climate change

Invasive freshwater clam discover in Shuswap Lake prompts meeting

 
Not a member of the BCLSS yet?
Please consider joining our network of lake stewards! For more information on the benefits of membership, please visit our 
website.
Thank you to LUSH for funding the
BC Lake Stewardship Engagement Initiative
The BCLSS gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Government of British Columbia through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Donate to the BCLSS 

Thursday, February 18, 2021

BCLSS Quarterly Newsletter - Winter 2021

 *reposted with permission*


Quarterly Newsletter, Winter 2021

 
View this email in your browser

British Columbia Lake Stewardship Society

Furthering Lake Stewardship Through Education & Communication
Year in Review
Despite the pandemic, the BCLSS was able to continue offering our programs in 2020, although slightly modified. In response to provincial restrictions, and to ensure the safety of our volunteers and staff, the start to our regular programs was slightly delayed. By adjusting lake monitoring programs, establishing COVID protocols for fieldwork, and adapting our BCLSEI program, we were still able to work with provincial lake stewards in a hands-on, yet distanced way. This year also offered the opportunity to build our online educational resources.

Our 2020 accomplishments:
  • 26 lakes visited under the BC Lake Stewardship Engagement Initiative
  • 29 lakes monitored by volunteers and supported by the BCLSS
  • 6 lakes monitored by BCLSS for the BC Long-Term Lake Trends program
  • 6 lake reports written for different lakes throughout the province using data collected by committed volunteers. Visit our library for reports on your local lakes.
  • Conducted LakeKeepers training at East Barrière Lake
  • Proclamation of July as Lakes Appreciation Month
  • Organized the BC Secchi Dip-In for the 18th year. Once again, Gun Lake had the deepest Secchi reading at 22.8 m! The full Dip-In report is available here
  • Led a review of 10 years of water quality monitoring data collected by a BCLSS member group
The BCLSS continues to be inspired by our volunteers that are committed to their lakes. We welcome new members and volunteers to join us in 2021 to work towards our vision of clean, healthy lakes throughout British Columbia.

Thank you to our funders that make our programs possible: The BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, the BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and LUSH.
BC Lake Stewardship and Monitoring Program 2021
Since 2003, the BCLSS, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV), has implemented the BC Lake Stewardship and Monitoring Program. This program is unique in that it gives dedicated volunteers the knowledge, training, and tools to become stewards and contribute invaluable information to an ever growing data set for provincial lakes. Many of our member groups have participated in data collection on their favourite lake(s). After data has been collected, lake specific reports are written to outline the data collected. These  can be found in the BCLSS library under BCLSMP Lake Reports.

The BCLSS recognizes the importance of volunteers that take on significant roles in environmental monitoring. Collection of lake data by volunteers is critical for the protection of lake water quality as it helps establish a strong baseline of data that allows for lake health to be determined, monitored, and managed over time.

If you are interested in participating in this program in 2021, starting with Level 1 monitoring, please contact us for more information. Level 1 monitoring involves collecting at least 12 evenly spaced clarity (Secchi disc) and temperature readings from May through September (or ice off to ice on). The BCLSS can provide the equipment and after three years of data collections we can provide a report on results.

More information on volunteer lake monitoring can be found on the BCLSS website and the BC Ministry of Environment website.
Lake Life: The Diatoms 
At the base of our aquatic ecosystems are the primary producers which provide the link between the sun’s energy and other organisms higher in the food chain. These include free-living algae (phytoplankton), attached algae (periphytes) and aquatic plants (macrophytes). 
 
The diatoms (Bacillariophyceae) are single-celled algae that comprise a large portion of the phytoplankton in both fresh and marine waters. Diatoms range in size from a microscopic two microns to a few millimetres, just visible to the naked eye. Though small, these tiny plants play a huge role - it has been estimated that diatoms are responsible for approximately ¼ of the earth’s primary productivity! There are more than 10,000 diatom species identified with about the same number named in the fossil records. Their abundance also makes them an important component of the diets of zooplankton and invertebrate larvae. 
 
Diatoms are also one of the most beautiful organisms in the phytoplankton community. They consist of two glass-like silica shells called frustules and the shape and patterns of the shells are used to identify the species. The two frustules fit inside one another like a pill box and come in two general forms: pennate (elongated) and centric (round). Most freshwater diatoms are pennate. Diatoms usually reproduce asexually through cell division; the halves separate and a new shell is laid down in each of the parent frustules to produce two new cells. As a result, a population of diatoms will get progressively smaller over time.  Eventually, after a minimum size has been reached, the diatoms begin to reproduce sexually and a larger cell size is achieved.
 
Diatoms are so abundant that the frustules of dead organisms form large, economically significant deposits in both lakes and oceans. The diatomaceous earth, as it is called, is used in a number of applications including water filters, insecticides, paints, toothpaste, soil amendments and thermal insulation.
 
Diatoms can also be used in the practical management of water resources. The silica shell is a very durable and provides a useful indicator for investigating past water quality conditions. Diatom communities are influenced by water chemistry (e.g., phosphorus, nitrogen, pH, alkalinity, salinity) and so examining diatom assemblages in lake sediment cores can provide clues to historical changes in water quality. 

Originally published in BCLSS Quarterly Newsletter Volume 7, Issue 2
Diatoms in Charlie Lake. Photo provided by Bruce Kosugi, Charlie Lake Conservation Society.
Welcome to new BCLSS members:

Whistler Lakes Conservation Association, Adam Ungstad, Rod Andrew, Vincent Russell, Denelle Taffe, Zihao Wang, Doug Manton, Erin Reece, Deborah Kannegiesser & Joe Cortese, Shawnigan Basin Society, and Equilibrium Health Management.
Landscaping and Gardening Tips to
Keep Your Lake Healthy
Have you had enough of winter? Are you already planning your spring garden? If you have a lakeside property, check out these gardening and landscaping tips adapted from the Ministry of Environment's fact sheet: Some Guiding Principles to Lakeshore Living in Relation to Water Quality.
  • Using native plant species means minimal maintenance, including less watering, fertilizer and pesticides. Fertilizers can be carried by runoff to nearby waterbodies, causing an increase in nutrients and possible decline in water quality.
  • Keep existing trees and shrubs where possible and plant trees and shrubs in open areas to help prevent erosing and lessen runoff.
  • Mulch grass trimmings to promote recycling of nutrients and moisture back into the existing lawn. This also reduces the need for watering and fertilizer application.
  • Clean up after pets and domestic animals. Waste can be transported by runoff causing fecal contamination and phophorus input to nearby water.
  • Maintain vegetation near the shoreline to filter and absorb runoff, to provide shoreline stabilization, and to discourage waterfowl from frequenting. Waterfowl can contribute considerable levels of fecal coliforms and phosphorus.
For more gardening and landscaping tips, as well as other tips to keep your lake healthy, check out our Lake Stewardship Guidebook.
Thank you to our sponsor:

 
Cariboo Environmental
Quality Consulting Ltd.


 
Events and Announcements
Pacific Salmon Foundation Community Salmon Program Spring 2021 Funding
This grantmaking program supports volunteer and community-driven organizations that undertake salmon conservation and restoration projects in BC and the Yukon. Applications accepted until February 15th. Information and application can be found here

Real Estate Foundation - General Grants
The REFBC grants program supports projects that contribute to sustainable land use and real estate practices. The deadline to apply is March 2nd, 2021. Go to www.refbc.com/grants for more information on eligibility and how to apply.

Columbia Basin Water Survey 
Do you work with or around water? Have you ever used a dataset involving water? Or maybe you are just a concerned citizen wondering if your water is safe to drink? We are all dependent on water, and data is a crucial part of monitoring the health of our watersheds. The Columbia Basin Water Hub is looking for your input. We want to know what you consider to be good quality data. Please fill out the survey below and help build a community standard for water data in the Columbia Basin. Survey closes on Wednesday February 3rd at noon PST!
 
Surveyhttps://forms.gle/YKcwyxnkX4B4ES2K8
 
If you would like to find out more about the Water Hub visit this link.

Women and Water Lecture Series
The Women and Water Lecture Series, hosted by the Global Institute for Water Security, Global Water Futures - Young Professionals, and Global Water Futures, will be offered monthly from January to April 2021. The schedule and registration link can be found here.

The Keys to a Blue Economy
This four-part series focuses on how Canada should define its blue economy and all of the key elements that will ensure a strong national water sector. Information on the series can be found here.

AquaHacking Challenge Expands into Western Canada for 2021
AquaHacking is a tech challenge for post-secondary students and young professionals with an interest in freshwater issues, clean-tech innovation, and entrepreneurship. More information can be found on the AquaHacking Challenge website.

Ice on and ice off
Please send your ice on and ice off dates to the BCLSS office as this information is important for climate change research. Ice on/off data sheets can be found on our website.
 
Share your information with us! 

One of the primary objectives of the BC Lake Stewardship Society is to provide a public forum to discuss information on specific lakes and watersheds, lake conservation issues/concepts, and educational programs relevant to British Columbia’s freshwater resources. 
 
The BC Lake Stewardship Society Board of Directors welcomes written submissions, whether short articles, advertisements, or photos/figures relevant to British Columbia’s lakes from both BCLSS members and the community at large.  If you have information on BC’s lakes, please forward it to us for publication: info@bclss.org.
News from the Web

 
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Donate to the BCLSS
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