Lake Ambassadors Updates:
Notes From the Field | What we are Working on |
Current Events | What we're Reading |
Volunteer Opportunity |
Notes From the Field
The crew has been out on the lake every Wednesday testing the water! Make sure you are following along every week with our 'Pulse Check' social media posts on Facebook and Instagram, as well as in The Pioneer. We have just finished a series of "What the Data Means", explaining all the parameters we measure when testing the water.
So far this season--
Water temperature high: 24.7 °C
The average D.O. has been sitting around 9/10 mg/L but July 24th's data saw a drop to the lowest average of 8.7 mg/L, likely due to the heat we have been experiencing
Turbidity and specific conductivity is back down since early July, following the freshet season
The crew also got a chance to join biologist, Rachel Darvill on a part of the bank swallow survey on Lake Windermere. The nesting window of the bank swallow is very short, about 2 weeks, so it's crucial to be out at the right time. It is certainly breathtaking to see an active colony of bank swallows zipping around above your head!
What we are Working on
Community Survey
LWA has been working on a community feedback survey on recreational carrying capacity of Lake Windermere. This is part of a larger, two-year project looking at recreational impact and sediment quality of the lake. The key findings can be viewed here . For a more in depth read, check out the full survey review here.
Kids camps are in full swing!
Kids enthusiastic about water and nature have had the opportunity to attend our free morning camps . So far they have been learning about water birds, water stewardship and water sampling techniques. We might have some future water stewards in our hands! We are excited for another month of camps at both James Chabot Provincial Park, Invermere and Tilly Memorial Park, Canal Flats.
Outreach
Spot us out at the boat launch or the Saturday Farmers Market all throughout the summer. We have been talking to lots of people about our waters and lake health. We have lots of info on fish, invasive species, bank swallow surveying, lake health and even TRU Earth laundry samples. Feel free to stop by to say hello!
Current Events
Whirling Disease in Western Canada
Whirling disease is a threat to aquatic life in British Columbia. This presentation will begin with background information on the whirling disease pathogen and its history in Canada, present the disease declarations for various watersheds, discuss the implications of the declarations for various aquatic stakeholders, and provide advice for members.
Effective May 17, 2024 in B.C. it is now illegal to transport your watercraft with the drain plug still in place.
The spread of whirling disease can be prevented by following the Clean, Drain, Dry steps for all boats, equipment and material.
National Parks Closure
British Columbia's Kootenay and Yoho national parks are closed, and restricting watercraft in Alberta's Waterton Lakes National Park, in an effort to slow the spread of invasive species.
Importance of foreshore conservation A new reader-friendly report about the project is now available that outlines the survey outcomes for each lake and lake-specific recommendations for protecting the at-risk fish populations found in each one.
To Healthier Waterways! The Manitoba government is supporting the health of Manitoba’s waterways through new investments in two watersheds and the Assiniboine Delta Aquifer. LiDAR Technology to measure snowpacks on a larger scale The researchers have been working on this project since 2018 when the Tula Foundation funded the Hakai Cryosphere Charter. It funded a five-year project to understand the role seasonal snow cover and glaciers play in the hydrology of key watersheds along BC’s Central and Southern Coast.
New Natural Stormwater Pond in Kamloops The project involves the construction of a natural detention pond, which will help manage urban runoff from Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Chief Louis Centre lands during periods of heavy rainfall. By allowing large flows of water to enter and temporarily store in the detention pond, the flow of runoff entering the South Thompson River will be slowed down. Reducing peak flow rates into the river will help prevent flooding, address existing bank erosion, and mitigate potential future erosion.
Thank you to our volunteers!
We can't do it all without the help of our volunteers. Thank you for making water sampling possible and thank you to our returning volunteer, Gavin Jacobs, who is donating his boat and time to drive us around the lake for our monitoring program.
Volunteer opportunities!
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Lake Windermere Native Mussel Survey
Learn to identify and survey native freshwater mussels in Lake Windermere, and spend a morning collecting mussel population data out in the field!
Do you already use TRU Earth laundry strips? Do you want to try them AND help LWA? Simply follow the link next time you purchase them and 20% gets donated to Lake Windermere Ambassadors at no extra cost to you! Thank you for your support!
