Recreational opportunities

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1 Summer 2014 Edition Trophic Status of Lakes in the Watershed Recreational opportunities are abound in the Beaver River watershed, and thousands of people visit each summer to enjoy the many, many lakes in the region. One recurring issue, however, is the presence of algal blooms on the surface of several lakes. Why are these blooms so frequent in this area? An explanation of trophic status will help clear up some of the mystery. Trophic status of a lake is a commonly used water quality indicator. In short, it s a measure of the total amount of biological production in a lake, usually measured by phosphorus. While more productivity in a lake provides more nutrients, it also reduces the total amount of oxygen in a lake. Both natural and anthropogenic factors can influence a lake or other water body s Trophic Index. A water body may be naturally eutrophic. Conversely, some lakes may have an increase in nutrients as a result of pollution sources such as agricultural runoff, residential fertilizers, and sewage. Here are the four levels of trophic status, from least to most productive: Oligotrophic: low levels of phosphorus, which acts to limit biological production, meaning a lower algal biomass. These lakes tend to have clear water and sufficient oxygen throughout the year to support fish and other aquatic organisms. No lakes in the Beaver River watershed hold this status they re more common in the mountains and foothills. Mesotrophic lakes: moderate levels of phosphorus, which acts to support greater biological production. Water clarity in mesotrophic lakes is moderate. Lakes in the lower Beaver watershed are mesotrophic, including Cold, Crane, and Marie Lakes. Eutrophic lakes: high concentrations of phosphorus, resulting in greater concentrations of chlorophyll-a. These lakes tend to experience high densities of large aquatic plants (macrophytes) and algae, and support productive fisheries. Surface accumulations or blooms of algae may occur during the warmest months, which can significantly reduce water transparency to the point of discouraging recreational activities such as swimming or waterskiing. Most lakes in the Beaver watershed are eutrophic, including Moose, Beaver, and Pinehurst Lakes. In this Issue Blue Green Algae...p2 Students Develop Solution to Improve Water Quality...p Shoreline Cleanup...p Annual Meeting...p5 Member of the Month- Kellie Nichiporik...p6 Our Vision: The Beaver River Watershed is ecologically healthy and environmentally sustainable. Page 1

2 Trophic Status of Lakes- continued from Page 1 Hypereutrophic lakes: very high concentrations of phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. Algal blooms are common in these lakes, often lasting throughout the summer and well into autumn. Oxygen depletion can occur throughout the year and may extend to the surface, resulting in fish kills. Kehewin Lake is an example of a hypereutrophic lake. Page 2 Our region s lakes are mostly shallow, formed from depressions made by glaciers in the last Ice Age. As a result, they tend to be more affected by nutrient loading and sunlight, which increase overall productivity in a lake. Make sure you are aware of blue green algae advisories on lakes the provincial health advisory page contains current information on algal blooms. Cyanobacteria: Blue Green Algae Blue-green algae, colloquially known as pond scum, is a common, naturally occurring bacteria called cyanobacteria. The more eutrophic the lake, the more likely it is to develop cyanobacteria. Throughout the summer months, when the temperatures surrounding Alberta s lakes are warmer and the days are longer, cyanobacteria may multiply, forming a visible bloom. When cyanobacteria create blooms, they make lakes begin to appear similar to the colour and consistency of pea soup. In general, lakes with large watersheds in relation to their surface areas will experience larger, longer lasting blooms than lakes of similar size but with smaller watersheds. As blooms begin to decompose, their impacts on aquatic ecosystems begins to increase. The sand and rocks along the shore may be coated with cyanobacteria, which gives the appearance of bright blue-green paint. This leads to a decrease in recreational opportunities such as swimming and boating. Cyanobacteria also emits a strong odour. As blue green algae decomposes, it depletes the availability of dissolved oxygen in waterways. This may lead to higher concentrations of ammonia, potentially resulting in the die-off of aquatic organisms such as fish. Additionally, blooms may pose a serious health threat to other animals and humans due to the algae s release of liver and nerve toxins. Humans should not drink or swim in water that may contain cyanobacteria. The removal of blue green algae is extremely costly and may further result in additional negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Chemicals can be used to kill cyanobacteria, however many of these chemicals are toxic to other forms of life. long-term solution to eradicating A the growth of cyanobacteria, is to reduce the amount of nutrients entering lakes. The main nutrient sources that can be controlled include sewage effluent, agricultural runoff, and industrial discharge. Sustainable You can visit the page at albertahealthservices.ca/1926.asp. Source material for this article courtesy Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. shoreline development can also help reduce the amount of nutrient inputs into lakes via awareness and stewardship. You can check the status of blue green algae at your local lake by visiting albertahealthservices.ca. Information for this article obtained from Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development. Photo by Global News, August Our Mission: The BRWA will maintain or improve the ecology of the Beaver River Watershed while respecting the diverse values of the watershed community.

3 Caring for our Watersheds Competition Caring for our Watersheds (CFW) is an opportunity for students in grades 7-12 to win up to $1,000 for themselves and their school. CFW is an educational program that aims to combine environmental organizations, industry strengths, and local communities, to heighten students knowledge of watersheds. The program began in 2007 when Agrium partnered with the Battle River Watershed Alliance. Since 2007, the program has grown to an international scale, with the contest being held across North America, Argentina, and Australia. The BRWA began offering free CFW presentations to classrooms in 2013 to educate students on the Beaver River watershed and importance of protecting our local watersheds. These presentations aim to heighten students level of knowledge of the Beaver River watershed, as well as to promote constructive discussion around environmental concerns and solutions surrounding our watershed. Students work in groups to brainstorm ways in which they can improve their watershed and write a proposal answering the question, What can you do to improve your watershed? If you would a CFW presentation given to your class, please contact Alicia Fontaine, at or alicia@beaverriverwatershed.ca. Students Develop Solution to Improve Water Quality Students in Bonnyville are coming up with great ideas to improve the area in which they live, and are being rewarded for their innovation. Jared Chevrie, Desiree St. Amant, and Mckaila Tunstall are proud to have placed in the finals for the 2014 Caring for our Watersheds (CFW) contest, brought to Central Alberta by Agrium Inc. and the Battle River Watershed Alliance. T three students from Notre Dame High School looked at riparian health along certain lakes in their area. In particular, the group focused on cattails and their ability to buffer excessive nutrients and pollutants from entering waterbodies. They wanted to carry out a study on cattail buffering to determine their level of effectiveness. This would be an initial step followed by efforts to increase cattail populations along some stretches of impacted lakes. As a result of their efforts, Jared, Desiree, and Mckaila won $450 for themselves and $450 for Notre Dame High School. To win, they researched their local watershed, identified an environmental concern, came up with a realistic solution, and presented to a panel of community judges. Over $15,000 was awarded in prizes, and an additional $10,000 is available to help implement the participant s ideas. The purpose of the contest is simple, says Lindsey Metheral, Agrium Program Advisor. Our goal is to encourage students to learn about their local watershed and be inspired to make improvements to the land, air and water. With community and school support, we have seen the creativity and determination students have for protecting and preserving the environment. It s inspiring when they turn their ideas into reality. Over the years the community has shown great leadership in mentoring the students and helping them implement their ideas. Any of the 299 students who entered the 2014 Caring for our Watersheds contest can work towards making their idea happen. We are here to help them, said Nathalie Stanley, Education and Outreach Coordinator of the Battle River Watershed Alliance. News Release written by Nathalie Stanley of the Battle River Watershed Alliance. Page 3

4 Alberta Provincial Park Campground Presentations The Beaver River Watershed Alliance will once again be partnering with Alberta Parks to bring roving campground presentations to several different local provincial parks in July and August. These presentations will include interactive displays on animals of the boreal forest, non-point source pollution, and information on the prevention of invasive species. You can catch our display at Cold Lake Provincial Park on July 12th and at Long Lake Provincial Park on August 9th Shoreline Cleanup Each year, the Beaver River Watershed Alliance hosts a shoreline cleanup within our watershed as part of the Great Canadian shoreline cleanup. The shoreline cleanup began in 1994 as an initiative by the Vancouver Aquarium. In September of 2013, many amazing volunteers from within our local community helped to remove over 90kg of garbage. Across Canada, 58,500 volunteers removed 99,280 kg of garbage from 3,035km of shoreline. The most popular items collected from the shoreline at Jessie Lake included food wrappers, cigarettes, and plastic bags. Thank-you to last year s dedicated volunteers for truly making a difference in our watershed. In 2014, the Beaver River Watershed Alliance will once again be hosting a shoreline cleanup sometime during the week of Sept 20-28th. If you would like more information on how you, your organization, or your classroom can get involved in this year s cleanup, please contact Alicia Fontaine, at or alicia@ beaverriverwatershed.ca. Over the week of June 8-14th, Canadians celebrate our 200,000km of coastline and over 2 million lakes as part of Rivers to Oceans week. Canadians are stewards of one-fifth of the world s fresh water, and from wetlands, groundwater, springs, streams, lakes, rivers and oceans, Page 4 Rivers to Oceans Week our water is connected through watersheds. Rivers to Oceans week is an opportunity to take a moment to appreciate our rivers and raise awareness about the importance of safeguarding the quality of all water flowing within our watersheds. Volunteers from last year s 2013 Shoreline Cleanup at Jessie Lake

5 2014 Annual Meeting On April 29th, the BRWA held our Annual Meeting at Goodridge Hall located a the geographic centre of the watershed. The Annual Meeting began with over 80 people in attendance networking over a delicious supper. The meeting continued with an overview of past and current BRWA projects as well as a look into the education and outreach initiatives throughout After a quick coffee break, the meeting led into the official release of our State of the Watershed Report. The evening featured a presentation by guest speaker Robert Halliday, author of the BRWA s Watershed Report and Chair of the Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin. Halliday gave an in-depth and informative overview of the report, its development, and its use as a tool for watershed management. The feedback Upcoming Events received from attendees was very positive as several people claimed that the guest speaker was excellent, really interesting, and informative. It was great to see such a large turnout who all went home with a copy of our State of the Watershed summary report. The complete version of the full length report is available on the BRWA s recently revised website, ca. From our website, you can also provide us with feedback that we will take into consideraion as we draft our Watershed Management Plan. Obtaining feedback from those who live, work, or visit the watershed is key to developing realistic and desirable recommendations for improving the health of the Beaver River basin. Anyone with further questions can contact Harry Keess, Program Manager, at or Harry@ beaverriverwatershed.ca. Lakeland Agriculture and Research Association s Summer Field School: July 9th at 9am LARA s 1st annual summer field school on July 9th at the LARA Research Farm in Fort Kent. will feature top agricultural experts that will allow participants to view hands-on demonstrations specially prepared to showcase each topic. To register, contact Muriel Lake Basin Management Society Annual Meeting: July 13th at 10am The MLBMS will be holding their Annual General Meeting on July 13th at 10:00AM at the Bonnyville Centennial Center. The AGM will feature a presentation from Matrix Solutions in addition to an update on their current projects. Parks Day: July 19th at 11am Celebrate Parks Day at Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park on July 19th from 10am-3pm. This event is open to the public and will feature hot dogs and treats, geocaching, displays and talks from conservation officers, and sand castle building. Page 5

6 Member of the Month: Kellie Nichiporik Sector: NGO Kellie Nichiporik has been an active member of the BRWA since 2010, and Co-Chaired the committee from She became involved with the watershed through her work with Lakeland Agricultural Research Association as the Conservation Coordinator. She is passionate about the environment and enjoys sharing and educating others about stewardship of the land, air and water. This area holds many memories; of coming to Moose Lake for summer camps, hiking, fishing, boating and relaxing around campfires with friends and family. Currently Kellie is the Chair of the Moose Lake Watershed Society, and through this stewardship group has helped with creek restoration projects, tributary nutrient sampling, shoreline education and the program Walking Page 6 With Moose which is for grade five students of the area to learn about the watershed, value of wetlands and shorelines and forest ecology. Kellie also conducts riparian health assessments, which can be used to better manage areas around the water to protect and improve water quality. Kellie is an avid photographer and gardener. She is passionate about travelling, having lived in both Denmark and Australia; loving to have the chance to experience new cultures and places. Having gone to Africa, the value of water becomes so much more apparent when faced with nations plagued with water borne illnesses and shortages. We are so fortunate to live in an area where we have access to safe, adequate supplies of water. Staff Harry Keess Program Manager harry@beaverriverwatershed.ca Alicia Fontaine Education & Outreach Coordinator alicia@beaverriverwatershed.ca Contact Us! Beaver River Watershed Alliance c/o Lakeland Industry and Community Association 5107W 50 Street Bonnyville, Alberta T9N 2J5 Co-Chairs Gordon Graves gallowayab@hotmail.com Roxane Bretzlaff roxane.bretzlaff@cnrl.com Check us out on Facebook! Follow us on BRWA is in partnership with LICA