We would like to extend a huge thank you to all the volunteers involved with Lakewatch 2011. All together 25 lakes were sampled by 49 volunteers. 

 

The Alberta Water Council (of which ALMS is a member) is undertaking a critical review of the progress on implementation of the Water For Life strategy and Action Plan between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011. 

 

The Water for Life Strategy is a provincial policy adopted by Cabinet in November 2003. Since then, the Government of Alberta has released their Water for Life Renewal Strategy 2008 and the Water for Life Action Plan 2009.  If you wish to review the Renewal Strategy or the Action Plan, they can be found at: http://www.waterforlife.alberta.ca. 

 

The Water for Life Strategy is based on a strong interrelationship between three goals:

• Albertans are assured their drinking water is safe;
• Albertans are assured that Alberta's aquatic ecosystems are maintained and protected;
• Albertans will be assured that water is managed effectively to support sustainable economic development. 

These outcomes are based on three key directions in water management practices that are intended to drive and achieve these goals:

• Knowledge and Research - Albertans will have access to the knowledge needed to achieve safe drinking water, healthy aquatic ecosystems, and reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy;
• Partnerships - Water for Life partners are empowered, informed and fully engaged in watershed stewardship;
• Water Conservation - All sectors understand how their behaviours impact water quality, quantity and the health of aquatic ecosystems, adopt a "water conservation ethic" and take action.

Part of the Alberta Water Council mandate is to steward and encourage progress under the strategy and to provide regular reviews of program status, progress and effectiveness. This survey aims to gather input from sector members to assist in assessing the actions being taken by sectors to advance Water for Life.  

 

ALMS is requesting you participate in this survey as part of the Lake Conservation Sector. Please consider the outcomes and actions identified in the Water for Life Strategy as they apply to Lake Conservation as not all goals/key directions of the strategy may be relevant for you. The interview questions are general to allow you to outline your actions concerning the goals of Water for Life, your most pressing issues, and the changes you would like to see happen to achieve the Water for Life Strategy. 

 

The Survey:

Please click on the link to open the on-line survey.  Note that you cannot save the survey and return to it at a later date. It is recommended that you first read over the survey and put your responses into a word document first and then copy and paste your responses into the electronic survey.

   

The Survey Link: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22D5NW2VM95/

 

Please complete and submit your online survey by end of day November 15, 2011. ALMS will summarize the survey responses from the Lake Conservation Sector and submit them to the Water Council for inclusion in their WFL implementation review. 

 

Feedback from this survey, the results of interviews with GoA staff responsible for championing the goals and key directions of the WFL strategy, and other sources of information will be used to develop advice and recommendations at a strategic level.

The recent announcement of the conservation of 98 acres of land, including a significant wetland complex, in the Red Deer River watershed was exciting news for bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts. But even though the article didn't mention it, this announcement was also very exciting for the protection of water quality in Pine Lake. The conservation area (purchased by NCC from the Boote family) is only 1.6 km west of Pine Lake and totals 0.3% of the lakes' watershed.  

 

Lake quality is a reflection of land use within a lake's watershed and wetlands are of high value to lake watersheds for many reasons. One of the main ecological services of wetlands are to store, purify, and supply fresh water to lake watersheds. Wetlands act as pollution filters and remove and store sediments, nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, and other chemicals such as pesticides. Because wetlands have the capacity to absorb and retain high water flows, wetlands slow the release of floodwaters, prevent flooding and help reduce stream water velocity that could otherwise contribute to bank erosion and increased levels of sediments flowing to lakes. Of course they provide a host of other functions as well such as fish and wildlife habitat and simple aesthetics.

 

Depending on the wetland and its position in the watershed, some wetlands provide water quality functions that benefit adjacent and downstream water while others provide localized benefits that have a cumulative benefit to downstream water bodies. Protecting wetlands, and their continued healthy function, within lake watersheds is important for achieving water quality goals and should be considered essential to maintaining healthy lakes.

 

There are a number of organizations in Alberta that assist in protecting important natural areas and could be working on areas within your lake's watershed. For more information follow these links:

Nature Conservancy of Canada

Alberta Conservation Association

Ducks Unlimited

Alberta Fish and Game Association

Current Issues in Storm Drainage. Oct 21,

Edmonton, AB.

One day seminar about current legal issues, monitoring and inspection, the proper design of storm drainage management plans. 

http://www.lorman.com/seminars/349197 

Horsehair worms, or Gordiids, are a common inhabitant of Alberta lakes. These worms first caught our attention at Mayatan Lake, where they were spotted swimming near the surface. While it may be startling to see such a long, thin worm swimming through the water, they are, in fact, harmless to humans and pets. In their adult stage, Gordiids do not eat; their sole purpose is to mate. When mating, Gordiids may clump together in a large ball known as a Gordian Knot. As larvae, however, Gordiids are parasites of grasshoppers and crickets, and are thought to help control the population levels of these insects. A research group out of New Mexico is very interested in studying Gordiids and requested that we send them some preserved specimens for research. Check out www.nematomorpha.net to learn more about these fascinating animals and the important research being done on them.