After several years of collaborative effort ALMS has released its Workbook for Developing Lake Watershed Management Plans in Alberta and it is available to be download off of our website or we have a limited number of printed copies to give away. 

ESRD is seeking public input on the new draft Environmental Quality Guidelines for Alberta Surface Waters . 

 

The document will update the existing Alberta guidelines for surface water quality, sediment quality, and tissue residue for wildlife consumers. Once your input is received and the guidelines are finalized they will replace the previous version of the guidelines, published in 1999.

 

Please submit all feedback and commentary to ESRD by November 8, 2013.  

 

From a recreational lake perspective, this document makes important changes. The numerical guideline for P and N concentrations in surface water have now been removed and replaced with a narrative guideline, specific to lakes, that talks about increases over existing conditions. It would be appropriate to provide feedback on this change and how it may affect management of your lake. ALMS will be submitting comments to ESRD but all ALMS members should also take the time to review the document and provide their own feedback directly.

Tour to Daryl Fipke's ranch - stop 2, a natural spring.

Nearly 120 people gathered at the Lakedell Hall near Pigeon Lake to network and learn about more about lake management and ecology. Presentation slides have been posted on our website. In about a month we expect to have them converted into videos of the presentations, courtesy of the Alberta LandUse Knowledge Network. Thank you to everyone who came, as well as our donors and sponsors - you made it a memorable 20th annual workshop. 

Visit the ALMS 20th Annual Workshop Page for presentations and click below to view an album of photos from the event on our flickr page.

With another sampling season completed we want to take this opportunity to thank all of our members and lake volunteers for your hard work and dedication to Alberta lakes. 

 

LakeWatch volunteers, 58 this year, are invaluable to the program and play an important role in keeping our lakes healthy. You are the eyes and ears on the ground and tireless advocates for our lakes. Thank you for all you do!

 

ALMS likes to recognize one of our volunteers each year who has shown outstanding enthusiasm and dedication through their work with the LakeWatch Program. This year we would like to recognize Gary Kissel as the Volunteer of the Year - Gary has been a LakeWatch volunteer at Minnie Lake for six years and has been an extremely valuable member of the LakeWatch team. Look forward to an interview with Gary posted on our website soon.

 

2013 was an extremely successful year for LakeWatch. Jared Ellenor, Nicole Meyers, and Elynne Murray travelled the province collecting 138 samples from 28 different lakes. Monitoring this year involved our standard suite of water quality parameters as well as the collection of samples for invasive zebra/quagga mussels and biological samples of phytoplankton and zooplankton for taxonomic analysis. ALMS also completed work at Pigeon Lake for the development of a nutrient budget - this project involved enhanced sampling including stream monitoring and sediment collections.

 

Work is ongoing on the 2013 LakeWatch Reports and we hope to have them completed in early 2014. If you are interested in having your lake monitored again in 2014 please contact Brad.

Aquatic Invasive Species Update: Monitoring in 2013 has so far turned up no mussel veligers. But, mussel fouled boats entering Alberta continue to be discovered. The Alberta Water Council project working to prevent and manage the threats of aquatic invasive species is in need of funding to complete a jurisdictional review of AIS prevention and management techniques. Please consider donating funds to complete this important work. More information and AWC contact info  

October 17

with Steph Neufeld (Watershed Specialist) and Brian Ilnicki (Land Stewardship Centre)

Helping municipal officials achieve their diligence and oversight duties for
local water/wastewater utilities.

October 23rd, Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton

Calgary: Oct 29-30

For more information or to register for the course, please contact Caroline at (780) 757-5530 or email atwetlands@aquality.ca.

  

NSWA Educational Forum:  NGO Initiatives in the North Sask River Watershed" November 7, Strathcona County Offices.