Efforts have to be made to improve water quality of Elk/Beaver Lake, members of the Capital Regional District’s environmental services committee agreed Wednesday.
Directors were told the lake system is subject to a number of stresses, and a water-quality plan should be developed to reduce algal blooms, manage weed growth, improve fish habitat and ensure recreational use.
“The amount of weed development in that lake is unbelievable,” said committee chair Judy Brownoff, a Saanich councillor who recently was on the lake with competitive rowers. She said the weeds are so thick they are putting rowers at risk.
Staff are recommending the CRD hire a half-time co-ordinator for four years — at a cost, including operating funds, of $122,000 a year — to oversee implementation of a watershed-management plan. Members of the CRD’s parks committee examined the same data last week and have asked for funding options.
Staff are also seeking $200,000 in additional funding to buy a weed harvester to replace the one that was retired in 2013.
Colwood Coun. Cynthia Day said the CRD has to deal with the weeds. “If you had noxious weeds growing in our parks on land, we wouldn’t ignore them and I don’t think we should ignore them in the water either,” Day said. “Under the water is often overlooked and there’s some very critical plants and ecosystems in those areas.”
Highlands Mayor Ken Williams noted that members of the Rods and Reels feel the lake needs oxygen.
“Perhaps the scientists at UVic can help out. There’s got to be a way to oxidize or get oxygen back into that system,” he said.
Several levels of government have a stake in the management of Elk/Beaver Lakes.
The province owns the lake bottom, sediments and water column. Transport Canada manages activities on the lake surface. TheCRD is responsible for the surrounding park lands, while the watershed lies predominately within the District of Saanich, discharging through the Colquitz River into the Gorge Waterway. Island Health monitors the beach for recreational health concerns.
With an estimated 1.48 million visits in 2014 and 14,000 angler-days per year, Elk/Beaver Lake is the most heavily used park in the region.
In the past eight years, CRD Parks has invested about $740,000 in two key infrastructure initiatives: replacement of the Beaver Lake outflow dam and planning for replacement of the filter beds and Beaver Beach washroom infrastructure.
Upgrades and infrastructure replacement will total about $1.55 million over the next four years.
