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Lake Windermere background info
Canada’s Lake Windermere
Lake Windermere is in southeastern British Columbia in the Columbia Valley.
The valley stretches 196 kilometres (121 miles) from Canal Flats to Golden, B.C.
with the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Purcell Mountains to the west. Lake Windermere is a shallow widening of the great Columbia River. Two communities are built around its shores: Invermere and Windermere. More than 50 per cent of the lakeshore has been disturbed or developed.
Lake Windermere is fed by, and feeds, the Columbia Wetlands. These internationally-significant wetlands are a crucial part of the Pacific Flyway, one of the last intact resting and breeding habitats for migrating and resident birds in the greater region.
Lake Windermere is very heavily used for motor-boating, sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, fishing and other recreational activities. On summer days there are often up to 200 power boats on the lake at the same time!
Lake Windermere Project highlights
- 2004, Wildsight hosts Living Lakes Conference:
The District of Invermere, Global Nature Fund and Wildsight host the 9th International Living Lakes Conference. The conference brings together experts from 35 organizations around the world. Special focus on the Columbia Wetlands and Lake Windermere and the need to protect our water resources while balancing the needs of people and wildlife. - 2005, survey highlights concern: Results of a 2005 Lake-Use Survey show public concern about Lake Windermere. People want to know more about septic systems, boat traffic, aquatic plants, shoreline and watershed development, water conservation and water quality.
- 2005, study recommends stewardship: The Regional District of East Kootenay commissions a Windermere Lake Water Quality Monitoring Program and Literature Review. It recommends more sampling with a five-year, community-based, water quality monitoring program. This is the basis of the Lake Windermere Project (LWP).
- 2005, the Lake Windermere Project starts: Wildsight develops the LWP. The goal is to protect and enhance water quality in the lake and its surrounding uplands. It grows into a partnership of government agencies, First Nations, organizations and local citizens.
- 2007, results of work so far: The B.C. Lake Stewardship Society completes a review: B.C. Lake Stewardship and Monitoring Program Windermere Lake 2005-2007. It gives an overview of the LWP and its results.
- 2008, Living Lakes superstars: Wildsight’s LWP and Columbia River Headwaters programs are used as case studies in capacity-building by other Living Lakes partners at the 12th International Living Lakes conference in Italy.
- 2008, Ambassadors step up: The Lake Windermere Ambassadors set up a way everyone can help out. Gold, silver or bronze: which are you?
- 2008, shoreline guidelines: The LWP and East Kootenay Integrated Lake Management Partnership digitally inventories Lake Windermere’s shoreline, creates shoreline management guidelines and helps establish a two-year moratorium on foreshore development.
- 2009, Streamkeepers brought “on stream”: With funding from the Columbia Valley Community Foundation, LWP staff is trained and outfitted to offer Streamkeepers training to volunteers in early 2009. This means greater water stewardship capacity in the community.
- 2009, Lake Windermere, Canada and Lake Windermere, UK unite as “Sister Lakes” at the International Lakes for Living, Lakes for Life conference on the shores of Windermere, England.
- 2009: Sampling follows guidelines from the 2005 Windermere Lake Water Quality Monitoring Program and Literature Review (Masse & Miller 2005)
- 2010, Lake Windermere Project chosen as a “best practices” example for community-based environmental monitoring as part of a research project funded by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) and carried out by N.T.Yap Environmental Systems Analysts (YESA). View the initial paper entitled, Successful Community-based Monitroing in Canada: Three Case Studies.
- 2010, Full analysis of water quality results is completed by Ministry of Environment and used to update Water Quality Objectives [insert link to document] for the lake, and provide background information for the Lake Windermere Management Plan.
- 2010, Regional District of East Kootenay and District of Invermere draft Lake Windermere Management Plan.The Plan will guide long-term management of the lake and direct local government planning for the lake and shoreline. It will consider and integrate the environmental, anthropogenic, cultural, and biological factors and values associated with Lake Windermere.
- ONGOING: Water quality sampling with the Lake Windermere Water Monitoring Group (volunteers).
- ONGOING: The LWP is working closely with the RDEK and District of Invermere on a comprehensive Lake Management Plan.
- ONGOING: The LWP continues to be a member of the East Kootenay Integrated Lake Management Partnership (EKILMP).
- ONGOING: As the LWP comes to completion, the Lake Windermere Ambassadors are ready to continue with water monitoring and water stewardship education.
- IS THAT ALL?: No! The LWP does too much to list here!
- Read more of the LWP story; where we hope to be by 2011 and what’s happening right away.
Partners
Living Lakes Network Canada
Lake District National Park Authority
UK Environment Agency
BC Lake Stewardship Society
Canadian Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Commission
District of Invermere
East Kootenay Conservation Program
East Kootenay Integrated Lake Management Partnership
Environment Canada
Fisheries & Oceans Canada
Interior Health Authority
International Living Lakes Network
Ministry of Environment
No Water No Life
Regional District of East Kootenay
Living by Water
Waterlution
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