Ambassadors warn about the effect the wake boat's effect on Lake Windermere

Lake Windermere Ambassadors have been notifying people about the effect of wake boats in Lake Windermere for a few months now. The note rang a little louder in the week that passed, as Ambassadors ' representatives presented a report to the Invermere council, highlighting the issues they have.

Ambassadors chair Taoya Schäfer stated that the demand for recreational boats has increased on the lake over the past 10 years, in particular because of the rising popularity of wake boats over the last several years. Such boats are purposefully built (ballasted by water) and fitted with very strong engines) to generate large wakes that can be used to surf.

"The shoreline impacts of these waves are evident. Erosion, sediment destroying fish spawning areas, wildlife nesting, habitat and property damage from far larger than natural occurring waves," Schaefer informed council members at the Tuesday, June 28 meeting.

She noted that most manufacturers of boats recommend a minimum level of 6-8 meters. Lake Windermere However, it has an average water depth of between three and four meters during the majority of the year, she pointed out.

"When the water is shallower than that, there is scouring of the lake bottom. Aquatic plants are uprooted and sediment re-suspension releases phosphorus and toxins from the lake bottom, contributing to a reduction in aquatic insects and water quality," said Schaefer. "Our lake bottom sediments are contaminated with bacteria, heavy metals in the form of pesticide residues and hydrocarbons from human use throughout the years. If they are locked away in the lake bed they are relatively unaffected however, when the wake stirs up the sediment, forming dark clouds, the toxins are re-suspended in the water column, cause algae blooms, which can become damaging to wildlife and humans. "

Schaefer noted there are drinking water intakes in the lake that may be affected, and that toxins stirred up also get flushed to the Columbia River wetlands, which she said are of global significance for their biodiversity.

She also argued that the increase in wake boats is a safety concern

"We are getting increasing number of complaints by lake users that the large wakes make the lake unsafe for swimmers, paddle board users, kayakers, canoeists, rowers, and anyone in a small craft," she explained, adding that wake boaters could only be responsible for five percent of lake-users, but affect the remaining 95 per cent.

Schaefer cited an University of Minnesota study highlighting the significance of wake boats in bringing invasive zebra mussels and the quagga mussels (through their ballast tanks) into different water bodies and also emphasized that Lake Windermere can ill afford to have such creatures introduced.

"We recognize the need for education, but we also need a way to address the environmental damage caused in shallow bodies of water and we know that our lake is very shallow. While we can educate wake boaters, the reality is that nowhere is our lake the recommended depth for safe, non-damaging Windermere Wakesurfing," Schaefer said.

She asked council to write to the provincial boating safety officers to modify the boating regulations so that they allow local authorities to request the ballasted wakeboat restriction, if they choose not to restrict other types of powered watercraft and asked if the district might be interested in putting up educational signage on the dangers from wakeboats. She also said that the ambassadors are planning to seek help from Invermere and The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) and other groups to conduct a recreational carrying capacity study on Lake Windermere to determine the impact these boats have on the lake's shallow.

"If the study finds the effects to be as detrimental to as we predict they could be, we will then have a tool for conserving our lake for generations to come," Schaefer added.

Councillor Gerry Taft expressed some hesitation He said that when was involved in the process of planning in the Lake Windermere Management Plan (LWMP) "what I can remember is that that it was difficult to set up a standard for the parameters. It was extremely subjective and more social than environmental. "

Ambassadors program coordinator Amy Baxter replied that a capacity study on recreational carrying would include a scholarly environmental component (which would include examining the effects on habitats and intakes for water, as an example) in addition to the social aspect (which would encompass factors like safety issues).

Taft responded that when the LWMP was first introduced "there were a lot of boating enthusiasts who mistakenly -- thought it was the banning of boats. It was extremely emotional and controversial...This also has the potential to become very divisive and emotionally charged. I think we need to conduct the research first to separate the political from the scientific and then tackle the science. "

"There already is science out there that shows the effects of wake boats in shallow lakes," the councillor said. Councillor Ute Juras. "I don't want to shy away from issues that concern security of the residents on the lake or any health issues with the lake in general. "

"Although the discussion may get a little heated at times, it is something we want to look at...We want to do it for the right reasons," added mayor Al Miller.

"With the science coming out, we are worried... A study would tells us what's happening with the lake," said Baxter noting that similar studies have also been conducted on Kalamalka Lake, which is located in the Okanagan and resulted in maps that divided the lake into several zones, where it was more appropriate for various kinds of recreation.

Taft seemed to like this notion, stating "I believe that talking about zoning is less likely to become emotional than discussion of bans. "

"To say we're not going to look at it, that's not the answer. It may cause a disturbance, but we have to do what's right, as long as it's science focussed," Miller concluded. Miller.