Residents, conservationists, anglers volunteer to repair aerator, clean Spring Lakes

Peachland residents and members of the Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance were recently joined by volunteer anglers from Summerland and West Kelowna to repair the original aerator that suffered last season, a victim of ‘target practice’.

This recreational campsite and trail area is also a favourite for graduation and bush parties, so the alliance has organized an Aug. 13 awareness field day to restore the area to its natural beauty. The spring lakes wildlife corridor is what Peachland outdoor enthusiasts call “the park.”

Without an aerator, small mountain lakes, like the Spring Lakes, are prone to winterkill, a condition where fish suffocate when the amount of oxygen under the ice is too low, with ice preventing air exchange at the water’s surface and the blanket of snow over the ice blocking light from reaching underwater plants. If plants cannot produce oxygen and feed the underwater inhabitants, especially fish, the lake dies.

In a recent WWF study, local Okanagan sub watersheds, like Peachland, were given an overall health of very good, especially for Benthic invertebrates — creatures including bugs, fish food and snails that live on the bottom of lakes and reveal a lot about the health of a freshwater system. Unfortunately, the threats to our local watersheds ranked very high in the four year study, as did pollution content, with industries like cattle ranging, agriculture, mining and logging ranked as the biggest threats.

It can take 3-4 years for a lake’s fish population to recover from winterkill.

Aeration systems can reduce the effects of winterkill, and provide fishing opportunities that might not otherwise exist. For this reason, local anglers appreciated it when the original Spring Lake aerator was purchased through fundraising by a local group, The Lonely Loons. Unfortunately, this group is no longer active and a new aerator can cost up to $5,000. The old aerator was damaged by shell shot, unanchored, overturned and adrift. After a pontoon boat rescue, a few new bolts, some TLC and many wet feet, it is up and running again, awaiting the annual stocking of 5,000 Rainbow Trout from Summerland’s Fresh Water Fisheries.

Concerns expressed by the volunteers present at the recent awareness field day included the impact on wildlife habitat that is already in serious decline. Flagging tape marks cut blocks just meters from the shoreline, and others mark haul roads up to the lakeshore. It is feared that clearcut logging and more roads can also result in more unwanted user traffic, sedimentation and erosion to the lake and feeder streams, causing high run off and damage to spawning areas.

If permits are granted, logging can commence in 2018 through 2020.

The Peachland Watershed Protection Alliance will hold another Watershed Awareness Field Day, Sunday, Aug. 13, 9:30 a.m to 11:30am, partnering with the Okanagan Forests Task Force to organize a massive cleanup of abandoned vehicle and debris along the road and trial network surrounding Spring Lakes. For more information please email PWPA member, Cory Sutton corysutton01@ gmail.com or call 250-215-5807.