Times Colonist

Elk Lake cleanup gets green light

- BILL CLEVERLEY

Capital Regional District parks committee members are recommendi­ng spending $200,000 to buy a weed harvester for Elk/Beaver Lake.

Committee members also recommend that the CRD hire a half-time coordinato­r for four years — at a cost, including operating funds, of $122,000 a year — to oversee implementa­tion of a watershed management plan and investigat­e the cost of buying and installing an aerator for the lake.

The recommenda­tions came after representa­tives from a number of lake user groups pleaded for action.

Elk Lake is sick and there is no time to waste, said Robert McConnell, president of the Victoria Golden Rods and Reels Society, which has spearheade­d efforts to draw attention to the lake, spending many unpaid hours collecting water samples and raising more than $25,000 to pay for lab work and data study.

“We’ve reached a critical point and here’s the problem: All of this was already done 25 years ago,” McConnell said.

At that time, he said, the provincial Ministry of the Environmen­t did a full water-quality analysis of Elk Lake and found excessive weed growth and phosphorou­s levels as well as toxic algae blooms.

The 1992 CRD Elk/Beaver Lake and Bear Hill Regional Management plan recommende­d installati­on of an aerator in the lake, developmen­t of an annual water-quality monitoring plan, an evaluation of water quality every three years and establishm­ent of objectives for phosphorus and related parameters.

None of that has been done, he said.

“So here we are today. We’ve had a second full water-quality survey of the lake. It shows that the lake is in much worse condition than it was in 1992. The recommenda­tions that result will parallel those made 25 years ago,” he said.

Ian Bruce, executive coordinato­r of the Peninsula Streams Society, warned Elk/Beaver Lakes is near its tipping point and headed toward eutrophica­tion, which happens when water quality is degraded by a buildup of nitrogen and phosphorou­s.

“Collective­ly, we have an opportunit­y to slow the process. If we don’t, algal blooms — both toxic and non-toxic — will become more frequent to the point that in-lake recreation will diminish or cease, fish will die and even use of the trails in the park itself will fade away,” Bruce said.

Brenda Taylor of the Victoria Rowing Society said a new weed harvester will make the lake safer and more enjoyable for all users. “The rowing community sees every day the deteriorat­ion in the water quality of Elk Lake and we’re really concerned about it,” Taylor 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, while Transport Canada manages activities on the lake surface and the CRD is responsibl­e for the surroundin­g park lands. 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, Elk/Beaver Lake is the most heavily used park in the region.

 ?? ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONIST ?? Elk Lake is popular with swimmers, boaters and those who like to fish, but the water quality is deteriorat­ing, say lake-user groups that called for action.
ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONIST Elk Lake is popular with swimmers, boaters and those who like to fish, but the water quality is deteriorat­ing, say lake-user groups that called for action.

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