Tag Archives: Lake Monitoring Program

Environment

A growing sediment island in the Dillon Creek wetlands, project update

As the second year comes to an end, Project Manager Miranda Cross described the growth of a sediment island within the new Dillon Creek wetland on Cortes Island and gave an overview of the restoration project. 

This project arose as a response to the algae blooms in Hague and Gunflint Lakes. Nutrients are entering the lakes from septic tanks, gardens, ditches, roads, creeks and livestock around the shore of the lakes.

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Environment

Dillon Creek wetland restoration construction ends, project moves forward

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CKTZ News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The construction phase of the Dillon Creek wetlands restoration project, in what is now known as Linnaea Farm, ended on Aug. 20.

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Environment

Cortes Island’s first wetland restoration project

CKTZ News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The preliminary stages of Cortes Island’s first wetland restoration project are underway at Dillon Creek, on Linnaea Farm.  

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Development, Housing

Adding Housing While Reducing Human Impact On The Lakes

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Cortes has a housing crises. Young families are being forced off the island because of the lack of affordable units and there is not much room for seniors who are no longer able to maintain large lots. The Cortes Housing recently purchased 51 acres in Mansons Landing to help address this issue, but are facing another issue as well. There are already too many nutrients draining into Hague and Gunflint Lakes. In this morning’s program we talk to Rex Weyler, Lake Stewardship Coordinator for the Friends of Cortes Island and David Rousseau, President of the Cortes Island Foundation, about adding housing while reducing human impact on the lakes

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Environment

Responses To Cortes Island’s Algae Bloom Problem

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By Roy L Hales

The global phenomenon of algae blooms has reached British Columbia. The BC Northern Health issued an advisory for Prince George area last summer. Severe outbreaks have been reported at St. Mary and Cusheon Lakes on Saltspring Island, and Village Bay Lake on Quadra Island. The Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) recently published a monitoring report. I recently interviewed the author, Rex Weyler, about responses to Cortes Island’s algae bloom problem.



“Hague and Gunflint Lakes are typical lakes and the challenges we are having there are also typical when you have a human community that lives around a body of fresh water … The problem is human septic and livestock concentrating nutrients and then passing that into the water table, which then drains into the lake. Those nutrients are feeding the algae booms,” says Weyler.

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