Vaseux Lake Land Use and Water Quality Assessment Phase 1


Project Year:

2017

Project Budget:

$30,000

WCQI Grant:

$25,440

Organization:
Regional District Okanagan Similkameen

Project Description:

The Project did meet its goals outlined in the phase 1 of the study. The consultant, Larratt Aquatic, was able to install monitoring equipment at key points in lake as and complete two rounds of sampling and data analysis to begin investigating the interactions between land use around the lake and its effect on water quality. These first results have shown that land use around the lake is having an effect on water quality in the lake through increased chlorides from lakeside residents, possibly due to septic drainage.

Sediment cores were also collected at various points in the lake. The composition of the cores showed that the sediments contained high levels of several hazardous materials including arsenic, cadmium and lead. This data will help us make decisions on the best way to address aquatic weed issues in the lake.

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