The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) has launched an aquatic vegetation and management study that will investigate the possibility of conducting mechanical removal of aquatic vegetation at Charlie Lake, Swan Lake and One Island Lake. The study follows feedback from residents that excessive aquatic vegetation is detracting from recreational use, reducing aesthetics and creating a safety issue for lake users.
The Regional District has partnered with local biologist, Brian Paterson with Zonal Ecosystems, to conduct the early stages of planning and feasibility. The study will produce an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for each lake, which minimizes potential environmental impacts and is required to obtain provincial permitting. These EMPs will contain general information regarding lake ecology and biodiversity, suggest areas to focus harvesting efforts and incorporate best practices to minimize unwanted effects to the focal lakes.
Consulting with lake users and collecting feedback is a crucial component of the feasibility study. A project page is now open to the public on the Regional District’s engagement portal, with feedback tools including an online survey and interactive user vegetation maps that allow users to drop an “area of concern” pin. The PRRD is encouraging all residents to engage with the study before the close of the engagement phase on January 20, 2023, by visiting the project page at haveyoursay.prrd.bc.ca/avms,
In addition to forming the Environmental Management Plan for each lake, the information collected during the public engagement phase will go into a report for the Regional Board to consider in 2023, in relation to potential permitting and next steps.
