Spotlight Staff
We love our lake and being able to head out to the beach or onto the water during the summer.
We want to be able to keep our lake healthy for everyone to enjoy for years to come. To do this it is important to find a way to balance recreation and development while still keeping the shoreline and environment healthy.
That’s why the Lesser Slave Watershed Council is happy to announce they will once again be bringing Nature Alberta’s Living by Water program to the Lesser Slave area this summer.
This Emerald Award-winning program provides information to Alberta’s lakeshore residents about healthy shoreline living. The goal is to provide lakeshore residents with the tools to maintain the integrity of their property’s natural ecosystem while still supporting recreational use, preserving property values and ensuring use for future generations.
In the past few years the number of lakefront properties, such as cabins and cottages, has been increasing. Lesser Slave Lake is no exception to the trend; with an increase in lakefront living people are putting more pressure on our lakes and shorelines than ever before.
From creating beaches, to building retaining walls or even just runoff from over fertilizing lawns and gardens, there are lots of ways we can change and impact the natural shoreline and surrounding ecosystem.
The Living by Water program focuses on educating Albertans and show casing simple ways to make small changes and help preserve our lake. Taking part in this free confidential program is a great way to help contribute to a healthy lakeshore.
Nature Alberta provides trained shoreline advisors to meet one-on-one with interested lakeshore property owners for a free, confidential consultation. Participants will learn about the ecology of their lake, environmental concerns they may have, and are shown how they can reduce their own impacts on the lake through easy to implement changes on their property.
The advisors will provide a personalized experience and provide a report tailored to each property and its specific issues. The report outlines beneficial management practice suggestions, the result of the consultation as well as additional resources to support the suggested property management opportunities.
The consultation process generally takes about one hour and covers topics such as naturalized shorelines, invasive species and the benefits of fostering biodiversity on your property.
Knowledgeable shoreline advisors will be available for consultations and site-visits around Lesser Slave Lake the weekend of Aug. 13-14.
To learn more or book a consultation contact Kaylyn Jackson at the LSWC [780] 523-9800 or coordinator@lswc.ca
Nature Alberta has been working at over 30 lakes throughout Alberta and their shoreline advisors have performed nearly 900 home site consultations in the 15 years that the Living by Water program has been around.
Even with their hard work and the help of all of the shoreline property owners who have gotten involved, there is still a need for more information, education and resources to help people around lakes.
The LSWC is proud to partner with Nature Alberta to increase awareness and keep our lake healthy and useable. By getting involved with the Living by Water Program and the LSWC you can help ensure that Lesser Slave Lake stays a healthy and beautiful place for everyone to enjoy.