With many people counting down the days to boating and beach season, Wildsight says you can enjoy local waterways while respecting and protecting natural environments.
According to Wildsight, roughly 22,000 people visited a 7-kilometre stretch of Columbia River between Columbia Lake and Fairmont Hot Springs in 2021.
Wildsight Invermere director Tracy Flynn says heavy recreation can put a strain on the wildlife that depends on those bodies of water.
“There is a whole myriad number of effects, such as displacing wildlife from their habitats, potentially swamping bird nests, even just moving wildlife out of their preferred habitats,” said Flynn.
“With the advent of bigger and more powerful boats, we’re seeing more of an impact on our shallow lakes here. It’s stirring up sediment, and some of the wakes and waves they create are impacting the shoreline.”
Flynn says the frequent lake bed agitation caused by motor boats can lead to cascading problems, particularly for shallow lakes, such as Lake Windermere.
“Churning up water with boats might lead to more phosphorus in the lakes, which will lead to more plant growth and potentially algae blooms,” said Flynn.
“We’re also seeing a lot more garbage on the river bottoms from kayakers and floaters, especially in the stretch of water near Fairmont.”
Boaters, swimmers and other outdoor enthusiasts can do their part in limiting the negative impacts on local waterways while still enjoying their time on lakes and rivers.
Flynn says education plays a major role in how people interact with the environment.
“I think most people will do the right thing if they’re just aware of what the right thing is,” said Flynn.
“That could mean avoiding certain areas at certain times of the year, reducing your wake when you’re close to the shore or minimizing traffic on certain stretches of the river during brooding or breeding seasons.”
Wildsight Strategic Advisor John Bergenske says it is vital for communities to speak out and pressure all levels of government for better protection of local waterways.
“If we aren’t on their case, economics will overwhelm the ecosystem every time,” said Bergenske.
“The most important thing we can do is organize at all the political levels, and make sure the people who are making the big decisions understand these values.”
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