By Barbra Fairclough White Lake Residents Association(WLRA) is engaging on ecological initiatives on behalf of White Lake residents. Several committees are active on multiple fronts relating to parks, forests, water quality and lake stewardship.
The White Lake Stewardship Group is a multiple stakeholder group and they have a collaborative spring ice-off plan with BC Parks and Freshwater Fisheries. The stocking strategy next year will include 15,000 blackwater trout and 30,000 pennask trout. White Lake is considered one of BC’s top recreational trout fisheries in terms of angler days.
WLRA has received funds from BC Parks, Salmon Arm Fish & Game Club and the Shuswap Flyfishers Club to carry out an invasive species project to reduce the effects of carp in the lake system. The WLRA will be needing volunteers from White Lake and the Salmon Arm Fish & Game Club to assist sometime in April.
White Lake Trails Committee- The WLRA looks forward to a formal agreement with the Shuswap Trail Alliance and BC Parks on establishing “volunteer trail steward maintenance assistance” in the planned Cedar Creek Interpretation Trail System. This project is delayed somewhat with the withdrawal of the Rural Dividend Fund, however once the plans are finalized, and as funds become available, the work will proceed.
Representatives from BC Parks regional office were on site with the WLRA at the end of November regarding the initiative to deactivate the forest service road which is just over a kilometre long. The road is currently covering approximately 15% of the total White Lake riparian zone. BC Parks is currently working with BC forestry officials in exploring the possible relocation of the FSR outside of the park boundaries. In addition to protecting White Lake water quality this will allow the BC Park planners to make improvements to the park area. The WLRA has requested the opportunity to be involved in this planning process and will be meeting with officials from the BC Parks Kamloops office sometime in mid January.
The WLRA Water Quality Committee reported at the last community meeting about the initiatives coming up in the spring regarding the resumption of the volunteer "secchi testing" and the on-going surface water documentation project. Secchi testing is a method to measure water clarity and the amount of siltation in the lake over time.
At the last community meeting the results of the late summer water test conducted at the west end of the lake and CSRD ground water testing were summarized as well.
The WLRA Forest Stewardship Committee is pleased that BC Timber Sales has improved the visuals on cut-block K76R by increasing the retention areas within this large cut-block. BC Timber Sales has indicated that clear cut logging was the chosen cutting method to combat root rot that has been identified as a possible regional hazard in the South White Lake cut blocks
To learn more and to get involved, please visit White Lake Residents Association website www.wlra.ca
Photo credit: courtesy White Lake Residents Association: Location of forest service road located in White Lake riparian zone