Saving our lake

“It is a major concern,” says Karin Boyd, president, Lake Winnipeg Foundation. “The algae in the lake is coming much sooner each year, stays much longer and there is a lot more of the blue green algae and that is a real big concern because it is the blue green algae that is toxic.”

Since 2005, the Lake Winnipeg Foundation has worked diligently to raise awareness about the health of the lake while aiming to find solutions to address the environmental challenges it faces.

One of the largest problems contributing to the deteriorating health of the lake are nutrients and the biggest culprit is Phosphorus. According to the Lake Winnipeg Foundation, the amount of phosphorus flow entering the lake far outweighs the amount flowing out of the lake each year.

Much of the increase of nutrients in the lake can be attributed to sewage, runoff from fertilized fields and erosion. The end result is an increase in the amount of algae in the lake because Phosphorus is one of the main chemicals algae need to grow and survive.

“There have always been algae in the lake, but there is 500 percent more now than traditionally found naturally,” says Boyd. 

The problem with this–particularly in the case of the blue green algae blooms is their toxicity when consumed by humans and other vertebrates.

According to the Province, “Algae blooms can produce toxins that can be harmful to the liver or nervous system if large amounts of water are swallowed. Drinking water containing algae can also cause an upset stomach and diarrhea, and external exposure to algae blooms has been reported to cause skin irritation.”

And, according to the Lake Winnipeg Foundation website, when the blue green algae blooms die and decompose they also consume the oxygen in the water. This consumption of oxygen can cause other organisms in the water to suffocate and die, which can ultimately harm the lake’s natural wildlife.

“As the water quality decreases it’s also affecting some of the biodiversity in the lake starting with the smaller organisms,” explains Boyd. “They begin to be starved for oxygen and as we start to lose the lower order of organisms I image in that will eventually affect the fish. So the long term affects of this is very far reaching.”

In an effort to reduce the amount of nutrients like Phosphorus from entering the lake, the Lake Winnipeg Foundation focuses its efforts in two main areas–research and education. 

In terms of research, the Foundation funds a number of scientific projects including SHIM–Shoreline Habitat Inventory and Mapping. SHIM is a project that will allow the Lake Winnipeg Foundation to collect and analyze the physical and biological shoreline to help them get a scientific baseline of the lake.

“Scientists and technologists will go out and collect data on the physical biology of the shoreline and deep water line to about 40 to 50 meters past the high water line,” explains Boyd. “This information will then be put into documents that we can give to governments so they can then make policy decisions based on the information that is out there.”

In addition to providing funding for scientific research, the Lake Winnipeg Foundation also supports educational initiatives.

“The Lake Winnipeg Foundation will support any endeavour that restricts and reduces the Phosphorus in the water and promotes the reuse of Phosphorus for plant life,” says Boyd.

One of these initiatives is the Ecole St. Avila Down the Drain project. Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year this five year project was started with the idea to improve the grounds at Ecole St. Avila which were plagued by drainage problems.

Rather than utilizing traditional drainage methods which would see nutrient-laden runoff routed directly into Lake Winnipeg, the school engaged the staff, students and parents to come up with a more environmentally friendly option.

What they ended up creating was a bioretention system that utilizes bio swales, berms and dry creek beds to channel water into a rain garden where it is absorbed by Manitoba plants and grasses.

“It’s quite an interesting project,” says Boyd, adding that Down the Drain is a great way to both educate and get kids involved in maintaining the health of Lake Winnipeg.

The Lake Winnipeg Foundation is also hoping to increase awareness and interest in the lake through a number of special initiatives and events–the largest being the Walk for Water.

Last year participants in the annual walk-a-thon raised over $43,000 in funds for the Foundation and its efforts, this year they are hoping to raise even more money with the addition of the inaugural Golf Fore Water tournament which is set to take place on August 30th.

“And if people can’t walk, we encourage them to come up with their own fundraising events,” says Boyd, who fondly recalls one child who went door to door collecting pledges for a read-a-thon where all monies raised were donated to the Foundation.

Another interesting initiative is The Lake–a short film competition held in partnership with the Gimli Film Festival. Film makers are invited to create a five minute tribute to or history of the lake. Each film will be judged on cinematic quality and if it captures the essence of Lake Winnipeg–the top 10 films be screened at the film festival.

For more information on the Lake Winnipeg Foundation and its upcoming events visit www.lakewinnipegfoundation.org.

What You Can Do To Protect The Lake