The BC Lake Stewardship Society (BCLSS) has been awarded a one-time $75,000 provincial grant to support its lake monitoring program, which contributes to the effective environmental stewardship of B.C.'s water resources and ensures the collection of high-quality lake-monitoring data.

The BCLSS, with the support of the Ministry of Environment, has designed "The BC Lake Stewardship and Monitoring Program" to help educate the public on lake protection and provide communities with information on their local lakes. Program activities include water sampling, training, education and technical support.

Through regular water sampling, local communities can better understand a lake's current water quality, identify impacts of human activities and monitor water-quality changes resulting from land development within watersheds. The lake-monitoring program also can assist with early detection of invasive species, such as the American bullfrog and zebra mussel that threaten B.C.'s aquatic ecosystems.

The BCLSS has provided leadership on volunteer lake monitoring since 2003, has trained over 100 volunteer groups in proper lake-monitoring techniques and has completed 70 lake assessment reports. Through the training opportunities and information resources that the BCLSS provides, a strong volunteer-based water stewardship program has developed in B.C.

In its role as a provincewide resource for stewardship groups, the BCLSS helps British Columbians understand the effect of their actions on the environment and connect with their lake ecosystems and providing lake reports and informative newsletters. The BCLSS also provides information-sharing and networking opportunities at annual conferences and workshops and reader-friendly lake reports.

Quotes:

Terry Lake, Minister of Environment -

"Healthy water and watersheds are vital to B.C.'s economy and environment and thanks to partners like the BC Lake Stewardship Society, we are able to continue monitoring our lakes to ensure good water quality."

"This additional funding will ensure the continued success of the BC Lake Stewardship and Monitoring Program and supports the work of hundreds of lake volunteers."

Norm Zirnhelt, president, BC Lake Stewardship Society -

"We would like to thank the B.C. government for their continued commitment to the BC Lake Stewardship Society, which allows us to build on the successes to date of the BC Lake Stewardship and Monitoring Program. We rely heavily on volunteers and community-based involvement and through this funding we can provide more training to strengthen the volunteer stewardship sector in B.C. and allow us to increase the level of awareness around the value of volunteer lake monitoring and environmental stewardship."

Rick Nordin, vice-president, BC Lake Stewardship Society -

"This grant will provide support for core staff to continue the work of the BC Lake Stewardship society which represents more than 70 groups who share the goal of having clean, healthy lakes in our communities."

Quick Facts:

• The BCLSS formed in 1997 as a chapter of the North American Lake Management Society, and is a registered, non-profit society dedicated to the preservation and protection of B.C.'s lakes.

• In 2008, the B.C. Lake Stewardship Society was awarded $225,000 to extend the program for an additional three years.

• The BCLSS has 12 directors representing most geographical areas of B.C. on its board. The membership is made up of lakeshore residents, community groups, students, environmental professionals, volunteer stewardship groups and scientists, as well as members of government and industry.

• Currently the BCLSS membership includes over 60 lake stewardship groups representing over 6,000 people.

Learn More:

BC Newsroom - Ministry of Environment: http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/ministries/environment-1

B.C. Lake Stewardship Society: http://www.bclss.org/

Media Contact:

Communications
Ministry of Environment
250 387-9630