During the summer of 2016, the District of Lakeland #521 and its Environmental Advisory Committee partnered with the North Saskatchewan River Basin Council (NSRBC) to deliver the Love Your Lake program on Anglin, Christopher and Emma Lakes.
The Love Your Lake program was developed by Watersheds Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation and is a shoreline evaluation and stewardship program to help lake communities across Canada protect and restore shorelines for healthier lakes. Students employed by NSRBC and trained in shoreline assessment travelled around the lakes viewing the properties and shorelines. Members of the Environmental Advisory volunteered their time and supplied boats and fuel to do the assessments. The assessments of the shoreline involved taking photos and recording observations of; a shoreline classification, notation on any structural development, terrestrial and aquatic habitat, presence of vegetation or areas where it has been removed or inhibited and type and degree of any erosion.
All the information gathered on individual property assessments was protected and only shared with those property owners who applied for their assessments. The recommendations found in each of the personalized property report contain helpful tips on actions you can take to improve the health of your shoreline.
A natural and healthy shoreline provides habitat for fish and wildlife, it supports the soil and reduces or stops erosion and it acts as a filter for potential pollutants entering the lake.
EAC will be looking at repeating this program in the future.