In the Press: Vaseux Lake Milfoil

Excerpt from an article published by the Oliver Chronicle’s, Dan Walton, on September 15th, 2016….

Milfoil’s unfavourable effects have been most evident in Vaseux Lake, but it’s also present in other South Okanagan lakes including Skaha, Okanagan, Osoyoos and even Tucelnuit Lake in Oliver. But unlike Vaseux, the other lakes were all included under the jurisdiction of the Okanagan Basin Water Board, which monitors and treats excessive levels of milfoil.

Because Vaseux is in the middle of all those lakes, resident Norm Gaumont couldn’t rationalize why it’s not on the water board’s list of lakes.

“It’s such a small, shallow lake, milfoil is much more detrimental to it. And the temperature of water increased because milfoil stops circulation.”

“I’m really glad that Mr. Gaumont brought it to my attention,” said RDOS Area C director Terry Schafer in an email. “It’s incredible how much of the stuff the Sundial Road residents have had to deal with. It’s not good for them, it’s not good for the fish, not good for swimming or canoeing, not good for our tourism image and definitely not good for firetruck suction pumps, should they need to ever to be employed in an emergency.”

In response to a recommendation from the community, Schafer said he urged the RDOS to request Vaseux be added to the list of treated lakes.

Read the rest of the article here.