Awarded to the Lake Windermere Ambassadors to lead critical conservation efforts through water monitoring and education in the Columbia Valley, addressing growing environmental and human pressures on Lake Windermere and its tributaries.
PROPONENT: Lake Windermere Ambassadors (LWA)
DESCRIPTION: Each year that Lake Windermere continues to grow in popularity as a tourism destination and experiences housing and commercial development around the shorelines, the risks of negative environmental impacts occurring to the water quality, and risks of disturbance to local fish and wildlife populations, increases significantly. Case studies demonstrate that lakes, rivers, and marine water bodies which undergo significant pollution events, algal blooms, or invasion by non-native species inevitably lose a significant amount of tourism/recreation revenue and suffer possibly irreversible environmental damages. Climate change is beginning to influence the hydrologic regimes in the Columbia Valley by causing hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters, all of which compounds human influences on water quality. It is imperative that we build on the baseline data of fish populations and continue to gather water quantity and quality data within the Columbia River Headwater Lakes as soon as possible to prevent damage and manage impacts to these critical ecosystems. Concerns currently facing Lake Windermere are increased development pressures on aquatic ecosystems, lack of understanding of native and non-native fish populations, and limited public access.
OBJECTIVE: This project will work towards ensuring that the lake remains a valuable natural resource for future generations. Through careful stewardship, this project not only protects biodiversity but also enhances the quality of life for Columbia Valley residents and visitors. Specific objectives are to: 1) Provide citizens and decision-makers with reliable, up-to-date data on Lake Windermere’s water quality and ecological health; 2) Develop a community ethic of stewardship and conservation within Lake Windermere watershed; and 3) Encourage science-based management support from local and regional governments.
PHOTOS: Lake Windermere Ambassadors
Watch this short video for an overview of this project.
