Preserving Our Lake
Chestermere Lake is the City’s greatest asset.
Managing, monitoring, and preserving the quality of the lake is a shared responsibility between the City of Chestermere, the Western Irrigation District (WID), Rocky View County (RVC), and other various municipal and provincial governing agencies upstream and downstream of the lake.
The City of Chestermere has a dedicated subcommittee, the Chestermere Lake and Watershed Advisory Committee, that is tasked with identifying threats to the ecosystem and with developing and executing plans to monitor and manage factors that influence the long-term sustainability of Chestermere Lake and the surrounding watershed.
The Chestermere Lakefront Owners Association has worked in collaboration with all levels of government and stakeholders over the years, and are considered an important resource for monitoring the changing water and lakebed conditions of their lakeside yards. CLFOA is especially vital to the Lake and Watershed Advisory Committee, and the organizations work closely together to align goals and initiatives designed to protect and improve the lake’s ecosystem with the common goal to be stewards of the lake in order to preserve its recreational and fresh water value for generations to come.
Currently, the CLFOA Board is working in collaboration with the City of Chestermere and governing agencies on these initiatives:
- The infestation and removal of flowering rush.
- Prevention of quagga and zebra mussels from entering the lake.
- General education on the threat of invasive species.
- The cutting of weeds and managing lake weeds that float into lakeside/dock areas.
- Lake water Quality.
- City developments and re-zoning.
- City bylaw changes.
- Lake dredging plans.
Lake Weeds in Chestermere Lake
Over several decades the problem of lake weeds has worsened with the accumulation of sediments that used to flow into the lake from Calgary via the south canal. One consequence of years of sediment deposit means the lake has become much shallower than it used to be (35 feet of depth has become 11 feet in some areas). This allows the weeds to receive a lot more sunlight than they used to and they can grow right to and across the water’s surface in many areas. Since the Shepard Wetlands have been completed, there should be a significant reduction in sediment deposition in Chestermere Lake, and recovering some of the lost depth might now be possible. >> Read More
Current Invasive Species in Chestermere Lake
Flowering Rush is a weed that has already been found in Chestermere Lake. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development says that it can quickly “form dense stands which may interfere with recreational lake use. Flowering rush may also crowd out native plants and in turn harm fish and wildlife.”
This plant can spread by seed, small bulbs that break off when the plant is disturbed, any root fragments that break off when the plant is pulled out and by rhizomes.
What to do: If you believe you have found Flowering Rush, do not disturb the plants. Call the Chestermere Parks Department at 403-207-2807.
More Information: To learn about other Invasive Species in our lake please review the Chestermere Aquatic Invasive Species Watch List by clicking below.
