17 May A Successful Spring Cleaning of Kootenay Lake’s East Shore!
From April 1st to 30th, Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society organized a beach cleanup initiative in partnership with the Trails for Creston Valley Society (TCVS) and the East Shore Freshwater Habitat Society (ESFHS). We called for all hands on deck to address the growing issue of garbage pollution on the East Shore of Kootenay Lake after TCVS approached FoKLSS in early-March with the idea to clean access points on Kootenay Lake’s East Shore!
Wes & Jan Brooks’ photo submission
Throughout the month, volunteers in the Kootenay Lake area responded by cleaning 14 different popular sites along the East Shore of Kootenay Lake!
The garbage collected by volunteers included polystyrene foam, tires, lots of plastic and cans, and more. Also of note was the large amount of dangerous scrap metal the Kootenay Lake shoreline seemed to be populated with.
Debby Johnson, Lake Access Committee Lead Person for Trails for Creston Valley Society, noted several things from this cleanup:
- Residents in the Kootenay Lake area are keen to help keep Kootenay Lake’s shoreline clean
- There are some very considerate neighbours who clean certain sites throughout the year
- It was great to see coordination between multiple organizations and community members
- There was a concerning amount of scrap metal on the beaches
We want to thank Black Bear Books, Summit Cycles, Modern Alchemy, Back to Nature Apparel, Morris Flowers, Tigz Tea and Buffalo Trails for donating prizes.
The winners of the contest were Russel & Sandi Agar, Fern Sabo, Angus Glass, Julia Kinder, Diana Ducs, Wes & Jan Brooks, Kimberley Hyatt and Carmen Marquis! Congratulations, and thank you to everyone for participating!
The Marquis family’s photo submission
We would also like to thank our beach cleanup initiative sponsors: Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program, BC Parks, Regional District Central Kootenay Area A and Columbia Basin Trust.
Debby made some important insights at the end of this year’s event, reminding us that the shores of Kootenay Lake will not clean themselves after tourists visit them. It is up to us, members of the public, to ensure it stays litter-free for the safety of people and wildlife.
With the increasing number of visitors to the Kootenay Lake area, it is important that we continue cleanup efforts to help keep the shoreline safe for both people and wildlife. Remember to pack out what you pack in and continue to work at keeping the shores of Kootenay Lake clean!
Fern Sabo’s photo submission