23 Dec Meet Our Board: Greg Utzig
Greg Utzig has been a cornerstone of Friends of Kootenay Lake
Since its founding in 2012, Greg has brought decades of scientific expertise, deep regional knowledge, and unwavering commitment to FoKLSs and lake stewardship. A long-standing member of our Science Advisory Committee and a trusted facilitator of public education, Greg has played a key role in helping our community understand the complex landscapes, ecosystems, and inflows that sustain Kootenay Lake. Today, Greg continues to guide FoKLSS’s learning and outreach with a focus on the urgent need for informed, collective action to protect the lake’s future.
Hello Friends,
My participation on the Board of Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society extends back to its inception in 2012, but my involvement with Kootenay Lake stewardship goes back much further. It has been 5 decades since I first moved to the Kootenays and began to enjoy the wonders and beauty of Kootenay Lake – including bird watching, fishing, swimming, canoeing and kayaking. Although I spend time on the lake in the West Arm when I am in Nelson, my most intimate relationship with the lake is on the North Arm where my partner and I have a beachfront cabin in Johnsons Landing. Kayaking has allowed me to see the various moods of the lake, be it a multi-day trip from Johnsons Landing to Nelson, through the Creston Valley wetlands and the South Arm, or in the whirlpools of Grohman Narrows during the spring freshet.
Over the years I have also become familiar with the terrain, soils and ecosystems surrounding the lake. In the 1970s, I initiated the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification in the region, and then mapped terrain and soils in many of the watersheds that feed Kootenay Lake. Recognizing the importance of protecting the inflows to the lake also led to my participation in the Commission on Resources and Environment (CORE) process in the 1990s which resulted in expansions to the Purcell Conservancy, and Kokanee Glacier and Pilot Bay Parks, as well as the establishment of the West Arm, Goat Range and Lockhart Creek Parks around Kootenay Lake.
At present I am also a technical representative for the Upper Columbia Basin Environmental Collaborative (UCBEC) in the process of renewing the Columbia River Treaty. Since a significant portion of the inflows into Kootenay Lake are controlled by the Duncan and Libby dams affected by the Treaty, increased flexibility for Canadian dams could be used to benefit Kootenay Lake ecosystems. My recent summary of the historical changes to Kootenay Lake, including those connected to the dams can be found here: KL Chronology Report
I am also presently the Canadian public representative on the International Joint Commission (IJC) Kootenay Lake Board of Control (IKLBC) which oversees the 1938 Order that establishes the seasonal levels of Kootenay Lake. The current review of that Order is an important opportunity to make changes that could improve the aquatic and riparian ecosystems of Kootenay Lake.
My main interests today are related to understanding the ongoing and future impacts of climate disruption on the lake and its surrounding landscape – and convincing the public and governments that we need to stop making the situation worse.