30 Jul New Funding from Unsmoke Canada to Grow Cleanup Program
Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society would like to acknowledge a boost in funding to the beach cleanup aspect of their shoreline restoration program thanks to a generous grant from Unsmoke Canada. Thanks to this funding, we can start planning the next phase of our program, which will include more lakebed cleanups.
FoKLSS conducts multiple volunteer-supported shoreline cleanups around Kootenay Lake annually. Over the next calendar year, we will increase the number of cleanups we host and endeavour to clean in more communities around the lake.
In 2020 we conducted our FIRST lakebed cleanup with the help of volunteer divers from the Kootenay Lake Sailing Association and West Kootenay Boating Association and it was a huge success! FoKLSS will continue these lakebed cleanups and other beach clean-ups at public water access points around Kootenay Lake.
In the spring, we hosted a socially-distanced cleanup at Kokanee Creek where volunteers filled bags of trash from the shoreline, and even dismantled and removed a large, beached dock in the area. FoKLSS also co-hosted an April cleanup contest along Kootenay Lake’s east shore with the Trails for Creston Valley Society and East Shore Freshwater Habitat Society. Volunteers were challenged to get out and clean popular water access points along the east shore and share photos to win prizes from local Creston business. This cleanup was also successful, with 14 different spots getting cleaned.
Now, with this additional funding, we are beginning to plan our summer and fall cleanups starting on July 31st with a lakebed and shoreline cleanup in Nelson at the Prestige Marina. This cleanup, in partnership with the Kootenay Lake Sailing Association and the West Kootenay Boating Association, once again involves divers scouring the bottom of the lake beneath the marina and collecting loads of garbage to be pulled to the surface. There will also be a cleanup on Thursday, August 12th from 6-8pm at the Lakeside Dog Walk in Nelson. We are calling on all members of the public to join us in cleaning this popular area! Gloves and bags will be provided to those who attend.
Come fall and the end of the busy tourist season, we will be scheduling more beach cleanups, including on the east shore. If you see any beaches or water access points that could use a cleanup, contact FoKLSS Program Manager, Camille LeBlanc, at info@friendsofkootenaylake.ca. Remember to pack out what you pack in and continue to work at keeping the shores of Kootenay Lake clean as you visit the lake this summer.