The most updated information is now available about Shuswap waterways and the safety of rivers and lakes.
The Shuswap Watershed Council (SWC) has released its 2022 water quality summary report, compiling water quality data and general information about the Shuswap watershed. This is the seventh SWC water quality report.
The report also explains water quality concerns in the region, including algal blooms and the threat of aquatic invasive mussels.
“We produce these reports annually so that people can learn about the watershed, its challenges, and how important it is to our economy and our Shuswap lifestyle,” said Jay Simpson, SWC chair, in a media release.
Provincial publications, including a recently published water quality assessment and objectives for Shuswap Lake and estimates of the economic impact of a zebra or quagga mussel infestation in B.C., are also featured in the SWC report.
“The threat of invasive mussels won’t ever go away,” said Erin Vieira, SWC program manager. The report stresses residents and visitors stop for watercraft inspections when entering B.C. and always clean, drain and dry boats and watercraft whenever moving them from one body of water to another.
Algal blooms, which have impacted Shuswap Lake near Salmon Arm and Tappen in recent years, are reported to be primarily caused by the inflow of nutrients from the Salmon River.
The full report can be found at shuswapwater.ca.
READ MORE: Shuswap watershed groups warn of economic impacts of invasive mussels
READ MORE:Results of invasive mussel report ‘deeply troubling’: Okanagan water board
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