Milfoil treatment delayed

Photo: Contributed

Vaseux Lake in the South Okanagan.

Residents at Vaseux Lake have sought treatment for the growing concern of milfoil in the shallow lake near Oliver, but it may be a long time before action is taken.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board will be delaying any treatment so that a study can be done on the potential impact that disrupting the lake could have.

Regional District Okanagan Similkameen director Mark Pendergraft sat in on the OBWB meeting earlier this month, and relayed the news of the milfoil issue to RDOS directors.

"The residents on Vaseux Lake wanted treatment on the milfoil as soon as possible ... I was trying to give the two (RDOS) directors that border on Vaseux Lake the heads up."

He added that treatment "might not happen at all," when speaking during Thursday's board meeting.

James Littley, OBWB project manager, said in a report to directors last month that rototilling would be the best option for long-term treatment, which involves cutting the milfoil out from the bottom of the lake.

But Littley said that Vaseux Lake has never been rototilled in the past and it's unknown what toxins could be released from sediment in the lake if crews did so.

"While milfoil removal in Vaseux Lake will have benefits for shoreline recreational values and potential long-term water quality benefits, it also has the potential to create larger impacts to human health and fish, and could potentially have drastic impacts on the health of Osoyoos Lake downstream," Littley continued in his report. 

The RDOS acknowledged the issue of milfoil in Vaseux Lake during the summer, which is believed to be growing due to an increase in sedimentation.