Our Sunfish Lake Cyanobacteria Water Monitoring program has commenced again already this year with Jill Crumb from Treefrog Environmental as we try to ensure the safety of people using the lake now that the ice has melted. Given the COVID-19 pandemic we have had to modify our testing procedures and work by individuals in kayaks rather than a team in larger boats. We are pleased to announce that the first tests show the lake to be in good health with no present concerns. Our Water Team (Nancy, Rob, Bob, Jessica, Deb, myself) are also pleased to say that due to underspending last year and running a modified pandemic program this year, we don’t think that we are going to have to raise any additional funds through the water testing/research surcharge that we have all paid into the past few years.
We will have to see how the year unfolds though. Given the pandemic, more people around the lake, and less people travelling or vacationing elsewhere we anticipate that it is going to be a busy year for swimming, boating, and recreation. We will need to do everything possible to limit phosphorus, nitrogen, and other nutrients and work to ensure the lake is in the best possible health or we will likely face the water quality, algae, and cyanobacteria issues that so many other lakes are increasingly dealing with.
