We must always be vigilant and protect our lake against invasive species.
2018 – Aquatic Plant Report
Lake Louisa health report
It appears that Lake Louisa is still free of Eurasian Milfoil this summer.
Good news!
But this doesn’t by any means signify that vigilance should be relaxed! It is very important that everyone learns to identify the plant and report any finding of it. When an invasion is spotted early enough, it can be halted.
Look for it in shallow bays or shoals, between 0 and 15 feet deep. Mostly around the 4 to 10 feet range.
The lake is very rich with aquatic plants (non-invasive), and this is good. There is an amazing variety, dominated by the pondweed family.
As for algae blooms (algae and aquatic plants are 2 things! Algae is mostly microscopic): they are ALWAYS the result of an overabundance of nutrients in the water. And this overabundance is very often the result of human activity. (Inadequate septic installations, devegetalization of shores (allowing nutrient-rich run-offs after rains), boats producing big waves in shallow water (this stirs-up sediment and puts back in the water column nutrients that were ‘’buried’’ in sediments).
Also, for the same reasons, potted decorative flowers or plants should not be present on docks or shore. The nutrients and fertilizers in the soil will get in the water with rain and directly feed algae.
In one summer, according to one of our biologist friends, a big potted plant can leak out the equivalent of the nutrients contained in 100 gallons of raw sewage water!
No need to embellish the lake: you chose to live there because it was already beautiful! Leave it to nature, she knows best.
Have a wonderful end of summer; this one was gorgeous!
Learn to identify aquatic flora and stay alert!
Jean-Louis Courteau
CIEL (Centre d’Interprétation des Eaux Laurentiennes)
47 rue de l’Église
Lac-des-Seize-Iles, Qc.
J0T2M0
centreleciel@gmail.com
Eurasian Milfoil
One threat that has been seen in other Quebec lakes is the Eurasian Milfoil, an aquatic plant.
Many thanks to Karl Wockner for putting together this video presentation on Eurasian Milfoil, and how to protect Lake Louisa, in 2015.
Seaplane and Boat Contamination
We asked the biologist, Vanessa Nadeau, who ran the shoreline mapping project for the LLPOA in the summer of 2017, how we can minimize the chance of seaplanes bringing invasive species into the lake. She suggested the link to the video below.
The video is quite informative not only for pilots, but also for boat owners, as it illustrates clearly the damage some of these species can create, and how easily the transference can happen between bodies of water on a boat or a plane. As you know, Eurasian Milfoil is the one we are most concerned about, and it is prominently featured in this video.
And as always, remember that we can protect our lake from invasive species by making sure that all watercraft, motorized or paddle, are washed before entering the lake.