Lake Louisa is our treasure. Here are some things you can do to help keep our lake healthy for our grandchildren.
Reduce Your Boat Waves
When driving your boat, take the time to occasionally look behind and think about the waves your boat is making.
Are your waves directly hitting the shoreline? Could it be that you are driving slowly and causing a large wake close to shore? Do you see the waves being created by your boat cause nearby floating rafts and docks to tilt back and forth?
If so, your boat waves are probably eroding the soft and fragile shorelines of Lake Louisa. When the shoreline is hit by large waves, earth and sediments are dislodged and dissolve into the lake water, allowing excess nutrients to be released. These excess dissolved nutrients in turn promotes the growth of algae.
Please modify your speed or choose an open part of the lake for your boating activities!
Try the Dishwasher Challenge
Because water drawn from the lake is soft water, many lake residents have successfully (and dramatically) reduced the amount of detergent they put into the dishwasher.
Try this: Cut up the dishwasher tab into 4 or 6 pieces (using a sharp knife and rolling-pin!) and try just using one smaller piece of detergent. You will see that your dishes still come out clean and sparkling! Your septic system thanks you!
Maintain the Protection Band at Your Shoreline
Please do your part to respect the municipal laws which prohibit all cutting or trimming of trees and vegetation in the first 10 or 15 metres of land at your shoreline. Please stop cutting your lawn or perhaps plant even more trees and vegetation at the lake’s edge.
To ensure the health of our lake, Lake Louisa needs all residents to maintain (and improve) the natural vegetation around their shorelines. Let the land go back to being wild!
The Night Sky is Beautiful; Do You Really Need That Exterior Lighting?
Do you have programmed exterior flood-lights? Do you have security lighting?
Scientific studies are increasingly demonstrating that landscape and security lighting has many negative effects on our lake and forest environments (from frogs to moths, insects to mammals). A dark, starry night is what?s natural!
Can you eliminate or reduce your exterior lighting? Can you replace flood lighting with down-cast lighting to reduce excessive light and glare to your neighbours?
All Types of Boats Need to be Pre-Washed
The single largest threat which faces our lake is the very real possibility that an aquatic invasive species will be introduced into our waters. If this happens, everything will change.
It is for this reason that the LLPOA asks that you always insist that all boats being brought by friends, acquaintances and cottage renters be pre-washed at our local municipal boat washing stations.
And remember: EVERY BOAT NEEDS PRE-WASHING – even non-motorized boats such as canoes, kayaks, sailboats and pedalos need pre-washing. This even includes all water-toys such as pulling tubes. The stakes are very high: Many lakes and river systems near us are already invaded, and new lakes are being infected every year.
Please insist that all boats be pre-washed. Once infected, we cannot go back.
Get Intimate Again with Lake Louisa!
When is the last time you took out your canoe, sailboat or Pedalo? How about a longer-distance swim with a spotter to help challenge your cardio? Maybe a slow kayak trip around some islands or a pretty shallow bay? Is your wind-surfer lonely?
After all, we’re all here because of the health and cleanliness of Lake Louisa’s water. So why not enjoy the beautiful water of Lake Louisa every way you can?