The residents of Solana Bay in Osoyoos are taking action to try and come up with a permanent solution to the sludge and pollution problems that have affected their quality of life.
Doug Irwin, who has owned a home on Solana Bay for the past 13 years, made a presentation to Town of Osoyoos council’s committee of the whole Tuesday morning, informing them about the establishment of the Solana Bay Restoration Initiative, which has been formed to try and address the numerous water quality issues affecting several property owners on Solana Bay.
Irwin told members of council he has been doing extensive homework relating to the problems associated with sludge and milfoil and has downloaded scientific reports about how to best reduce the problem, adding there are environmentally-friendly solutions that have worked in other lakes.
While town council doesn’t have jurisdiction over the water quality in Osoyoos Lake, Irwin said he and several neighbours are hoping members of council will show support as the newly-formed restoration committee will be approaching senior levels of government for assistance in the coming months.
“We’re here to request council’s assistance as we deal with applications we’ll be making to senior levels of government,” said Irwin. “If something isn’t done and done soon, there is going to be an environmental catastrophe.”
Almost 120 people have signed a petition voicing their concerns over water quality and the increasing problems of sludge and milfoil in Solana Bay, said Irwin.
Solana Bay has had problems with sludge and milfoil for the past decade, but the problem is worse than ever before and something has to be done about it, he said.
There used to be large amounts of beavers, muskrats, waterfowl and salmon who made their home in the waters of Solana Bay, but most of them have disappeared as the sludge has become so deep and thick, said Irwin.
“If something isn’t done, the entire bay is going to dry up, plain and simple,” he said. “And if that happens, every living creature in there is going to dry up and die as well.
“This is by far the worst it has been in my 13 years living here.”
Because this is a small bay with only one small entrance and exit point, a large amount of leaves, branches and animal feces is also collecting in the area, which only exacerbates the sludge problem, he said.
While the sludge and milfoil continues to grow, water levels in the bay continue to drop, he said.
The problem is so bad this summer that many boats can’t be lifted from the water and boat owners at nearby Paradise Point are mooring their boats out further and further into the bay, which is dampening the enjoyment of the lake for many Solana Bay residents, Irwin told council.
The deep sludge has quickly become a health and safety issue as well, as his wife recently waded into the water near his dock and quickly sunk into the thick sludge, he said.
“My wife walked in and couldn’t get out and I had to go in and get her out,” he said. “It’s like quicksand … there is going to be a drowning there.”
Mayor Stu Wells said he recently waded into the water near Solana Bay earlier this year and had the same kind of experience.
“I also got stuck in the mud,” said Wells. “It was very scary. If I didn’t have my boat to hang onto, I would have been in big trouble.”
Some of the options the restoration committee is currently looking at to try and reduce the sludge problem is dredging the bay after blocking off the area, piping sludge to shore and disposing of it and using a bio-degradable enzyme that “basically eats sludge”, which has proven successful in other lakes with similar problems, said Irwin.
“This third option is the most environmentally-friendly,” he said. “It’s been used in the United States and Quebec and involves using an aerator system under the water, which runs to piping on shore.”
One study he read confirmed more than four inches of sludge was removed from a bay in one month, said Irwin.
These aerators can run around-the-clock and not only reduce the amount of sludge, but also help oxygenate the lake and increase fish habitat, he said.
The cost estimates to use the bio-degradable enzyme and aerators is roughly $26,000 in the first year, “which is not a lot of money to save a pristine area of Osoyoos,” said Irwin.
The new committee will be holding discussions with provincial government agencies once it’s established to try and come up with a permanent solution to this problem and any assistance from town council would be greatly appreciated, he said.
Wells urged Irwin and his supporters to move forward with establishing the restoration initiative as quickly as possible as it will have much more clout with senior government agencies once it’s certified and recognized.
He also suggested they register as a business improvement area association, which would allow them to access government funding in the future.
Irwin promised to keep members of council informed about the restoration initiative and any further action they will be taking to reduce the sludge, milfoil and water quality problems in Solana Bay.
Wells wished him and his neighbours good luck.