About Friends and our Community
Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake organized in 2004 to oppose the residential development proposed for the east end of Lac des Roches. The group is currently focused on lake water quality monitoring, environmental reporting and community communication. We encourage all residents and regular visitors to join our society and stay informed on the important issues that arise in our community. Watch our website for news and society updates.
From our Chairman, Barry Reid
I hope people don’t think that all Lois and I do is travel around looking out for environmental happenings in watersheds wherever we go, but I can’t help commenting on my recent trip to France for my son’s wedding. It was wonderful, but that’s not the story! Our new in-laws live in an old French farmhouse on the Blaise River near Saulnieres (about an hour west of Paris). The river runs at the bottom of their property, but when I asked why they didn’t have a canoe, their response was that no boats were allowed on the river because of its sensitivity, and, they were not even allowed to wade in it or fish while standing in the river. They do fly-fish along the banks, but must not enter the river to either fish or retrieve their catch! And we think our watershed regulations are tough! They have also been dealing with development pressures, as the entire area is full of colourful flint (silex) which the farmers are always ploughing up in their fields. A consortium of gravel producers wanted to open a huge operation to crush the flint for road construction, and it took years before they were able to convince the authorities that it was hardly logical to enforce rigid river regulations while allowing gravel operations to openly destroy the landscape all around! We are not alone! Enjoy our lakes and watershed this summer and may you always have a natural place for you and future generations. — Barry
What’s up with friends?
Speed reduction – The initiative to further reduce the speed on Little Lac des Roches has been tabled and may be revisited at a later date.
Level 1 testing – Our ice-off lake monitoring is underway by Barry Reid and Lois Motz (Little Lac des Roches), Gord and Wendy Marshall (Lac des Roches), Ralph Watson and Hiedi Ruegg (Birch Lake) and Sharron Woloshyn (Phinetta Lake). Data will once again be sent to the BC Lake Stewardship Society for analysis.
Level 2 testing – The Ministry of Environment will conduct more detailed water testing on Phinetta, Birch and Little Lac des Roches for the next three years. Adding this data to that already collect for Lac des Roches is part of the creation of a watershed plan for the region, a valuable tool should the area be considered for substantial residential development.
Sport fishing update – Steve Maricle, Ministry of Environment biologist and avid fisherman came and shared his knowledge of fish management in the entire Lac des Roches watershed with the public on April 18. It was apparent that some of the well-seasoned anglers out of the 34 people attending were surprised at some of the facts and implications water quality, spawning channels and hatchery fish stocking has on sport fishing success. A copy of Steve’s Powerpoint presentation will be posted on our website when it becomes available. Blank creel reports for recording fishing success will also soon be available on our website. The data from these reports is a key component to Steve’s analysis of the fish stocking program and regular fishers are encouraged to participate in recording their catch.
AGM time change – Our annual general meeting was moved from August to October to accommodate the few members from the lakes who normally attend. The time and location will be announced closer to the date of the event.
Membership duration proposal – To promote membership numbers and reduce administration efforts our annual $10 family membership fee will convert to a two year span effective October 2012, in effect, reducing our annual membership to $5. Our society does not foresee any significant monetary requirements in the near future and we can sustain our ongoing stewardship activities and website updates with less revenue from membership dues.
Access trails – The CRD had grant money available for groups interested in creating wheelchair accessibility to local recreational destinations. Our group sees a program like this as an opportunity to develop nature trails at the east end of Lac des Roches which would preserve the area for its wilderness and natural value instead of residential development. Since our area falls in the TNRD, we must pursue availability of funds from that regional district and will continue to do so. We have a proposal and design ready to submit should applications be solicited. Our like-minded group, Friends of Bridge Lake considered development of the Ice Cave trail and Centennial Park but did not receive approval for either. Our efforts will be focused on Lac des Roches and Birch Lake only.
Lake reports published – The BC Lake Stewardship Society has produced lake reports for both Birch and Phinetta lakes based on the monitoring data our volunteers submit every year. Although results are similar among the lakes in the watershed – and that is that our lakes are relatively healthy and full of nutrients to maintain a healthy sports fishing industry – we must be careful to avoid harming the environmental balance. Threats are too much new development, destruction of sensitive riparian buffer zones and careless disposal of harmful waste. We had some printed copies for distribution but encourage those interested to review the Level 1 BCLSMP reports on-line
Logging concerns – Salvage beetle-killed logging this winter into Birch Lake took its toll on the access road. Spring thaw and rain showers made the road impassable at times as the heavy equipment altered the road’s surface. The expectation is to have the contractor return with equipment to install necessary culverts and grade the rutted surface.
Highway improvements – The location of the MacDonald rest stop looking over the lake and towards pristine crown land is often credited as the reason Lac des Roches is called the most photographed lake in B.C. Businesses and other members of The Fishing Hwy Tourist Association will certainly benefit from maximum exposure during the summer tourist season with the new advertising billboard erected at the rest stop. It may be interesting to residents to know that this cooperative group is lobbying to have Highway 24 officially named “The Fishing Highway”.
Friends support other friends – The Friends of Bridge Lake is a like minded group to ours with several initiatives which need local support. The land exchange (swapping an undevelopable island on Bridge Lake for crown-owned waterfront land on the south shore which can be developed) is still pending and the society continues to request persons against this swap to write letters to various government ministries voicing their opinion. Their summer speaker series draws large crowds to the Bridge Lake Elementary School and is highly recommended and includes very interesting local topics.
Invasive weeds – This summer, the CRD will set up boat washing stations to show Cariboo lake users how they can mitigate the spread of invasive weeds which have been found in area lakes. While insufficient traffic did not warrant the assignment of a team to Lac des Roches or Birch Lake, there are very busy public and resort boat launches nearby on Bridge, Sheridan and Horse lakes that would benefit from the temporary teaching station. The key message is to clear the outside of boats and trailers of visible vegetation before moving to another lake. (www.cccipc.ca)
What’s up around the lakes?
Invasive plants – Thistles are one of the invasive species of plants that are a growing problem in the grassland around Lac des Roches but the CRD’s Invasive Plant Management team is going to help residents take control of the problem in June. Thanks to the efforts of several residents, affected property owners have been contacted and most have invited the team to assess and treat spot problems in the region. Initial application of herbicide is applied by the team free of charge to landowners and free support is available following that. It is up to each resident to contact the CRD team and provide a signed consent form which gives permission to the team to proceed with assessment and treatment and – with the help of a diagram – indicates where special caution must be exercised such as near a water well. Be sure to contact the CRD at 1-800-665-1636 for more information and to be included in the team’s property count.
Invasive fish – Officers from Clearwater and Kamloops with Fisheries and Oceans Canada were out checking frozen lakes in the Lac des Roches area earlier this year. There are several issues with the lakes and lake users – in both summer and winter – however a key concern is the widespread problem of aquatic invasive species (AIS). Several species of non-native and unwelcome fish have been introduced into the North Thompson watershed accidentally and/or intentionally. Native species often cannot compete with the AIS and are lost forever from traditional habitats. While there are many causes of AIS, transportation of live fish as bait is a known problem and is illegal. It is extremely costly to eradicate AIS from a lake once established but it is being done to contaminated lakes throughout the province to protect the fisheries industry. Salmon and salmon-bearing streams affected by invasive species from fresh water lakes will carry the problem to our oceans and potentially effect creatures in the entire aquatic food chain, from shell fish to whales, decimating the fishing industry. Additional information on the problem as well as pictures of the foreign species is at www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
Ice was nice – For those residents who don’t take advantage of our winter ice playground we enjoyed amazing lake ice at Lac des Roches this winter. Cold night temperatures and little snow in December resulted in clear ice 4 – 6″ deep over the entire surface of the lake. Skaters could go anywhere on the lake without catching an edge on a crack or bump. The ice was as clear as a pane of glass and fish could be seen underneath where the light penetrated to the shoals. Thousands of cracks just below the surface looked like expensive abstract artwork. Frost would form in the mornings and dotted the ice with thousands of clumps of white crystals that looked like large white butterflies resting. It lasted about a week until snow and temperatures altered the ice surface. Ice skating was possible through the winter but not without a lot of effort to clear the snow first. Other winter activities like skiing and sledding were more appropriate for the changing ice and snow conditions. A warming trend in late January allowed water seeping up through the cracks to thaw some of the snow making a layer of slush. Any mode of travel on the ice became unpleasant as the safe layer of 12 – 16″ of ice was covered with a layer of slush up to 6″ deep, topped with several inches of snow – just enough to hide the extent of the water hazard. If you could find a willing sledder, they could run their snowmobile through the slush in the daytime which would freeze at night and make a decent and dry walk path for the next day. When cold weather returned in February, the slush froze and we enjoyed an extra 6″ of ice. This helped the ice stay firm and thick right through to Easter when sledders, four-wheelers, skiers, walkers, kite flyers, fishers and even golfers all shared the icy playground. After Easter, several consecutive nights of above-zero temperatures took their toll. The ice melted rapidly from below and slush formed on the top. The melt was fairly rapid and a huge day long downpour in April literally pulverized the ice. With a little open water around the edges and some wind, the ice went out over two days on May 4 & 5, just days after Little Lac des Roches, Birch and Phinetta. Only a couple of exposed docks seem to have suffered some damage from the shifting ice crystals. Now the summer fun begins on the lake!
Stay informed – Just a reminder that our elected representative, Bruce Rattray of Bridge Lake communicates regularly with his constituents through his informative e-mails and comprehensive website. Development proposals, bylaw initiatives, regional district meeting topics, government changes and community news are just a sampling of what Bruce sends out in his regular e-mails. All residents with access to a computer are encouraged to get on Bruce’s distribution list.
Access denied – Here’s another reminder to our neighbours about keeping public accesses open all year round. Several of the lake accesses are used during the winter for snowmobilers to access nearby Crown Land trails. When boats or docks block access, there is a risk of damage by eager sledders or removal if complaints are made to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Worse still, the sledders – and there are dozens, if not hundreds of them some years – will find a way to those trails. If forced to, they will run through private property or along the public roads – neither an appropriate solution. Lake accesses are also used by residents and contractors to perform certain tasks that can only effectively be done on the ice such as falling and removing danger trees or repairing lakefront structures. All size of vehicles and structures are hauled up and down these paths, every month of the year. Last but certainly not least, the accesses are often the only feasible water source for non-waterfront residents and emergency pumper trucks responding to fire emergencies, especially during the ice-off or thin ice months. Please do not block public access to the lake at any time or season.
Birding excursions – Wendy Marshall has been leading the local bird watchers on Thursday morning outings this spring. Excursions are scheduled through to the end of June. Anyone may join this group to learn or simply enjoy the birds, the company and the beautiful locations. Call Wendy at 250-593-2327 for details
Post office closure – The upcoming June 19 closure of the Bridge Lake Post Office, located inside the Bridge Lake General Store, will have an effect on residents. The temporary relocation of post office boxes on the Bridge Lake Business Route road will accommodate letter and small package mail delivery service. Large parcel pickup will likely be at the new post office, rumoured to be located in the old Sheridan Lake Market. The next closest post office is located in Lone Butte. Permanently relocated rural mail boxes and the conversion to civic addresses are expected in about 2 years.
Critter watch – With no sightings through to the end of May, it was thought that all the badgers had left from the grassy slopes around the lake but that has changed! Three badgers have resumed residency on Boultbee Road and promise to keep the population of ground squirrels down. Lots of deer, both mule and white-tails have returned and are milling about the yards quite fearlessly. No live fawn sightings reported yet but the babies are expected to appear following the does soon. The coyotes are back but sightings of fox have been much rarer than last year. A herd of elk have taken up residency – after decades of absence – just west of Lac des Roches so keep your eyes open, you may be in for a nice surprise.
Smart meters – Smart meter installation for BC Hydro customers was started in the winter and completed in May. Meters will still be read manually, until the collection device is installed and fully functional.
Fishing success is no great secret – Residents and their guests to the lake have been experiencing some excellent rainbow trout fishing already this year. Several local fishing enthusiasts have provided fishing tips in previous publications and these are all still posted on our website. If you are keen to try your luck at hunting those elusive and tasty beauties, swimming on the shoals, be sure to peruse our previous newsletters at www.lacdesroches.org.
Benefits with Friends – You don’t have to be a member of Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake to benefit from the efforts this small group of like-minded people. In fact, non-members have influenced the outcome of several projects the group initiated. There are, however, many benefits of having a community organization and belonging to the group. The society is recognized as an entity that can actually do things that an individual cannot – such as initiate regulation changes. The contacts the society has established through their environmental concerns and continued stewardship role are well-networked among many levels of government and ensure the society is kept in the loop of activities that concern the area. “Friends” is often used as a resource of information for both the lakes and residents when individuals or groups don’t know who to call. Probably the most important service it provides as a community group is its executive member’s dedication to communicating and networking among all neighbours, important and critical information. While there is the tendency for those living and playing in the south Cariboo’s somewhat remote location to cherish their privacy, there are times when it just feels right to ensure everyone is in the loop on certain things. The cost of membership is proposed to be reduced for a number of reasons and that alone may be the incentive that encourages some neighbours to finally join or renew. With up-to-date contact information, the society is able to communicate news quickly and hopes that everyone – members in particular – will provide feedback on those items that come up for discussion at meetings, like those mentioned in this newsletter. You don’t have to be a “friend” to benefit from the society, but for all that membership offers – to both the society and each member – membership to Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake sure seems worthwhile.
Community contact and membership form
If we know how to contact you, we will keep you informed – quarterly and with urgent notices!
Download the membership form here.
Published by Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake, contact Sharron Woloshyn 250-593-0041