Letter to Council, Letter from Council

MEGI sent the following letter to the mayor and council of the Resort Village of Manitou Beach on August 6th, 2008:

Dear Council Member;

Further to your letter dated February 21st, 2008, where you state, “ At this point there is nothing to report for the lagoon expansion as it is in the early stages of development”.

Our organization understands that there is a lagoon expansion time frame already established in order to comply with Saskatchewan Government regulations. So our question remains, what is the specific time frame that you must comply with, in order to keep the village lagoon within government regulations? Even if council is in the early stages of development with the lagoon plans we would like a report of what the plan is. Surely some decisions have been made by now. Our interest in this issue stems from our mandate to maintain and monitor the long- term ecological viability of Little Manitou Lake.

Please respond at your earliest convenience. We do look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Manitou Environmental Group Incorporated Board

MEGI received this response to our letter on August 21st, after their most recent meeting:

Aug 21, 2008

Re: Letter dated August 6th, 2008 - Lagoon expansion

The following statements are for your information as requested.

The 2007 Audited Statements show that $224,250.00 was kept for future
development, part of which was for the lagoon expansion. The 2008 Approved Budget contains $60,000.00 that will be spent on Engineering costs for the lagoon design and assessment requirements. The approved Five Year Capital Works Plan that is submitted to the Sask. Municipal
Board along with the Annual Budget, by accordance to the Municipalities Act, shows the $60,000.00 for the Lagoon expansion in 2008 and
$350,000.00 planned for 2009.

At the Villages request Catterall & Wright submitted a letter of upgrade recommendations and cost estimate in April 2008.

The following motion was passed at the May 7th, 2008 Regular Meeting of Council:

“119/2008 Davies That a PO be issued to Catteral & Wright to cover future engineering commitment on lagoon initial upset limit $50,000.

CARRIED”

The purchase order was sent to Catteral and Wright on May 20th, 2008.

A planning meeting was held June 6th, 2008 in which Bill Wright from Catterall & Wright explained the details of the lagoon design and fielded any questions and concerns Council members had.

An agreement provided by Catterall & Wright for Geotechnical service was signed on July 16th, 2008 with Machibroda Engineering Ltd. to perform Geotechnical tests required for the design and construction.

In August of 2008 Machibroda site inspectors reviewed the area and made arrangements with Keith Polley to ready the site for their investigation early fall.

Sask. Environment, Sask. Government Community Planning are kept up to date with our plans and are fully aware of the steps taken by the Village in this project. Every possible grant that can be applied for is being undertaken as well.

Any inquiries by the public are addressed when requested and it is the Village Administrations position that the majority of the population whether it be seasonal or permanent residents are fully aware that the lagoon expansion is in the works and that the project estimated timeline is to be finished completely by October 2009. (You can read about the Lagoon Expansion in the web site as well).

Any correspondence, contracts, purchase orders or minutes pertaining to this matter or any other is available for inspection by the general public. Please don’t hesitate to contact the office if you have any other questions or are interested in any further information.

Bobbi Crittenden
Administrator

Resort Village of Manitou Beach Lagoon Expansion

In case you missed it, the Resort Village of Manitou Beach posted this notice in The Watrous Manitou newspaper August 25th 2008 issue on page 3:

Resort Village of Manitou Beach

Lagoon Expansion

The Resort Village of Manitou Beach council is continuing with the Lagoon Expansion Project that has been in the works since 2007 in which reserve funds were set aside and budgetary and infrastructure planning commenced.

Engineering conceptual plans and design have been ongoing since January of 2008 and geotechnical site assessment was done this summer for test drilling to be completed this season.

Currently the Long Lake REDA staff and Catteral & Wright Engineering are assisting the Village Administration and council in applying for the Building Canada Fund Grant in hope to alleviate the costs of the project on the village.

The new sewage management system is of high priority to the resort village’s community planning and development strategy with regard to environmental and economic sustainability.

Comments from our mayor

Warning: This blog post contains language that some readers might find offensive. Don't blame us, I am simply quoting our duly elected mayor, Ken Dalgleish here. As I politely explained to the mayor at the time of our discussion dated August 18th, 2008, he was not only speaking to me personally, he is addressing the members of Manitou Environmental Group Inc. and all of the ratepayers here at the Resort Village of Manitou Beach.

Michael Gaudet.


The board has a meeting this evening and the issue of a public meeeting around the lagoon issue is on the agenda.

I ran into Ken Dalgleish yesterday at the mail boxes here at the beach (he was busy measuring them for some reason) and politely asked him if we could count on his support to put a good word in to Council about hosting a public forum to discuss the sewage lagoons. He said "it has nothing to do with me" and then said "there will not be a public meeting". I asked him why not and he just said "F**k you!". I was a bit surprised at how he reacted. I asked why, as our elected mayor, he was saying the project had nothing to do with him. To which he replied "F**k you!". I then suggested to him that he wasn't simply talking to an individual, he was speaking to a larger group of concerned citizens, both members of MEGI and all of the rate-payers. I was very calm, knowing that this group has facts on it's side in this discussion. He replied "You heard what I said. F**k you!" So I just walked away, shaking my head.

Anyway, doesn't sound too promising that the present mayor is willing to come clean with the Resort Village's plans (or lack thereof) regarding the sewage lagoon upgrade/expansion through a public discussion. Which leads one to ponder...why all the secrecy? What have they got to hide? If there actually is a plan in place, why are they not eager, excited and proud to share it with the rate-payers?

Petition for Public Forum?

Hello MEGI members and friends.

A request was made to Bobbi Crittenden, administer of Resort Village of Manitou Beach, for the Village to hold an open public forum to discuss what plans, if any. are in the works to expand and/or upgrade the Village sewage lagoons. Here is the response from Ms. Crittenden to the request.

Attached is Sec 129 of the Municipalities Act regarding the process to have a public Meeting.

You have two options, one, you can write a letter to council for their August 20th meeting requesting that they hold a public meeting, you cannot dictate the time or place due to requirements that must be followed for a public meeting to be held (advertising time etc.).0r number two get the petition together as stated in the attachment.

Bobbi Crittenden
Administrator
Resort Village of Manitou Beach
Box 1 RR#1 Watrous SK S0K 4T0
(306) 946-2831 phone
(306) 946-2017 fax
manbe@sasktel.net
www.manitoubeach.ca

Page 78

cm-36.1

Municipalities Act

Public meeting

129(1) The mayor or reeve, when authorized by resolution of the council, may call a public meeting of the voters for the discussion of any municipal matter.

(2) The mayor or reeve shall call a public meeting to be held within 30 days after the receipt by the council of a petition requesting that a public meeting for the discussion of a municipal matter be held, if the petition is signed by:

(a) in the case of a resort village, 8% of the voters; or

(b) in the case of a municipality other than a resort village, the greater of 20 voters or the number of voters equal to 5% of the population of the municipality.

(3) The administrator shall determine the sufficiency of the petition and that determination is final.

(4) The council shall give public notice of the meeting.

(5) If a public meeting is held pursuant to subsection (2), the council may refuse to receive any further petition on the same or a similar subject filed within one year after the date of the public meeting.

2005, c.M-36.1, s.129.

Is a petition in order?
Thoughts?

Publishing a comment

The comment moderation on this blog allows for anyone to post. We have decided as a board to post any comment that is signed by the writer. Sorry, no anonymous posts will be published. However, if you wish to include your contact information with your comment while requesting that your post remain anonymous, we will honor your request. Look forward to hearing from you!

Meeting with Environmental Project Officer Gary Papic

MEGI invited our local Environmental Project Officer Gary Papic to a meeting with the BoD and he agreed. We met on Wednesday August 6th, 2008 to discuss our concerns around the existing sewage treatment lagoons at the Resort Village of Manitou Beach (RVMB) and what, if any, plans are in the works to upgrade the facilities.

After sampling effluent discharge and discovering the elevated levels of bacterial strain, MEGI cleared away the hearsay and rumors and established that the lagoons are NOT performing adequately at peak periods. (Please see blog post dated July 24th "Sewage Lagoon Run-off Analysis & Interpretation")

The reason the group felt it was important to meet with Gary Papic at this time is because we have asked the RVMB to explain what, if any, plans are in place to address this issue and our questions have been met with little or no meaningful response.

It is our position that the general public and the rate-payers in particular have an interest in understanding what steps are being taken to deal with the sewage lagoons, as they are at the present over-flowing and discharging high bacterial counts directly into the waters of Little Manitou Lake. As a Board we have established a policy of “ZERO TOLERANCE” for potentially harmful inputs into the lake, as it is a “closed basin system”. What goes in the lake stays in the lake, except through evaporation. We wish to raise public awareness around this issue so that the administration of the RVMB understands clearly that the health of this fragile ecosystem must be a number one priority for them in any plans they make for future sewage lagoon upgrades or expansions.

Our conversation with Gary Papic was very productive and informative. To summarize:

The RVMB has engaged the services of a certified, professional engineering firm to drill core samples to establish the most preferable location for a proposed lagoon expansion. The preference will be given to a site that features a clay layer, as clay acts as a natural barrier that effectively seals effluent in place as it is treated by whatever means is put in place.

There are two types of sewage treatment: 1) aerobic , depth of about 5 feet, uses oxygen, does not smell bad, and 2) anaerobic, depth of between 12 to 15 feet, without oxygen, is ‘stinky’ treatment.

Sask Environment is encouraging communities that are experiencing growth to upgrade to the aerobic with oxygen, the aerobic system said to be ‘fauculative’.

Mr. Papic said that there is professional engineering consultation to the project at this time and that there is an opportunity for input from the stakeholders ie: the ratepayers at RVMB and other interested parties. The first phase of the consultation involves extraction of core samples out of the ground to find the most ideal location for the lagoon upgrade. The lagoons must be lined with a layer of about 8-12 inches thickness of clay. A naturally-occurring clay bed would be an ideal location to excavate the lagoon upgrade. It will be quite expensive to bring clay in to a site to physically line the lagoon with a layer.

The optimum choice to mitigate possibly harmful inputs into the Little Manitou closed basin system would be a “aerobic total evaporation pond with clay liner, pond no deeper than 5 feet and located outside of the watershed into the closed basin”.

According to Mr. Papic, “The treatment process (at Resort Village of Manitou Beach at this time) is marginal. It needs work.”

One of the triggers that motivates serious consideration for sewage lagoon and other upgrades is the fact that when there is any application for expansion (eg: home and/or commercial construction and the infrastructure upgrades that must be implemented prior to any such expansion) to government the application involves Sask Power, Sask Energy, Sask Environment and other agencies. The present infrastructure is incapable of supporting any further expansion so there is a stop work order from the agencies until such a time that any required improvements/upgrades are made.

Any response or clarification of a definite time-frame for the sewage lagoon upgrade/expansion from the administration of the Resort Village of Manitou Beach to the stakeholders through a public notice would be welcome and appreciated. At this time, this group is looking for tangible assurances from the Village that they are working within a certain time-frame to deal with this important issue.

In addition, this group is prepared to issue an update on our most recent sewage effluent run-off sample test results collected July 30th, 2008 as supplied by the Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory Environmental Services through Saskatchewan Health. Samples were taken at the convergence of the effluent with the lake water and also at about 50 feet off-shore at the same location. The results are respectively for Fecal Streptococci: 250 organisms per 100 ml of lake water, 80 organisms per 100 ml of lake water. The results are respectively for Total Coliform 34, 500 organisms per 100 ml of lake water, 10 organisms per 100 mls of lake water. The results respectively for E Coli are 31 organisms per 100 mls of lake water, <10 organisms per 100 ml of lake water.

According to Phillip Bailey, Director of Environmental Services with the Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory, the public is advised to avoid swimming at or near the place where the sewage lagoon effluent mixes with the lake water. However, the lake water is diluting the bacterial organism counts down to negligible counts 50' away from the discharge area. The sample taken 50' away from the discharge area demonstrates that the water is of typical lake-water quality and of little or no concern.

This group maintains that the waters of Little Manitou Lake are a precious resource and must not be contaminated with any amount of sewage lagoon effluent and that an alternative as outlined above would be a more ecologically prudent course of action for any lagoon expansion/upgrade.

Healing Waters of Little Manitou Lake

The Resort Village of Manitou Beach typically hosts about 125,000 visitors per year and that number is growing. People come from all over the world to enjoy the 'Healing Waters' that this unique lake has to offer.





The super-buoyant waters of Little Manitou Lake hold swimmers in perfect suspension so that they experience the amazing sensation of weightlessness. Not only is this very beneficial for easing away aches and pains from muscles and joints, the minerals held in suspension also have been said to benefit those who suffer from arthritis and various skin problems. Many people actually harvest the minerals and oils to use them as the medicinal ingredients in a variety of salves, soaps, bath salts and mud-packs.

More Sewage Lagoon run-off testing

On July 30th, 2008 MEGI directors Fraser Murray and Michael Gaudet went out to the spot where the Resort Village of Manitou Beach's sewage lagoon discharge mixes with the lake water to take a water sample. After this, they took another sample about 50 feet off-shore.



These two samples were packed on ice and sent by STC bus to the Provincial Disease Control Laboratory on the following day. The results and interpretation of these tests will be published as soon as they are available so stay posted.

It is our hope that the bacterial counts observed from our first test will be much lower once the discharge hits the water and is diluted. The PH levels in the lake ought to act to kill off the bacteria as well. In any event, this group has established a "ZERO TOLERANCE" policy towards any potentially harmful inputs into Little Manitou Lake, as outlined in our Mandate and Mission Statement.

Sewage Lagoon Run-off Analysis & Interpretation

Manitou Environmental Group Inc. received the following letter from Phil Bailey, Director of Environmental Services, Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory. In this letter the laboratory analysis of the water sample taken from the sewage lagoon run-off just west of Camp Easter Seal were interpreted by Mr. Bailey.

"The values of total coliform and e.coli bacteria counts measured in the
sample taken from the ravine connecting the lagoon to Little Manitou Lake
(Invoice 1017013) are what might be found for run off from a sewage lagoon discharge source. Without being familiar with the location from which the sample was taken, it would be expected that the bacteria levels would undergo substantial reduction after dilution into the lake. The very high mineral levels in Little Manitou Lake will further act to inhibit the growth and survival of these bacteria, as will pH values above 7.

The attached Surface Water Quality Objectives document produced by
Saskatchewan Environment is available at
http://www.saskh2o.ca/WaterInformationFactSheet_Surface.asp
and includes information on the surface water quality objectives for the
protection of aquatic life, recreation and agricultural uses.


The Environmental Protection Officer responsible for the region should be

consulted for further information on surface water standards for fecal
streptoccoci, coliforms and e.coli. A list of EPO officers is available at
the following address, I would guess that Little Manitou Lake would be under the Watrous jurisdiction.

http://www.saskh2o.ca/DWBinder/EPB230AContactList.pdf

In order to gain a more complete understanding of the water quality in the
lake it is recommended to carry out a study at several locations in the lake over an extended time period to determine seasonal and environmental effects.

Regards,"

Phil Bailey,
Director, Environmental Services,
Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory,
3211 Albert Street,
Regina, SK, S4S 5W6
Tel: (306) 787-3140
Fax: (306) 798-0046
E:mail pbailey@health.gov.sk.ca


Further notes:

Manitou Environmental Group Inc.has taken a sample of sewage lagoon runoff and has received test results back from the Ministry of Health SK Disease Control Laboratory. Phil Bailey, Director of Environmental Services, Saskatchewan Disease Control Laboratory explained the meaning of the test results.

Mr. Bailey says that the average effluent runoff (from 5000 sewage lagoons in SK) is 200-300 organisms and possibly as high as 1000 of fecal strepococci per 100 mls of discharge. The fecal strepococci count found in the sewage lagoon run-off at Village of Manitou Beach is 3000 organisms per 100 mls of discharge.

The average as per above for total coliform, another bacterial strain is upper level 1000 per 100 mls of discharge. Village of Manitou Beach is 275, 500 organisms per 100 mls of discharge.

You can see how much water is flowing when you watch the video that shows Fraser Murray and James Alcock taking the sewage runoff sample on the blog post (below) called "Manitou Beach Lagoon Runoff Sample"

Mr. Bailey emphasized that there is a high probability that the effluent will be diluted by the body of water. He also advised us that these are unusually high readings. Mr. Bailey said that the sewage lagoons at the Village of Manitou Beach rank in the upper 1 percentile of bacterial count. These statements by Mr. Bailey lead us to believe that the existing sewage treatment lagoons with the current flow of material are inadequate to lower the bacterial counts prior to the discharge being released into Little Manitou Lake.

This group feels that Little Manitou Lake is a precious resource and that it is important to build a concensus in the community around protecting it for future generations so they will enjoy the benefits of the "Healing Waters" as we do today.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Manitou Environmental Group Inc.

Manitou Beach Lagoon Run-off Sample

On Wednesday July 09, 2008, Fraser Murray, James Alcock and Michael Gaudet drove out to the west side of the Manitou Beach lagoon with the intention of taking a water sample if there was any noticeable run-off. Not only was it noticeable, it was a rushing stream. We were a bit shocked to see how much water was flowing out of the lagoon and down a ravine into the lake. We observed that there was a culvert installed at some point this spring/summer and that the water was rushing through and then onward down hill directly into the lake. We documented the extraction of the water sample by Fraser Murray, life-long resident of Manitou Beach and Director of Manitou Environmental Group Inc. James Alcock, who lives and farms about 10 kms southeast of Manitou Beach, accompanied us as a material witness to the fact.



The sample was sent (packed on ice) by courier to the Disease Control Laboratory of the Provincial Laboratory of the Ministry of Health in Regina the following morning and now we await the results. We are testing for fecal E-Coli and a couple of other pathogens. Now we have our fingers crossed hoping that he results will be negative and that we can all breathe a sigh of relief. In any event, we will certainly make our findings known to the public by publishing the official results (and the analysis of the results) both on this blog and in the Watrous Manitou newspaper.

MEGI AGM 08 goes without a hitch

The Manitou Environmental Group's 2008 Annual General Meeting went really well. It was a beautiful early summer day for the meeting and we enjoyed the commanding view of Little Manitou Lake from our vantage point in the Banquet Room "Above the Diner". Thanks to our hosts Kevin and Marg Harcourt for their generous donation of the space.

We read our amended by-laws and they were passed without opposition. One member suggested a minor clarification from the floor and that was agreed upon and entered into the record. The board feels that the AGM was very important and useful because now we have our by-laws all composed and written down. Seeing as how we are all volunteers and very busy with our own lives, it is sometimes quite a challenge to dedicate time to the task of administrating the corporation. However, we are all dedicated to our mandate and always find the time in our busy lives to get the job done, because we know how important it is to look out for the health and well-being of this fragile eco-system. This is especially true now that there is mounting pressure on the infrastructure here with all the new residential development.

In fact, The Resort Village of Manitou Beach is experiencing some growing pains as dozens of new homes are being constructed literally as we speak. A member announced from the floor at the AGM that the village administration has been advised by provincial authorities that they are no longer permitted to develop/sell residential lots until the issue of sewage waste is properly addressed. Apparently, the existing lagoons are inadequate to properly filter the ever-increasing volume of waste that is being generated by both residential and commercial properties.

This group has made inquiries about this issue in writing to the Mayor and Council but our concerns have not been taken seriously to date. We are going to send another letter in the near future and hopefully will receive a more meaningful response.

As outlined earlier, MEGI members are committed to ongoing monitoring of the water quality in the lake as well as potentially detrimental inputs from sources including the sewage lagoons. In light of the fact that we have just had our Canada Day long weekend and hosted in excess of 3000 visitors, this is a good time to sample the run-off from the lagoons into the lake. So, we have sample bottles on hand and are presently making arrangements with an independent laboratory in Regina to test for certain elements for public information.

Obviously, everyone would be happy and relieved if we get positive results back from the lab tests. Positive in the sense that the constant runoff into the lake from the lagoons is clear of pathogens, fecal matter, E-Coli bacteria, etc. THAT IS THE HOPE. However, we will only know for sure once we have the test results analyzed. Rest assured that the results will be made public as soon as they are available.

We are committed as a group to be transparent and fully open and forthcoming with any facts that we uncover through our observations and research.






MEGI Director Fraser Murray (front right) speaks with member Bob Guist after the AGM. Member Gene Angers is issued a receipt by Treasurer Sharon Gibson as he renews his annual membership.

MEGI AGM '08

MEGI FYI #3

It won't be too long now till we can jump back into the Healing Waters of Little Manitou Lake. Beautiful sunset, eh?

Have you ever heard Little Manitou Lake referred to as “like the Dead Sea”?

The similarity lies in the fact that they are both closed basin systems, which means “what goes in the lake, stays in the lake” (except through evaporation). As well, they both contain a wide spectrum of minerals in suspension. But that’s where the comparison stops.

The Dead Sea is, as the name implies, dead. The ecosystem is unable to sustain either fish or plant life.

In contrast, Little Manitou Lake is host to a thriving species of “Brine Shrimp” that are harvested in a sustainable manner on a fairly regular, yearly basis. Due to varying conditions related to spring runoff, rainfall or lack thereof, the shrimp population can vary.

In addition, there are several mineral products that continue to be produced by various techniques. This practice has carried on pretty much uninterrupted in some cases for several generations.

Little Manitou Lake AKA Manitou Beach is well-known far and wide as a place of wonderful healing powers. The famous ‘Healing Waters’ have been visited by people from all over the world who come to enjoy the restorative properties of the naturally buoyant waters.

These are just a few of the reasons why this group is committed to the maintenance and protection of this unique ecosystem.

Please note: You can purchase ‘biodegradable soaps and shampoos’ to use at the showers on the beach at both Pioneer Health Products at Manitou Beach and Watrous Pharmacy.

Thanks to these community-minded businesses for making these environmentally-friendly products available to the public. Please take advantage of this option.

The group invites anybody with a ‘pet peeve’ regarding environmental, or any other concerns about the ecological health of Little Manitou Lake to post a comment on this blog.

We will do our best to address any questions raised, or point you in the right direction if possible.

Member Notice: Manitou Environmental Group Inc. will be holding an Annual General Meeting Upstairs at the Diner at Manitou Beach, SK. on Sunday, June 22nd at 1:00. All members are encouraged to attend. You can renew your membership at the door. New members are always welcome so bring a friend! Coffee served.

Awful mess left in Wellington Park

Lovely sign welcoming visitors to Wellington Park says "Enjoy the Peace and Tranquility of this beautiful ecosystem".

On a walk through Wellington Park this weekend, this disgusting mess was discovered left behind by some very disrespectful party animals that we shall call "pigs". Paper plates, napkins and other debris was observed blowing around through the whole park and floating in the little creek. Many food items were simply left behind to attract skunks, rats and other vermin to this lovely spot. What a shameful mess! PLEASE, people! Go ahead and have fun but CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELVES! The most ignorant thing of all is that there is a garbage receptacle within about ten feet of this picnic table. DUH!

These Little Piggies

These little piggies had a picnic
These little piggies had fun
These little piggies left an awful mess
They must’ve left on the run!


After only five minutes of careful organization, the mess was cleaned up. Not by the Mommy of the above-mentioned pigs, but by a couple of concerned citizens who were moved to action by the awful mess. Anybody taking offense to this reference ought to think twice before leaving a piggish mess behind them in our beautiful little park.

Spring is coming!

Prairie Crocus, the Champions of Spring here in Saskatchewan, are the 1st harbingers of milder climes...

A sure-fire sign of spring is the imminent arrival of the Prairie Crocus. After the ground has thawed, these tenacious little guys pop up once there have been a few days of fairly warm weather. We went out about a week ago now and found lots of them on the east side of the ravine over Wellington Park, up high in the virgin grassy meadow there.

Not only does this spot feature a sweeping panaramic view of Wellington Creek, you can see the lake to the north and Haberman's fields to the south.

Everybody, I'm sure, was happy to see the last bits of snow finally melt away after our brief heat wave of early last week. For a day or so, the temperatures soared to over 28 degrees Celcius. But it was not sticking around. A day or so later, the temp went back down to 10-12 degrees and now we are hearing that there is a winter storm warning that will probably dump up to 50 cms of wet snow on us this Saturday and Sunday.

Sigh.

This is, of course, great news for our farmer friends as long as it socks some good moisture in without delaying spring seeding...

Wonder what affect all this extra precip will have on lake levels?

Increasing Public Awareness of Little Manitou Lake

Spring is here in Saskatchewan, at least on the calender. So far it has been slow in arriving, so there's a good chance that the run-off will be gradual and less severe than it was in 2007. We can only hope.

Greg Brkich, MLA Arm River-Watrous Constituency wrote to Manitou Environmental Group Inc. last year:

"Thank you for your recent letter regarding the issue of Sask Water diverting fresh water into Little Manitou Lake.

Through conversation with Hon John Nilson, Minister of Environment and his officials, they understand that your group is committed to preserving the protection and integrity of the lake. They also are aware that your group realizes the occasional need to address the issues that arise during times of extreme drought and low water levels and the need for consultation and co-operation between the Department of Environment and your group during these times.

Sincerely,

Greg Brkich, MLA Arm River-Watrous Constituency"

Seeing as how Mr. Brkich wrote this letter of support while in opposition, we are sure he will reiterate his support now that he's in government. We will be asking him to do this in order to maintain a level of awareness of the issues around protecting and maintaining the ecological health of Little Manitou Lake in the future. Manitou Environmental Group Inc. wrote the Manitou Beach Mayor and Council on February 5th, 2008:

"Dear Council Members;

The Manitou Environmental Group Incorporated is advising Council that we are currently conducting an ongoing sampling program to monitor input water from:
1) pig barn area run-off (east end of Little Manitou Lake) into the lake
2) lagoon area (west end of Little Manitou Lake) into the lake
3) west end area into the lake

This will give us an overall picture of the ecological health of Little Manitou Lake. These findings will be published on an ongoing basis, along with other factual information.

We are aware that Council is in the early stages of upgrading the lagoon system as required by the Saskatchewan Government regulations.

We have been approached by many concerned people about the lagoons. Is it possible for Council to supply us with a progress report on their plans and intentions on how they are dealing with the lagoon expansion and lagoon overflow into the lake. We are pursuing this in the interest of creating public awareness surrounding these issues.

Please respond at your earliest convenience. We look forward to hearing from you in the very near future.

Manitou Environmental Group Inc. Board."

Bobbi Crittenden, Administrator of Manitou Beach responded on February 21, 2008:

"To Manitou Environmental Group Incorporated Board

Council wishes to thank you for your letter dated February 5, 2008. Creating public awareness around the ecological health of Little Manitou Lake is very important.

At this point there is nothing to report for the lagoon expansion as it is in the early stages of development. Please keep in touch with us in regards to the expansion and we will be happy to let you know what's going on."

The MEGI Board always welcomes new members and always encourage folks with an interest in protecting the health of this unique lake to get in touch with us. We want to remind our members that the year-end is coming right up and that it's time to renew your memberships. Sign up your friends as well, to add to the strength of our united voice to defend the long-time ecological health of Little Manitou Lake.

If you are interested please call Rob at (306)946-2124, Fraser at (306)946-2700 or Sharon at (306)946-3676.

What goes up, Must come down?

These three pictures were all taken from the same spot last year, at the 'boat launch' east of Danceland. There is no denying that the water levels went way up. About 36" higher level or maybe even a bit more than that.







You will note that the big rock to the right is just about submerged by late August. We will be watching this rock before, during and after the spring runoff this year to see where the high-water mark ends up.

Attention Members

Manitou Environmental Group Inc. has a yearly membership fee of $20.00 and we presently have 14 members and growing. Our year end is coming up at the end of March.

Please plan to renew your annual membership and encourage your friends and neighbors who care about the long-term ecological health of Little Manitou Lake to take out a membership as well.

Blue-Green Algae in Little Manitou Lake?

Last summer folks here at Manitou Beach noticed a bloom of bright blue-green colored algae in a sheltered bay just east of the Beach Store. It was a noticeably different color from the algae the usually grows there.

Lots of people expressed concern and alarm about the blue-green colored algae. Was it the toxic strain that was killing livestock in other parts of the country?

A MEGI member collected a pristine sample and shipped it off to an independent laboratory in Regina for analysis. M-R-2-McDonald & Associates (Consulting Engineers) wrote in their letter dated Sept. 20, 2007, in part,

“Attached are the results of the microscopic examinations carried out on the three samples you submitted from Manitou Lake. The dried sample collected Sept. 9 approx. half-way down the lake on the south side was predominantly composed of filaments (trichomes) of the cyanobacteria, Lyngbya sp. Cyanobacteria were previously known as blue-green algae. The genus has been mentioned as being found in previous studies of saline lakes in Saskatchewan. It may grow on submerged surfaces (epiphytic) or free-floating (planktonic). In large numbers, it becomes visible to the naked eye. Based on available reference material, this genus is not known to have toxic strains. The unidentified brown spherical particles may be brine shrimp eggs...

...The species observed from your samples suggest typical phytoplankton populations for Manitou Lake. Although some species may become more abundant periods of ideal growing conditions, and therefore become more noticeable than previously. Without further information, we cannot comment on possible causes.”

So, the good news is,
"NO. The blue-green colored algae is NOT the toxic strain."

Thanks to MEGI Members!

There was a board meeting tonight and we decided to say a special "Thank-You" to our paid members for the year 2007. We are going to start publishing MEGI "FYI" notes in the local newspaper starting next week, so watch for that coming soon to The Watrous Manitou!

We are also going to publicize the blog address, so we'll look forward to hearing any comments or suggestion that our readers might have. This is a great way to share information and concerns that may arise over time.

We have decided to instigate a series of water tests at peak periods at known run-off zones, such as at the sewage/RO waste H2O lagoons; the east side of the lake where there may be run-off from the pig barns just north of there; and the far west side of the lake.

The results of these tests are going to made known to the public both through this blog and the FYI column we are launching (the plan is to publish a blurb right after every monthly Board meeting) so watch for that.

Brine Shrimp at Little Manitou Lake

So-called 'Little Manitou Lake' is actually an inland sea. A closed basin system. Fed by underground mineral springs. Spring run-off and annual rainfall are what generally maintain and sustain the water levels over the long-term. Evaporation is the only way that water can leave the basin. Manitou Sea (just my 'nick-name') is a Living Eco-System. The chemical balance of the mineral water is perfectly suited to brine shrimp.



Here's a microscopic close-up of the native species brine shrimp:








Normally, the brine shrimp are harvested every year at a sustainable level ( less than 3% of the population? will clarify...) Brine shrimp may be seen as the 'canary in the gold-mine'. This unique species thrives in a certain saline environment. If the chemical properties of the water were to change, the native species may be endangered. For example, in years of very high freshwater dilution, the shrimp has been seen to die off. Now, I am getting out of depth here. I will have to check my facts and go into this a bit more ASAP.

MEGI Mission Statement and Mandate

Sunset at Little Manitou Lake Photo Credit: Michael Gaudet 2007

MANITOU

ENVIRONMENTAL

GROUP

INCORPORATED

MISSION STATEMENT:

The Manitou Environmental Group Incorporated is a not-for-profit charitable organization that exists primarily to address any environmental pressures that are relevant to the long term ecological integrity of Little Manitou Lake. MEGI will continue to recognize the importance of ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the ecological health of Little Manitou Lake and local watershed. MEGI will work toward building consensus in the community around monitoring and maintenance of Little Manitou Lake and local watershed. We will provide educational information to the general public about environmental pressures on Little Manitou Lake while informing people about it’s unique qualitites.

MANDATE:

Manitou Environmental Group Inc. will carry out on-going monitoring of and maintaining of the ecological health of Little Manitou Lake and local watershed from harmful inputs. In so doing the group will address the following issues:

1) Reverse osmosis reject water from Manitou Beach RO treatment plant.

2) Manitou Beach and Town of Watrous sewage lagoon run-off.

3) Agricultural inputs (livestock and grain farms) into Little Manitou Lake.

4) Sask. Water - fresh water input into Little Manitou Lake.

5) Commercial, industrial and residential pollutants into Little Manitou Lake.

6) Increasing public knowledge and awareness of environmental pressures on Little Manitou Lake.

Little Manitou Lake Floods in 2007

A soggy place to sit. Might be therapeutic, though.

This spring saw more than usual runoff into Little Manitou Lake. This combined with last year’s runoff and a large deposit of freshwater into the basin by SaskWater has caused record levels in the closed basin, as the photos I took yesterday show. Some of the old-timers here that I have spoken with say that they have not seen the water levels anywhere near this high in over thirty years.

People here are getting more and more concerned about the deleterious effects of all of this on the health of the ecosystem, the quality of the world-famous mineral water in the lake and all of the erosion that has been happening. And sadly, a lot of land including our famous sandy beaches that are our pride and joy (not to mention a major tourist attraction!) is currently languishing underwater.

Playground equipment sits in the water at the spot formerly known as 'The Main Beach".

The Resort Village crews have tried to pile up a few strategically placed piles of stones, gravel and sand in a few spots, but they have mostly just washed away.

What's left of the former " Center Beach", affectionately known as "Murray Beach".

When we get a stiff northwesterly wind here, the waves can get pretty big. Just east of the Village, highway #365 has been closed down for weeks now. On windy days it is totally submerged. I took a hike out there yesterday to check it out. It is a mess. Most of the highway is now covered in mud, salty gravel and debris for about a mile. There are two spots that are covered in a few inches of water. It is all barricaded off and traffic has been re-routed out around the far east side of the lake.

See the skid marks? Somebody did not notice the barricade until the last second...

Highway #365 just east of the beach is under water. How long will it be like this, or worse?

As I said, on windy days the highway is right underwater for the whole mile or so.

Little Manitou Lake is a very special ecosystem. Fed by underground springs, the shallow saline lake lies deep in a glacial-carved valley. The lake is 91% pure water, but has a specific gravity 10% higher than regular water due to a higher concentration of dissolved salts and minerals. The added density greatly enhances buoyancy and make it impossible for people to sink - even when motionless. Unless you leave earth's atmosphere, this is one of the few places in the world where you can experience the sensation of weightlessness.
To briefly explain, Little Manitou Lake is in fact an inland sea. Not a lake. The name is a misnomer.

And it is a ‘closed basin’, which means anything that goes into the lake stays in the lake. Including spring runoff and any freshwater from the canal system that is allowed by SaskWater to be drained in. The only way for water to leave the basin is through evaporation. There is no doubt that the salinity levels of the so-called lake have been affected by all of this. This is turn affects the delicate balance of the whole ecosystem. Not only does an increased freshwater ratio dilute the mineral content, rendering the lake less buoyant, it also allows more vigorous blooming of green algae. There is a possibility that all of the freshwater will also impact the native brine shrimp population.
We are very concerned about the health effects and potential environmental contamination that may be a result of transferring large volumes of contaminated water from watershed to watershed. We are specifically concerned about large volumes of water that flow from run-off, snow melt and rain all the way from the Rocky Mountains into the South Saskatchewan River system, into Lake Diefenbaker that may be deposited into Little Manitou Lake via the South West Water Canal system. This water may very possibly contains agricultural, industrial and commercial pollutants/contaminants such as: herbicides, pesticides, industrial waste and nitrates and ammonia from intensive livestock operations. As you can see, it gets complicated.

My questions around this issue are: 1) How will our annual tourist trade be impacted by the fact that there are no longer any beaches here at Manitou Beach? Note: The Resort Village hosts about 120,000 visitors every year from all over the world. 2) Are all of the beaches that are now underwater going to get washed away into the lake? 3) What will be the long-term of all of this freshwater on the famous mineral properties of Little Manitou? 4) What affect will all of the contaminants carried by all the millions of gallons of freshwater into the storage basin have on the health of the ecosystem? Will all of the flooding cause any additional damage to heritage structures that the water has now encroached on, such as World-Famous Rainbow Danceland and the Old Shrimp Factory? Who is responsible for cleanup or repairs? 5) How can we as a community try to prevent this from happening in the future?

The change booth and Volley-Ball court at the "Main Beach" are submerged. Water polo anyone?

A group of concerned citizens have formed a not-for-profit organization called Manitou Environmental Group Incorporated to tackle these and other issues around sustaining the long-term viability of this endangered ecosystem. MEGInc. Is holding a general information meeting and membership drive at the upstairs banquet hall of the Diner at the Beach on Sunday May 27th 2007 starting at 2:00 PM. Anyone interested in voicing their concerns around these issues is invited to attend. The only way to address these issues is through public consensus. So, if you have any interest in the future of Little Manitou Lake, please attend.

This formerly high and dry residence on the east side of the village is now a 'lake-front' property.

MEGInc. will continue to hold meetings and plan ways to positively deal with these important problems and others that might affect the ecological integrity of the lake. The time for complaining privately is over. The only way we can make any progress on these issues is to work together as a cohesive group. There is strength in numbers, so please come out and join us.

I am confident that there are solutions, but we have to get our act together and get organized.

Michael Gaudet
President

Manitou Environmental Group Incorporated

May 17th, 2007.