Mitigating the Impacts of Motorized Boating on Water Quality


Project Year:

2020

Project Budget:

$36,500

WCQI Grant:

$25,000

Organization:
Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program

Project Description:

The aim of this project is to minimize the impacts of motorized boating activities on water quality and environmental values by changing the behaviors of boaters through public education and outreach. This project will follow through on the recommendations of three research projects completed between 2017-2019 that examined the impacts of motorized boating on water quality. This research identified; lake bottom sediments contain contaminates (hydrocarbons, bacteria and heavy metals), that wakeboard boats can disturb and re-suspend the lake bottom to a depth of 8 meters and the re-suspended sediments from motorized boating can drift to municipal and domestic intakes and negatively impact water quality. The research also identified erosion impacts on property and damage to fish spawning habitat and bird nesting areas on the shoreline.

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