Why bio matting is occurring in this location, or what impact it may have on habitat, I do not know but it raises many questions. While I have seen bio mats of this nature in other eutrophic lower mainland lakes, this is the largest example of it I have observed in Cultus (to date). As well as impacting the substrate, this bacterial film also appears to be coating much of the littoral zone plants, which may have an impact upon present or future fish habitat. Diving along this shoreline I have noticed large patches of anaerobic cyanobacteria covering the bottom with a slime coat in a manner sometimes referred to as Bio matting. This could be in the form of gasoline, oil and other fluids or from cargo such as bulk fuel, fertilizer or chemicals.Īn area of question that arises from observation is the region to the south of Maple Bay, stretching towards the Lutheran Church camp site. Third, the roadway provides a continued avenue for potential gross negative impact should vehicular accidents occur, causing a hazardous materials release into the lake. Looking forward, this may impact the ability of the lake to naturally replace large habitat structures as they decay or are covered over by sediment. Though there are an abundance of older trees submerged along the eastern shoreline now, future tree falls of substantive size are now less likely to occur. Second, construction of the roadbed has altered the natural shoreline, both in shape and by pushing back the treeline from the water’s edge. This can be seen broadly in water quality and invasive species issues as they develop, and locally in the deposits of manmade debris at various points within the lake. Access and the development of town sites at the southern and northern ends of the lake, as well as day use and overnight camping areas along the eastern perimeter, provides many sources of both broad based and localized human impact. While it might not be immediately considered because of its seeming omnipresence, the building of the Columbia Valley road in 1916, and it’s improvement in the mid 1950’s, has greatly impacted, and continues to impact, lake habitat in several ways.įirst, it allows relatively easy access to the lake proper and the water shed above, which in turn increases the overall human impact upon the lake. Below is a short list of some of these sources of change: In some cases the effects are self-evident, while with others I can only surmise as to what impact may be occurring. During this time I have considered the effects that various forces have brought to bear upon those environs. Observed conditions and some sources of habitat impactĪs a result of conducting numerous dives in Cultus Lake during the Cultus Lake Project, I have had the opportunity to observe the sub aquatic shoreline, in differing seasons, and to witness a variety of fish species interacting within their habitats.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |