| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
The Kootenay Lake Partnership (KLP) was formed in 2010 to address the increasing growth and development pressures of people desiring to live on or near Kootenay Lake. As a result, several agencies including local governments and First Nations joined and developed a strategic Terms of Reference to collaborate on lake management planning. The mandate of the KLP is to develop integrated and collaborative approaches to lake management planning which will allow for a healthy and productive lake, with balanced land and water uses that support and sustain environmental, community, recreational, aboriginal, cultural, traditional and aesthetic values. The geographic scope of the KLP is from the mouth of the Kootenay River, including the main body of the lake (North and South Arms), up to the mouth of the Duncan River and down the West Arm to the Corra Linn dam. The scope also includes the foreshore and upland components 100 metres inland or to a logical physical break (i.e. Hwy 3A on the East Shore and the rail line on the West Shore). In order to fulfill its mandate, the KLP is completing a three-part lake study including preliminary foreshore inventory and mapping (FIM) followed by an aquatic habitat index (AHI) and archaeological overview assessment (AOA) which will feed into shoreline guidelines for the lake. The guideline document will identify ecologically significant areas such as wetlands, tributary outlets, native grasslands, wildlife habitat and corridors, biologically productive areas and critical areas for fish and species at risk. They will also identify sites of high cultural significance for First Nations such as traditional and contemporary use areas. These mapped components will be available on this site for public use while the KLP results assist managers, planners and communities in lake management planning, guidance for regulations, policies and best practices. The FIM will be available early 2012 while the AHI and AOA components will be completed by the fall of 2012 and the guideline document in the winter of 2012 / 2013. The study will lead to an improved scientific knowledge of lake processes and form a baseline for improved decision-making. The subsequent guidance documents will mitigate adverse impacts to high-sensitivity areas while guiding low-impact development in low-sensitivity areas. This Atlas has shoreline mapping for Windermere, Kootenay, Slocan, Christina Lakes and other selected lakes in the Kootenays. (Segment Photos and Figure Binders have been removed from the AHI final report, please contact us for this information.) |
