Spring Runoff 2020

The two main Sylvan Lake tributaries are flowing and carrying the early-season load of water and nutrients into the lake. Here is the video evidence: Golf Course Creek 2020 Spring Runoff on 2020-04-21 From the SLG&CC irrigation pond to Marina Bay. Flow at the Marina Bay Culverts on 2020-04-20 Northwest Creek, west of Sunbreaker Cove, …

Annual General Meeting 2018

The 2018 President's Report, complete with links to many reference documents, may be viewed by clicking here.The accompanying set of SLWSS 2018 AGM documents and President's Report graphics may be viewed in this hyperlinked photo album. 

IDP 2020 – Geographic Information System Graphics

The land area within the scope of the proposed Intermunicipal Development Plan due by 2020 links small parts of the Blindman River and Medicine River watersheds to the core Sylvan Lake watershed. The regional topography keeps separate those watershed areas shown in the following gallery of maps. The peripheral land outside the red line perimeter …

IDP 2020-Environment

This set of graphics includes historical data on the environment of the Sylvan Lake watershed and surrounding Central Alberta. The quality and quantity of water in the watershed are critical factors that determine watershed value. Dissolved and suspended minerals and organics from the land are transported in surface and underground water into the lake and …

IDP 2020-Water Balance, Water Quantity and Water Quality Data

IDP 2020-Economics

The following graphics present Alberta Municipal Affairs data and provide an overview of land distribution, population, equalized assessments and revenue and expenses for the municipalities that are parties to the Inter-municipal Development Plan (IDP) that is now at the stage of preliminary consultation and due by 2020. Note that in each of those categories there …

Sylvan Lake Precipitation 2018

This graph shows the precipitation history recorded by the Alberta Agriculture weather station at Hespero, west of Sylvan Lake from Jan 1 to November 13, 2018. The shortfall is 170 mm (0.17 m) of precipitation compared to the long term average. We assume that those observations at Hespero are representative of those for our watershed …

Responsible Care of Watersheds

Dr. Judy Stewart, an expert on municipal law and the environment has recently published a paper that addresses her title question "Do recent amendments to Alberta's Municipal Government Act enable management of surface water resources and air quality?" The SLWSS has demonstrated how watershed management could be improved by adoption of the principles of the …

The Sylvan Lake Water Quality Sampling Campaign in 2018

We have sampled Sylvan Lake three times in 2018, once each in June, July and August in a joint research project with the Alberta Lake Management Society. A video and two photo albums for July 10 and August 14 show how instrumental measurements were made at the deep water station, ten water column samples were …

Tour of the NW End of Sylvan Lake to Check the State of Spring Runoff.

The eagle is back in its nest high in a tree on the south edge of the Sylvan Lake Natural Area. Here is a photo album of a driving tour of the Northwest Creek catchment including manure-rich feedlots, evidence of spring runoff, but no flow in the creek itself on May 13. The whole area …