Low water level creating concern for Whiteshell lake
For many cottagers, Betula Lake has become a second home.
'It's a beautiful lake. it's not huge, but it's been great,' said cottager Larry Larke.
However, low water levels are causing some problems.
'When you think of a shallow lake like Betula that averages six to eight feet, when you have a four- or five-inch drop in water, it's a significant hit,' said Ryan Galloway, president of the Betula Lake Association.
invasive weeds are also running wild, wreaking havoc on boaters and swimmers.
'The biggest thing is the long-term viability and the health of the lake,' Galloway said.
'The last thing we want to see is an environmental issue where the lake just becomes so overrun that we can't deal with it.'
Betula lake has a target water level dictated by the province.
However, Galloway said, two fixed weirs downstream can't maintain that level.
'The height of the weir needs to change,' Galloway said.
'We need to be able to contain more water for a longer period of time, so in the low seasons we're able to do to maintain that level higher.'
The Betula Lake Association has already petitioned the province to take action to protect the body of water.
'They came back early January and said, 'We'll have a little water hydrological study done by the summer' and we haven't heard anything yet. We haven't got any response,' Galloway said.
The cottagers said they've taken steps to educate themselves on water stewardship, but they're demanding more help to preserve Betula Lake's future.
'It's really concerning to me,' said cottager Christine DeGraff.
'My kids are fourth generation family out here. And, you know, our goal and our dream is to see generation number five enjoying it as much as we did.'
Aside from raising the height of the weirs, the association wants the province to increase the target water levels and complete a study on invasive species.
In an email response to questions, Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure said it must first analyze how any changes in the outlet could impact lake levels, the shoreline, and nearby properties.
It says that work is now underway after being delayed by wildfires.
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