Skeleton Lake Group Makes Inflow and Outflow a Priority

Tina Biro, Advocate Staff

The Skeleton Lake Stewardship Association has a plan to reverse the declining water levels of Skeleton Lake.

First, they want to decrease outflow from Skeleton Lake by finding an alternative water source for Boyle. Secondly, they want to increase inflow into the lake by piping water in from another source.

Close to 300 people from the summer villages surrounding Skeleton Lake and Amisk Lake came out to a public meeting Saturday morning at the Boyle Community Centre to learn the latest about the Skeleton Lake watershed.

The Skeleton Lake Stewardship Association told those in attendance that they were making progress since the group first came together a year ago.

SLSA executive member Hugh Harper commented that membership in the association has grown to over 1,000 members.

"That's 20-per-cent more than all of the people who live in the Village of Boyle," said Harper.

"We achieved every one of our objectives that we set out for ourselves last year," he added, highlighting SLSA's vision of "not only restoring Skeleton Lake ... but make it a model aquatic ecosystem."

"We feel that we're more knowledgeable about Skeleton Lake than anyone in the province."

In their first year, SLSA has received agreement from the Village of Boyle and Alberta Environment that Boyle will find an alternative water source other than Skeleton Lake.

Boyle is presently considering tapping into a regional water line, or obtaining their water from Amisk Lake.

SLSA has also conducted technical reviews of Skeleton Lake water levels, is participating in the development of a Skeleton Lake Watershed Management Plan, and were nominated for an Emerald Award.

"We're very proud of what we've achieved," said Harper. "Last year we weren't even on (Alberta Environment's) radar screen, and now we're their number-one priority in this region."

However, in order to achieve their long-term goals, the monetary costs will be high and SLSA will need funding to the tune of approximately $900,000. Many of the costs are associated with pumping water back into the lake.

Nonetheless, if everything happens according to the schedule laid out by SLSA, they could be pumping water into Skeleton Lake by this time next year.

While SLSA made it clear that they were not planning on obtaining that water from Amisk Lake, they did not indicate where that water would come from, other than saying it was a private source with whom they were still in negotiations.

"We're just not in a position to disclose the source," said SLSA executive member Brian Curial.

Tina Biro, Advocate Staff