Elk Lake (British Columbia)
Encyclopedia
Elk Lake is a large lake
located in Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park
in Saanich, British Columbia
. Elk Lake and Beaver Lake are actually one lake as a shallow channel connects them.
Elk/Beaver lake was known as the "Freshwater Playground of Victoria" in its heyday
, the 1930s and 1940s. However, with the completion of the Pat Bay highway in the 1950s, focus turned to environmentalism
, and measures were taken to start restoring the park to its natural state and protecting it. In 1966 Elk/Beaver lake became a regional park.
Today, a good balance between a "freshwater playground" and a preserved, natural park has been established. The co-existence between the stakeholders and the land is apparent. Park-goers make efforts to keep the park clean and well kept. It is for this reason that most hikers will have numerous sightings of wildlife where in other places, most viewers would only be lucky to see.
from the Coast Salish
people for 386 wool blankets. After Canada
became a unified nation, the land became government property and fell under the jurisdiction of the province of British Columbia
. In 1873, foundation stones were laid to construct a dam
at the south end of Beaver Lake so that the two lakes could eventually be used as a drinking water
supply for the city of Victoria
. Two years later water started flowing from the lakes into Victoria and the previous supply company, the Spring Ridge Water Works Company, was dissolved. However, by the turn of the century population growth in Victoria meant that the water supply from the lakes was inadequate. In the years from 1913 to 1915, the Sooke Flowline
was constructed to draw city water from the new Sooke Reservoir.
, it does not serve as a residential area. However, it is home to many species of wildlife. Plant species include: Breadroot (which is a rare species and is also known as Slender Woolyheads), licorice fern
s, yellow pond lilies
, cattail reed
s, cottonwood
, pacific crabapple, red alder
, douglas fir, and western red cedar. Some common animal species are: Mergansers, Canada geese, bufflehead
s, bald eagle
s, osprey
, rainbow trout
, smallmouth bass
, pumpkinseed sunfish
, river otter
s, red-winged blackbird
s (which is British Columbia's provincial bird), savannah sparrow
s, Columbia black-tailed deer
, red-legged frog
s, yellow warbler
s, chestnut-backed chickadee
s, screech owl, and lastly, the giant bullfrog, which is an invasive species
and a huge concern.
There are five main groups who interact with the lake: Equestrians, fishers, water skiers, the general public, and rowers.
The Equestrian
centre is located on the west side of the lake. Here people can come to exercise and train their horses in the tranquility of nature. Trails are open from sunrise to sunset.
Fishers are a common sight on Elk/Beaver Lake. From the pre-dawn fishers to the twilight hunters, this group uses the area constantly. Unfortunately, the angler
s and rowers often come into close contact. Rowers consistently come near fishing boats and even those anglers on shore. It is quite common for the rowing community to tangle fishing lines, crash into angler boats and generally get in the way. While numerous attempts have been made to develop a strategy that compromises both parties the rowers continue to take the position that it is "their lake" and any anglers can leave it. Last, but not least, the general public loves a weekend retreat to the lake. With no camping
allowed, families come out for a Saturday morning hike
on the easy trails around the lake or a Sunday picnic and swim at one of the beaches. A 10 km trail around Elk and Beaver Lakes is popular with the local running community.
The Victoria City Rowing Club
boathouse is located on the South East corner of Elk Lake. Currently the boathouse has five bays with a second story above bay one. Here, young and old come together to learn, get fit and be competitive. They row all times of the day, starting with University crews at 5:30 am and usually ending with club and high school crews around 6:00 pm.
which is home to the Victoria City Rowing Club
, the Greater Victoria Youth Rowing Society, the University of Victoria
, and the Victoria Training Centre. There are three main phases to the renewal: Phase one would be to add another level above boat bays four and five. Phase two would be to build a work shop behind bays one, two and three, effectively moving it out of bay one to create more storage space. The final stage would be to add another dock
for on water storage of coach and safety boats. This could potentially have a huge effect on the surrounding riparian zone
which would, by definition, influence the aquatic ecosystem
and play a role in soil conservation and biodiversity
.
However, according to the environmental assessment
, the proposed method of action will have little to no effect on the surrounding wetlands as the development will be in an area where the land has already been altered due to past infrastructure. However, a review of the proposal by the Ministry of Environment
, Fisheries Management Branch indicated that both the environmental and user impact assessments were inadequate and missed important existing information sources. For example, the reported angling use data in the user impact assessment were outdated and the actual data from more recent work done by the Ministry of Environment regional office in Nanaimo indicated a much greater use by anglers. Unfortunately the contractor hired to complete the report neglected to make any inquiries regarding angling use information to either the Ministry of Environment office in Victoria or Nanaimo. A public open house meeting in Victoria was attended by many rowing advocates who supported the renewal plan, which would see increased storage space to accommodate the large numbers of boats that are currently stored outside. Along with rowing advocates there were just as many anglers and water skiing enthusiasts who opposed the renewal. It was pointed out that in the original management plan for the lake a stipulation was made that there would be no further expansion of the rowing facility on the lake.
Green
building technologies
are to be used in development and the current structure is going to be updated to conserve water and energy.
Although the development will be environmentally friendly and sound, it will be economically challenging for the club compared to if they were less conscious of the riparian zone
. This is typical of the sustainability
triangle: it is nearly impossible to provide for social values, economics and the environment. In this case, the only aspect that will be negatively affected is economics. Rowers will have a better facility to train from and therefore have more chance to excel and the general public (which is the largest of the stake holding groups) will have more opportunity to observe rowing and they will have new, clean facilities to use while frequenting the park. The equestrians are not really affected by the renewal but because the new facilities will be built in accordance with social values, and will not have much of an impact on the park, they are in favour.
Elk/ Beaver Lake Regional Park provides many people with a chance to enjoy nature and an area for recreation and fun. Social values and beliefs ensure the area's integrity by helping to protect the riparian zone and environment even if it has high demands economically.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
located in Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park
Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park
The Elk/Beaver Regional Park is a park in Saanich, British Columbia.Elk/Beaver Lake was known as the "Freshwater Playground of Victoria" in its heyday, the 1930s and 1940s. However, with the completion of the Pat Bay highway in the 1950s, focus turned ‘green’ and measures were taken to start...
in Saanich, British Columbia
Saanich, British Columbia
The District of Saanich is a municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is located north of the provincial capital, Victoria. It has a population of 108,265 people, making it the most populous municipality on Vancouver Island, and the seventh most populous in the province...
. Elk Lake and Beaver Lake are actually one lake as a shallow channel connects them.
Elk/Beaver lake was known as the "Freshwater Playground of Victoria" in its heyday
Heyday
Heyday was a horse that competed in the sport of eventing, ridden by American Bruce Davidson. He was one of the Top Ten All American High Point Horses of the Century in eventing.*Born: 1987*Color: Bay *Markings: Star, off fore sock...
, the 1930s and 1940s. However, with the completion of the Pat Bay highway in the 1950s, focus turned to environmentalism
Environmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
, and measures were taken to start restoring the park to its natural state and protecting it. In 1966 Elk/Beaver lake became a regional park.
Today, a good balance between a "freshwater playground" and a preserved, natural park has been established. The co-existence between the stakeholders and the land is apparent. Park-goers make efforts to keep the park clean and well kept. It is for this reason that most hikers will have numerous sightings of wildlife where in other places, most viewers would only be lucky to see.
History
In the 1850s, traders purchased the entire Saanich PeninsulaSaanich Peninsula
The Saanich Peninsula is located north of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is bounded by the Saanich Inlet on the west, and various straits of the Gulf of Georgia on the east, chiefly Haro Strait The exact southern boundary of what is referred to as the "Saanich Peninsula" is somewhat fluid...
from the Coast Salish
Coast Salish
Coast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound...
people for 386 wool blankets. After Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
became a unified nation, the land became government property and fell under the jurisdiction of the province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. In 1873, foundation stones were laid to construct a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
at the south end of Beaver Lake so that the two lakes could eventually be used as a drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
supply for the city of Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. Two years later water started flowing from the lakes into Victoria and the previous supply company, the Spring Ridge Water Works Company, was dissolved. However, by the turn of the century population growth in Victoria meant that the water supply from the lakes was inadequate. In the years from 1913 to 1915, the Sooke Flowline
Sooke Flowline
The Sooke Flowline is an abandoned 44 kilometer concrete aqueduct that snakes through the Sooke Hills from Sooke Lake to the Humpback Reservoir near Mt. Wells Regional Park. From this reservoir, a buried, riveted steel pressure main transported water to Victoria. In between 1994 and 2007, this...
was constructed to draw city water from the new Sooke Reservoir.
Current day
Today, the park is up kept and managed by the Capital Regional District. Because it is protected areaProtected areas of Canada
Protected areas of Canada have been created to protect ecological integrity, as well as to provide areas for recreation and education. Most of the protected areas in Canada are terrestrial; however, there has been a growing focus to also protect coastal areas, such as the Bowie Seamount. ...
, it does not serve as a residential area. However, it is home to many species of wildlife. Plant species include: Breadroot (which is a rare species and is also known as Slender Woolyheads), licorice fern
Licorice fern
Polypodium glycyrrhiza, commonly known as licorice fern, many-footed fern, and sweet root, is an evergreen fern native to western North America, primarily in a narrow strip in southern Alaska, southwestern Yukon Territory, western British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California, though two...
s, yellow pond lilies
Nuphar lutea
Nuphar lutea is an aquatic plant of the family Nymphaeaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe, northwest Africa, and western Asia.-Growth:...
, cattail reed
Typhaceae
Typhaceae is the botanical name for a family of flowering plants. Such a family has been recognized by most taxonomists.The APG II system, of 2003 , also recognizes this family, and assigns it to the order Poales in the clade commelinids, in the monocots...
s, cottonwood
Cottonwood
Populus section Aigeiros is a section of three species in the genus Populus, the poplars. Commonly known as cottonwoods, the species are native to North America, Aigeiros and western Asia. In the past, as many as six species were recognized, but recent trends have been to accept just three species,...
, pacific crabapple, red alder
Red Alder
Alnus rubra, the Red alder, is a deciduous broadleaf tree native to western North America.-Description:It is the largest species of alder in North America and one of the largest in the world, reaching heights of 20–35 m. The official tallest red alder stands 32 meters tall in Clatsop County, Oregon...
, douglas fir, and western red cedar. Some common animal species are: Mergansers, Canada geese, bufflehead
Bufflehead
The Bufflehead is a small American sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Anas albeola.-Description:...
s, bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s, osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, pumpkinseed sunfish
Pumpkinseed
The pumpkinseed sunfish is a freshwater fish of the sunfish family of order Perciformes. It is also referred to as "pond perch", "common sunfish", "punkys", and "sunny".-Range and distribution:...
, river otter
River otter
River otter may refer to:*River Otter, a river in Devon*European Otter*Japanese River Otter*Neotropical River Otter*North American River Otter, a common animal in North American waterways*Southern River Otter, found in Chile and Argentina...
s, red-winged blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
The Red-winged Blackbird is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras, and...
s (which is British Columbia's provincial bird), savannah sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
The Savannah Sparrow is a small American sparrow. It is the only widely accepted member of the genus Passerculus...
s, Columbia black-tailed deer
Black-tailed Deer
Two forms of black-tailed deer or blacktail deer occupying coastal temperate rainforest on North America's Pacific coast are subspecies of the mule deer. They have sometimes been treated as a species, but virtually all recent authorities maintain they are subspecies...
, red-legged frog
Red-legged Frog
The Red-legged Frog, a threatened native species in Oregon, is a common name for a particular kind of frog of the west coast of North America. The Red-legged Frog requires stream side, woodland environments for survival...
s, yellow warbler
Yellow Warbler
Dendroica petechia is a New World warbler species or superspecies; the subspecies group around D. aestiva is increasingly treated as good species Dendroica aestiva again. The name for the entire cryptic species complex is Mangrove Warbler, and another group of subspecies is known as Golden Warbler...
s, chestnut-backed chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
The Chestnut-backed Chickadee is a small passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae....
s, screech owl, and lastly, the giant bullfrog, which is an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
and a huge concern.
There are five main groups who interact with the lake: Equestrians, fishers, water skiers, the general public, and rowers.
The Equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
centre is located on the west side of the lake. Here people can come to exercise and train their horses in the tranquility of nature. Trails are open from sunrise to sunset.
Fishers are a common sight on Elk/Beaver Lake. From the pre-dawn fishers to the twilight hunters, this group uses the area constantly. Unfortunately, the angler
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
s and rowers often come into close contact. Rowers consistently come near fishing boats and even those anglers on shore. It is quite common for the rowing community to tangle fishing lines, crash into angler boats and generally get in the way. While numerous attempts have been made to develop a strategy that compromises both parties the rowers continue to take the position that it is "their lake" and any anglers can leave it. Last, but not least, the general public loves a weekend retreat to the lake. With no camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
allowed, families come out for a Saturday morning hike
Hike
Hike may refer to:* Hiking, walking lengthy distances in the countryside or wilderness* Hiking , moving a sailor's body weight as far to windward as possible, in order to counteract the force of the wind pushing sideways against the boat's sails* Alternative spelling for Heka , an Egyptian god*...
on the easy trails around the lake or a Sunday picnic and swim at one of the beaches. A 10 km trail around Elk and Beaver Lakes is popular with the local running community.
The Victoria City Rowing Club
Victoria City Rowing Club
The Victoria City Rowing Club is a non-profit rowing club located at Elk Lake in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.VCRC offers a variety of recreational and seasonal rowing programs and services including programs for beginners, corporate retreats, customized training camps, and private coaching...
boathouse is located on the South East corner of Elk Lake. Currently the boathouse has five bays with a second story above bay one. Here, young and old come together to learn, get fit and be competitive. They row all times of the day, starting with University crews at 5:30 am and usually ending with club and high school crews around 6:00 pm.
Boathouse issue
The major issue concerning Elk/Beaver lake today is the proposed renewal for the rowing boathouseBoathouse
A boathouse is a building especially designed for the storage of boats, normally smaller craft for sports or leisure use. These are typically located on open water, such as on a river. Often the boats stored are rowing boats...
which is home to the Victoria City Rowing Club
Victoria City Rowing Club
The Victoria City Rowing Club is a non-profit rowing club located at Elk Lake in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.VCRC offers a variety of recreational and seasonal rowing programs and services including programs for beginners, corporate retreats, customized training camps, and private coaching...
, the Greater Victoria Youth Rowing Society, the University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
, and the Victoria Training Centre. There are three main phases to the renewal: Phase one would be to add another level above boat bays four and five. Phase two would be to build a work shop behind bays one, two and three, effectively moving it out of bay one to create more storage space. The final stage would be to add another dock
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
for on water storage of coach and safety boats. This could potentially have a huge effect on the surrounding riparian zone
Riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
which would, by definition, influence the aquatic ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
and play a role in soil conservation and biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
.
However, according to the environmental assessment
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
, the proposed method of action will have little to no effect on the surrounding wetlands as the development will be in an area where the land has already been altered due to past infrastructure. However, a review of the proposal by the Ministry of Environment
Minister of the Environment (Canada)
The Minister of the Environment is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's environment department, Environment Canada...
, Fisheries Management Branch indicated that both the environmental and user impact assessments were inadequate and missed important existing information sources. For example, the reported angling use data in the user impact assessment were outdated and the actual data from more recent work done by the Ministry of Environment regional office in Nanaimo indicated a much greater use by anglers. Unfortunately the contractor hired to complete the report neglected to make any inquiries regarding angling use information to either the Ministry of Environment office in Victoria or Nanaimo. A public open house meeting in Victoria was attended by many rowing advocates who supported the renewal plan, which would see increased storage space to accommodate the large numbers of boats that are currently stored outside. Along with rowing advocates there were just as many anglers and water skiing enthusiasts who opposed the renewal. It was pointed out that in the original management plan for the lake a stipulation was made that there would be no further expansion of the rowing facility on the lake.
Green
Green politics
Green politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
building technologies
Environmental technology
Environmental technology or green technology or clean technology is the application of one or more of environmental science, green chemistry, environmental monitoring and electronic devices to monitor, model and conserve the natural environment and resources, and to curb the negative impacts of...
are to be used in development and the current structure is going to be updated to conserve water and energy.
Although the development will be environmentally friendly and sound, it will be economically challenging for the club compared to if they were less conscious of the riparian zone
Riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...
. This is typical of the sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
triangle: it is nearly impossible to provide for social values, economics and the environment. In this case, the only aspect that will be negatively affected is economics. Rowers will have a better facility to train from and therefore have more chance to excel and the general public (which is the largest of the stake holding groups) will have more opportunity to observe rowing and they will have new, clean facilities to use while frequenting the park. The equestrians are not really affected by the renewal but because the new facilities will be built in accordance with social values, and will not have much of an impact on the park, they are in favour.
Elk/ Beaver Lake Regional Park provides many people with a chance to enjoy nature and an area for recreation and fun. Social values and beliefs ensure the area's integrity by helping to protect the riparian zone and environment even if it has high demands economically.
External links
- Greater Victoria Youth Rowing Society Youth School Rowing Club Southern Vancouver Island BC, District #63
- State of Water Quality of Elk and Beaver Lakes 1986-1995
- Saanich Peninsula area, Elk and Beaver Lakes water quality assessment and objectives 1992