Williams Lake will keep its lake harvester and apply political pressure to get a permit to use it despite a recommendation from staff to sell it.
The city purchased the machine used for $30,000 in the fall of 2021 and after that spent another $93,000 for maintenance, training and required studies about the lake. The hope was the harvester would reduce lake vegetation for swimmers and boaters.
In a report council received at the regular meeting Tuesday, Jan. 30, Rob Warnock, manager of development services, noted a survey done of the entire lake in June 2022 indicated all aquatic vegetation in the lake is native and provides habitat for several native wildlife species, including species at-risk.
Removal for the sole of purpose of aesthetic improvement is not supported by provincial or federal agencies, he said.
Council debated the issue for 40 minutes during the meeting, voting all in favour in the end to continue to support the lake harvester program and pursue support from the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship for a permit to use it.
“By hook or by crook, if we have to go to UBCM (Union of B.C. Municipalities) or the minister’s office we will do it,” Mayor Surinderpal Rathor said. “This community deserves a better lake.”
Councillors Scott Nelson and Sheila Boehm, who were both on council when the harvester was purchased, spoke in favour of continuing the program.
“There was pressure from the community to open up the lake,” said Nelson. “I don’t support cancelling it. It’s what the community wants.”
He complained about the ministry’s “zero cooperation” around permitting while Boehm said the ministry’s goal posts kept moving.
Boehm said because there are painted turtles at Scout Island, biologists rode along on the lake harvester when staff did a trial run in October 2021.
“We did everything we had to do,” she said.
Rathor said in the past there were problems with seepage coming into the lake from South Lakeside and that is why the area joined the city’s water and sewer system in the late 1990s.
He did say there are other areas where seepage is coming into the lake now.
Rathor said Warnock and CAO Gary Muraca get more messages about weeds in the lake than snow clearing.
If council wants to continue to purse getting a permit for the lake harvester program, Warnock said the city will have to pay for a new impact assessment report and environmental management plan for approximately $12,000.
Coun. Angie Delainey said she did not support spending anymore money on the program.
“Williams Lake has painted turtles, it has an estuary. I do not want to spend any more taxation from our people on this,” she said. “We should have done the research way before we purchased a frickin’ weed harvester.”
Coun. Michael Moses agreed, saying he did not like the idea of spending money for “something that is not good for our local environment.”
Moses did, however, say he would represent all of council if a resolution were sent to the Northern Central Local Government Association (NCLGA) pushing for the necessary permit to use the lake harvester.
Coun. Jazmyn Lyons said if it was brand new she would not support it, but because the city has thrown so much money into it already she was in favour of giving it another try.
The first motion to sell the harvester was defeated, although Delainey and Moses voted in favour.
Coun. Joan Flaspohler was not in attendance at the meeting.
Muraca said Williams Lake is a eutrophic lake, which means it is rich in nutrients, and is not ever going to be clear.
The city, he noted, wanted to create a balance between recreation and safety by removing vegetation from the lake near the boat ramps and the aerodrome, where float planes can dock.
Initially the city received a two-year permit from the Ministry of Environment to remove aquatic vegetation in a limited area beside the Scout Island boat launch and beach and the small aerodrome off Duncan Road.
Harvesting had to be done between Oct. 15 and 30 before the lake froze.
Warnock noted in October 2021, the harvester was in the lake for five hours total, harvesting approximately 50 kg of aquatic vegetation.
It has not be in the water again since then.
READ MORE: To sink or swim: Williams Lake considers lake harvester’s future
READ MORE: City of Williams Lake receives limited permit to use lake weed harvester
