The SWC is a group, funded through the CSRD and other communities within the watershed, that works to monitor and maintain the quality of water throughout the Shuswap watershed. Over the last 5 years they’ve been involved in water sampling throughout the lakes system. They’ve also worked with UBC Okanagan staff, students and researchers to identify the source and amount of identified pollutants that are entering the lakes.

Phosphorus is a potential problem when there is too much of it. This is has been shown to mainly come from the Salmon and Shuswap rivers, likely due to agriculture operations along those shores. Over the last year the SWC has worked with farmers along those rivers to reduce the runoff that enters the rivers.

Here is a video that describes the Water Quality Grant Program that was launched early in 2020. The goal of the grant program is to provide financial assistance to farmers who are working on improving their on-farm nutrient management. Keeping nutrients such as phosphorus on the land and in the soil (and not washing off in rain, snowmelt, or flooding) is a win-win situation for the farms and for our water quality.

Settle in for five minutes and watch the full video.