• To ensure compliance with Saskatchewan Surface Water Quality Objectives for Recreation and Aesthetics and for the protection of Aquatic Life.
• To gather baseline physical and chemical parameter data that can be used for comparisons over time to determine trends and to monitor any parameter changes.

This program utilizes volunteers at each of the lakes to aid with the survey and to provide boat transportation to the sampling locations. The District of Lakeland No. 521 thanks for following individuals: Al Christensen at Anglin Lake, Wayne Bartel at Christopher Lake and Pauline Smith at McPhee Lake.

Four sampling trips were made to Christopher, and McPhee Lakes and five were made to Anglin Lake to collect physical parameter data at the baseline sites located centrally on each of the lakes. The depth integrated data collected at each site by a YSI multiparameter meter included water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity. As well, the water transparency and total depth was measured at each site using a Secchi disk.

All the data collected during the summer at Anglin, Christopher and McPhee Lakes met the provincial objectives for Recreation and Aesthetics and for the protection of Aquatic Life. In September, a water sample was obtained at the baseline site at these three lakes which was analyzed by the Saskatchewan Research Council in Saskatoon for physical and chemical parameters. The chemical analyte data collected at all of the sampling locations remained very consistent with the previous years data obtained at these sites. At all three locations, the transparency data collected was plotted along with the known historical data. It was noted that there is a downward trend in the Christopher Lake transparency over the last ten years while Anglin and McPhee Lakes show a slight increase in their transparency trends.

The regular Emma Lakes annual sampling program was also maintained with additional physical parameter, transparency measurements and nutrient sampling conducted to supplement the ongoing Ecosystem study on the three Emma Lakes initiated in 2018. The area experienced lower than average precipitation and many days with the air temperature exceeding 30 degrees Celsius that contributed to numerous algal blooms over the summer. Four members of the District Environmental Advisory Committee; Keith Dahl, Daryl Jessop, Tom Laxdal and Wayne Hyde collected the additional bi-weekly transparency readings on all three f the Emma Lakes. Three migratory bird surveys were also conducted over the summer.

Wayne Hyde                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Environmental Advisory Committee

• To ensure compliance with Saskatchewan Surface Water Quality Objectives for Recreation and Aesthetics and for the protection of Aquatic Life.
• To gather baseline physical and chemical parameter data that can be used for comparisons over time to determine trends and to monitor any parameter changes

Three sampling trips were made to Anglin, Christopher, and McPhee lakes to collect physical parameter data at sites located centrally on each of the lakes.  Data collected at each site included water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and transparency data (Secchi depth).  In September, a water sample was collected at Anglin, Christopher, and McPhee Lakes which was analyzed by the Saskatchewan Research Council in Saskatoon.

This program utilizes volunteers at each of the lakes to aid with the survey and to provide boat transportation to the sampling locations.  The District of Lakeland thanks the following individuals:  Al Christensen at Anglin Lake, Wayne Bartel at Christopher Lake and Pauline Smith at McPhee Lake.

The 2020 data collected at all the sampling locations remained very consistent with the previous years data obtained at these sites.  All the data collected met the provincial objectives for Recreation and Aesthetics and for the protection of Aquatic Life.

Emma Lake was also monitored in 2020 as part of the Nutrient study initiated in 2018 in partnership with Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the North Saskatchewan River Basin Council.  Four members of the District Environmental Advisory Committee; Keith Dahl, Daryl Jessop, Tom Laxdal and Wayne Hyde along with a SaskPoly student collected weekly transparency readings on all three of the Emma lakes.  The normal physical data collected with a multimeter at all three of the Emma lakes was done weekly and several migratory bird surveys were also conducted.  The data from this three-year study will be analyzed over the winter.

Wayne Hyde
Environmental Advisory Committee

In 2019, three sampling trips were made to Anglin, Christopher, and McPhee lakes to collect physical parameter data at sites located centrally on each of the lakes.  At each of these sites a depth profile method was used to collect data on the following parameters in the water column: water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and transparency data (Secchi depth).  In September, a water sample was collected at Anglin, Christopher, and McPhee Lakes which was analyzed by the Saskatchewan Research Council in Saskatoon.

This program utilizes volunteers at each of the lakes to provide assistance and boat transportation to the sampling locations.  The District of Lakeland thanks the following individuals:  Al Christensen at Anglin Lake, Wayne Bartel at Christopher Lake and Pauline Smith, Craig Foster and Hugh Danberg at McPhee Lake.

The 2019 data collected at all the sampling locations remained consistent with the previous data obtained at these sites.  All the data collected met the provincial objectives for Recreation and Aesthetics and for the protection of Aquatic Life.

Emma Lake was also monitored in 2019 as part of the Nutrient study initiated in 2018 in partnership with Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the North Saskatchewan River Basin Council.  Besides the normal physical data collected as has been the yearly practise, additional nutrient, plankton net samples and transparency readings were taken for analysis.

Wayne Hyde

Environmental Advisory Committee

In 2018, three sampling trips were made to Anglin, Christopher, and McPhee lakes to collect physical parameter data at sites located centrally on each of the lakes.  At each of these sites a depth profile method was used to collect data on the following parameters in the water column: water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity and transparency data (Secchi depth).  In September, a water sample was collected at Anglin, Christopher, and McPhee Lakes which was analyzed by the Saskatchewan Research Council in Saskatoon.

This program utilizes a number of volunteers at each of the lakes to provide assistance and boat transportation to the sampling locations.  The District of Lakeland thanks the following individuals:  Al Christensen at Anglin Lake, Wayne Bartel at Christopher Lake and Pauline Smith, Craig Foster and Rob Thurmeir at McPhee Lake.

The 2018 data collected at all the sampling locations remained consistent with the previous data obtained at these sites.  All the data collected met the provincial objectives for Recreation and Aesthetics and for the protection of Aquatic Life.

Emma Lake was also monitored in 2018 as part of the Nutrient study initiated in partnership with Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the North Saskatchewan River Basin Council.  Besides the normal physical data collected as has been the yearly practise, weekly transparency readings were taken on all three lakes for analysis.

Wayne Hyde

Environmental Advisory Committee

This program utilizes a number of volunteers at each of the lakes to provide assistance and boat transportation to the sampling locations. The District of Lakeland thanks the following individuals: Al Christensen at Anglin Lake, Wayne Bartel at Christopher Lake, Wayne Hyde at Emma Lake, and Pauline and Louis Smith and Craig Foster at McPhee Lake.

The 2017 data collected at all of the sampling locations remained consistent with the previous data obtained at these sites. All of the data collected met the provincial objectives for Recreation and Aesthetics and for the protection of Aquatic Life.

During the 2017 season, weed and algae growth but primarily algae growth on Emma Lake was the dominant concern raised by cottage owners to the District office. Some of the shallow bays on Emma Lake and the second or middle lake experienced heavy and highly visible algae blooms. The Water Security Agency water quality section was consulted on numerous occasions and they indicated that this higher than normal algae condition occurred throughout the province on a large number of lakes this season. They also indicated that the prime contributors to this growth on prairie lakes with high natural nutrient levels was a long period of warm temperatures and low precipitation.

Wayne Hyde
Environmental Advisory Committee

This program utilizes a number of volunteers at each of the lakes to provide assistance and boat transportation to the sampling locations. The District of Lakeland thanks the following individuals: Al Christensen at Anglin Lake, Rick Johnson and John Tuchek at Christopher Lake, Wayne Hyde at Emma Lake, and Louis Smith at McPhee Lake.

The 2015 data collected at all of the sampling locations remained consistent with the previous data obtained at these sites. All of the data collected met the provincial objectives for Recreation and Aesthetics and for the protection of Aquatic Life. As nutrients are a common water quality indicator, in 2012 the WSA recommended that additional analysis for nutrients be added to the program and that has been done for the years 2012 – 2015. Very little change has been observed in these values over this period.

Wayne Hyde
Environmental Advisory Committee
February 2016

This program utilizes a number of volunteers at each of the lakes to provide assistance and boat transportation to the sampling locations. The District of Lakeland thanks the following individuals: Al Christensen at Anglin Lake, Rick Johnson and John Tuchek at Christopher Lake, Wayne Hyde at Emma Lake, and Louis Smith and Ray Johnson at McPhee Lake. The 2014 data collected at all of the sampling locations remained consistent with the previous data obtained at these sites. All of the data collected met the provincial objectives for Recreation and Aesthetics and for the protection of Aquatic Life. As nutrients are a common
water quality indicator, in 2012 the WSA recommended that additional analysis for nutrients be added to the program and that has been done for the years 2012 – 2014. Very little change has been observed in these value over this period

There were also a number of reports of increased algae and weed growth at some beaches on Emma Lake during the summer. In response to this, the District obtained samples in July of inflow to the south end of Emma Lake that was passing through ponds between South Shore Drive and the lake. These samples were analysed by the Saskatchewan Research Council in Saskatoon for nutrients and the results were very similar to those obtained at locations in Emma Lake sampled in September.

Wayne Hyde
Environmental Advisory Committee
February 2015