What is Killing Pigeon Lake and Other Lakes
Published by It should be noted that while this information is written in regards to Pigeon Lake, Alberta, it may also have some valid points for dying lakes elsewhere.
Pigeon Lake, Alberta, is a dying lake. “Can it be Saved?” is a hotly debated question particularly when some body seem reluctant to admit there is a problem, even when dead fish have been washing up on the beaches for the past few years.
Fingers are being pointed, tourists blame farmers, farmers blame home owners, nearly everyone blames the natives.
In truth everyone is right to some degree, and everyone is wrong. Ultimately doing nothing and going around pointing fingers is also a large part of the problem. For the record my concern here is as an environmentally aware individual who lives near, but not on, Pigeon Lake.
photo by author, taken in 2008
Factors Contributing to the Death of the Lake
Agricultural runoff is a contributing factor to the death of the lake, however with improved manure management this concern is lessening every year.
Home owners share the blame in more than one way. Firstly, many are responsible for polluting the lake due to the use of chemicals on their lawn and garden. They may have a green lawn, but in the past we have seen this contributes to a green lake – one filled with algae blooms.
The pesticides used by homeowners have washed into the lakes, and these too have take their toll, more so on the wildlife than the “lake” itself. Another impact on wildlife is when the shoreline is destroyed by homeowners. The shoreline is what gives young fish safe places for growing, a pristine shoreline, means fewer fish live to maturity.
Natives (part of Pigeon Lake is on a native reserve) and Homeowners alike are accused of being neglectful, and cheap, with their own human waste. In the summer of 2010 their was a swimming warning posted due to the fact of the high human fecal count in the water. This count is not the result of one or two people using the lake as a bathroom it is the result of people draining their septic systems into the lake.
Homeowners blamed the natives, and indeed while this may not be totally incorrect, a certain number of home owners are also to blame. Not every home owner has their septic tank pumped out, so clearly their waste is going someplace else. Some have even bragged (I guess they didn’t know I write for an Internet site) that they have cracked their septic tanks, allowing waste to seep out the bottom.
Liked it
On October 11, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Liked this article. Well done
On October 11, 2010 at 6:52 pm
an eye-opening article to spread the awareness to save these majestic lakes from pollution and drying up. the photoso f the fish skeletons especially are disturbing but have to be shown to make people realise what is happening in the real world. i will defiantely make my contribution following your ‘what to do’ section in the end. thanks very much, Brenda, for sharing. beautiful and fact-based professional work from you as always.
On October 11, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Hopefully this lake can recuperate! Thanks for sharing.
On October 11, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Good Post.
On October 11, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Nice Share.
On October 11, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Good Workl
On October 11, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Nice Post…..
Thanks for share.
On October 11, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Good Work
On October 11, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Lakes here in Kenya are also dying due to global warming.
On October 12, 2010 at 12:01 am
Nicely written and informative article.
On October 12, 2010 at 2:01 am
I hope the lake is saved.
Inna
On October 12, 2010 at 2:59 am
Such a sad loss already. I do hope that articles like this will bring more attention to the many natural resources that we are losing in stupidity and carelessness. I’m not a “tree huger” by any means, but I do have the sense to know that we can’t use and misuse recklessly and have anything left worthwhile. Excellent article!
On October 12, 2010 at 6:21 am
Not only lakes but rivers as well are dying in our country. thanks to those illegal settlers that share much of the garbage that pollute these water system. An eye-opening article.
On October 12, 2010 at 9:54 am
very good article
On October 12, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Bea, how terrible that anyone would crack their septic to let waste out. I hope “someone” reports them to officials.
On October 14, 2010 at 11:25 am
One thing I have noticed about raising awareness, people may just be very concerned but don’t know what to do. What are some of the things that people can do? I often find this with myself, you can be very concerned and troubled but the author does not give points to follow for action. Our days are busy yet these are dangerous happenings. There are many people wo have no clue how to contact government officials, advocate etc. At the same time there are those who couldn’t care less. What to do?
On May 3, 2011 at 11:13 am
Thanks for raising the alarm. As you know, you aren’t the first and you hopefully, won’t be the last. In addition to your suggestions for resident homeowners and farmers, there’s also something that government can do such as stopping the draining of the lake by the Provincial Park sewage system which was documented by Tagish Engineering to be taking 5500 gallons per day out of the lake do to infiltration into their sewage lines. The Mulhurst (NEPL) sewage system also is a major culprit with both spillage of raw sewage into the lake and infiltration taking water from the lake. A government order to immediately stop these two problems would have a dramatic, immediate effect.