Several Lacombe Lake area residents and users of the lake are not impressed with an application before Alberta Environment seeking approval for the Town of Blackfalds to divert stormwater into the lake.
Anita Alexander has fond childhood memories of growing up at the lake, and she continues to return to the lake every summer to enjoy canoeing, swimming, and the migratory birds.
She says this application puts the health of a beautiful lake at risk.
“Our lake has absolutely no connection to the Town of Blackfalds, we did not create the problem of stormwater that Blackfalds has created itself and we want nothing to do with all of the contaminants that would be coming into the lake from stormwater runoff”.
Alexander says despite the Town of Blackfalds plans to treat the stormwater, it would still be detrimental to the health of the lake.
“Running into where they want to run it in at the south end of the Lake is where the natural springs of Lacombe Lake are located and we believe that those beautiful springs which my father wrote about, he was a wonderful steward of this lake for decades, and he said if anybody tampers with those springs, that will be the death of Lacombe Lake. I do believe that we will be looking at the death of a parkland gem”.
Stormwater carries phosphorous and nitrogen from lawn fertilizer run off, and toxins from vehicles that wash off streets, plus Lacombe Lake is already experiencing high water levels according to Alexander.
With so many Blackfalds residents coming to enjoy the lake and the Trans Canada Trail System, Alexander says the Town of Blackfalds should be more concerned in preserving the pristine environment.
There was an open house on the application at Lacombe County Office last night (June 15th).
(Anita Alexander posted these signs around Lacombe Lake to encourage users and area residents to attend a public open house on the application on June 15th)
Thu, Apr 25, 7:00 PM
Full-time, Administrative, Professionals