Thanksgiving News

Boating season is almost over. The July and August weather was well below average but hopefully you got enough lake time. Reflecting on the past season, CVBA made progress with our objectives of boater education and advocating for boaters rights. We launched our Boater's Responsibility Code which seeks to better organize traffic patterns and lake behaviour. This will improve boating conditions and enjoyment for all lake users. We have also worked hard to counteract repeated inaccurate messaging from anti-boating groups and increase our influence with decisions makers. We are thankful for your support.

Myth Busters. The photo above shows the lake bottom being disturbed by wind generated waves. Sediment is being stirred up and transported. This photo was taken on an average windy day near Shadybrook Resort. Similar sediment disruption occurs at many lake locations when the wind blows. Lake Windermere Ambassadors and Wildsight are frequently blaming boats for sediment disruption and using this to fuel their anti-boating campaign. They fail to mention the impact of wind and that sediment disruption is a naturally occuring phenomenon. The fact is that wind generated waves are much more frequent than boat waves. Boats create waves only on limited parts of the lake, for about three months a year, and only on select good weather boating days. On the other hand, the wind can create waves eight months a year, 24 hours a day, and over the entire lake. If sediment disruption is really that critical, should we ban the wind?

We cannot influence the wind, but we can influence boating habits. Our Boater's Responsibility Code contains several best practices to avoid sediment disruption. Let's do our part by staying away from shallow areas and shorelines, and being mindful of where your wake goes and its impact.

---

Our CVBA website has recently been completely rebuilt. Everything is new, with more information and a better layout. Click the link at the bottom of this newsletter to check it out. Thank-you to AchieveIT www.achieveit.ca of Calgary for their great work on this project! Now would be a great time to refer your lake friends to the CVBA.