Quality Control
Arbour Lake, like the nine other Calgary residential lakes, is a
man made lake fed by City of Calgary water. Unlike a natural lake,
it has a liner and a managed eco-system. Water quality is the number
one issue for the ALRA. Two samples per week are sent to the Provincial
Lab for testing and the results of these tests are monitored by
Calgary Regional Health Authority. The water quality guidelines
are very strict in Calgary, and if our water samples show any changes,
the ALRA is informed and immediate measures are taken to correct
the situation.
Control of geese and gulls is always a concern. Bird droppings cause fecal coliform counts to rise; birds
can also bring leeches to the lake. Although Arbour Lake has been visited by many geese, only one pair
has mated and stayed. Measures for discouraging sea gulls have worked well so far. This brings up the
importance of our lake shore and lake access residents being partners in caring for the lake. In regard
to geese and gulls, please do your best to keep them away. Tinfoil pie plates on fences seem to
discourage gulls, and apparently a low rope fence along the shoreline prevents geese from crossing. We
hope to discourage them from nesting by using these methods and in general, just chasing them away.
Other lakes have had also had success with kites and tapes of injured seagull cries. But most of all,
do not feed the birds, since it really encourages them to stay. If you have been to Prince´s Island
Park over the past year or two, you will know the effects caused by the droppings of their large bird
population.
Since it is hard for the wind to turn over the water in a small
lake to aerate it, it is necessary to introduce oxygen in other
ways. At Arbour Lake, this is accomplished by the use of three submersible
fountains, placed in strategic locations in the lake to aerate and
circulate the water. A rock and stream feature also runs in the
northwest corner of the lake.
Our water quality has been excellent to date and the ALRA is committed to keeping the lake healthy for
the community. We take a proactive stance on water quality and try to avoid the use of chemicals.
Balanced Environment
Although some people like to look down to the bottom of the lake and exclaim at how clear and clean it is,
that is not always the sign of a healthy lake. A certain amount of weed and algae growth provides habitat
and food for fish. It is a balancing act to keep the environment suited for fish, yet not overgrown.
Lawn and garden fertilizers can cause an overgrowth of vegetation in the lake. That occasional foam you
see gathering on the lake shore during storms is composed of phosphates contained in fertilizer and
detergents. Here again we need some help from the residents who surround the lake. It is important
to be prudent in the use of lawn fertilizers. Because your yards slope to the water, fertilizers can
end up in the lake. In general, liquid fertilizers are the best idea if you must fertilize. Because
they are absorbed rapidly, there is less chance of runoff. Granular fertilizers, on the other hand,
take much longer to be absorbed, and can be washed into the lake very easily by watering or rainfall.
And, if you own a dog, make sure you pick up dog droppings daily. In the same way as fertilizer
wash-down, rain and watering will carry contamination from dogs into the lake.
Arbour Lake as a Fishery
We stock our lake three times per year with hardy Rainbow Trout that are nurtured in natural
spring-fed ponds on the Elbow River. Our fish also winter well and ice anglers are active
throughout the winter. Although many fish are taken home each year, a large number of our anglers
practice catch-and-release. Most sport anglers are quite concerned with habitat health and they keep
us up to date on fish condition and the condition of the habitat in general.
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