Quality

 

Here is a short video on the nutrient cycle and how eutrophication becomes a problem. This outlines how important it is to be careful with how much fertilizer you use on your lawn. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLbDbmmV6Qc&feature=youtu.be

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Arbour Lake, like the other Calgary residential lakes, is a man made lake. Unlike a natural lake, it has a liner and a managed eco-system. Water quality is the number one issue for the ALRA. One sample 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.  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. We have 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.

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UPDATE:

We have stepped up our program to bring Arbour Lake the best quality of water possible. This year we changed our diffuser system. We had 2 very old diffusers and now have installed 6 brand new diffusers. Our lake visibility has been nothing short of amazing this year with days where we have 18 feet of visibility. Our oxygen levels have never been as good as they are now in over 7 years.