Recreational Lake Water Quality

Posted on by Shannon Cowan

Are you a swimmer? Do you enjoy boating and fishing? You may be interested in recreational lake water quality reports.

Summer on Salt Spring Island offers up five lake swimming options that have a form of “public” beach access:

  • St. Mary Lake* – also a drinking water source lake
  • Cusheon Lake* – also a drinking water source lake
  • Blackburn Lake
  • Stowell Lake*
  • Weston Lake – also a drinking water source lake

*   June – September sampling on these * 3 lakes is conducted by a collaboration of Capital Regional District and Island Health. The results are posted on the South Salt Spring Island Lakes Beach Reports for Swimming Safety (by Lake Name) : click here

Weston Lake sampling is conducted by the CRD for the Fulford Water Service Area and results are posted:  click here  You will need to enter the three dropdown menu fields to select Gulf Islands, and the Water Service Area of your choice.

Blackburn Lake, Bullock Lake and Rosemurgie Lake are not sampled for water quality although Bullock Lake is monitored for lake level variation by an automated datalogger. For more information on the Salt Spring Island Groundwater Preservation project and lake level monitoring please contact Island Trust.