Information about lake recreational safety and beach reports
South Salt Spring Island Lakes Beach Reports for Swimming Safety (by Lake Name) : click here
Related Island Health info: click here
In 2019 – onward the level change lake monitoring is as follows:
Islands Trust Groundwater Preservation Project:
Bullock Lake, Cusheon Lake, Stowell Lake, Weston Lake
North Salt Spring Waterworks District:
Maxwell Lake, St. Mary Lake
Lake levels
Three Salt Spring Island drinking water source lake levels were reported at SSIWPA. Levels are posted here ending in spring 2019.
St. Mary Lake
Click here for most recent data posted by North Salt Spring Waterworks District.
Level:
January 23, 2019 = 40.944m asl
December 20, 2018 = 40.645 metres above sea level (m asl)
October 24, 2018 =40.188 metres above sea level
September 5, 2018 = 40.211* metres above sea level
August 22, 2018 = 40.277 metres above sea level
July 25, 2018 = 40.435 metres above sea level
May 25, 2018 = 40.708 metres above sea level
February 22, 2018 = 40.87 metres above sea level
*This is approximately 3 cm higher than the same time of year in 2015 and 2009, two droughty years.
Precipitation:
In July 2018, 1.0mm of rain was reported at St. Mary Lake weather station.
In both May 2018 and February 2018 rainfall at St. Mary Lake weather station was less than 50% seasonal average.
Other water quality notes:
There have been no reported cyanotoxins in the raw St. Mary Lake water to date in 2018.
NSSWD publishes results of testing for cyanotoxins in St. Mary Lake raw (and treated) water, here.
Maxwell Lake
Level:
January 23, 2019 = 314.885 m asl
December 20, 2018 = 314.564 m asl (metres above sea level)
October 24, 2018 = 314.045 metres above sea level
September 6, 2018 = 314.114 metres above sea level
This is approximately 5cm higher than in drought years 2014 and 2009, at the same time of year.
For archival data, please refer to the North Salt Spring Waterworks District website, here.
Cusheon Lake
Level:
December, 2018 onward: Lake level data are now being collected as part of the Groundwater Preservation Project Charter at Islands Trust. These are collected every 15 minutes by an automated device at a single site on Cusheon Lake.
The data hydrographs showing change in lake level over time will be linked here when they become available in a report form to Local Trust Committee (lead agency) and to SSIWPA (interim expected summer 2019 and final in early 2020).
Nov. 23, 2018 = 92.478 m asl
Sept 6, 2018 and also on Sept 19, 2018 = 92.354 m above sea level.
July 20, 2018 = 92.568 m above sea level.
June 4, 2018 = 92.682 m above sea level.
Secchi disk:
No reading was reported at SSIWPA for December, 2018 – January, 2019
Nov. 23, 2018 was visible to 5m.
Sept 19, 2018 was visible to 4.8 metres. (with noticeable algae)
July 20, 2018 was visible to 4.75 metres. (The higher the number, the greater the water clarity.)
A report by CRD Aquatic Ecology laboratory showed Cryptosporidium cysts on May 11, 2018.
The CRD website has data for all CRD-managed water systems on Salt Spring Island.
Full reports delivered by the Beddis Water Service Area representative in SSIWPA meetings are posted here.