Following a presentation from the International Rainy – Lake of the Woods Watershed Board in Washington D.C., the International Joint Commission endorsed and submitted the Board’s recommendations for immediate interim phosphorus reductions in Lake of the Woods to the Governments of Canada and the United States. 

Read the full June 13, 2018 IJC Press Release on "Immediate Interim Phosphorus Targets Recommended for Lake of the Woods"

Background Document:  IJC Letter to Governments

water samplerThe science team from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) was back on the lake in September for their fall intensive sampling, rounding out their work for the entire summer.  The ECCC science program aims to develop a framework to assess and predict the ecological response of the lake (e.g., algae blooms) to potential nutrient load reductions.

Ongoing water quality and other data were collected from 30 stations across the lake.  Issue-specific work was also undertaken to better characterize: nutrients coming from the lake bottom, algae types and toxins.

LakeAssocCitizen science, partnerships and the valuable role of volunteer organizations in lake stewardship, nutrient reduction and aquatic invasive species prevention was the focus of a one-day workshop for lake associations, held by the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation, September 11 at Sunny Cove camp on the shores of Rainy Lake. 

The Foundation’s watershed coordination program received a booster shot in the arm from the Lake Winnipeg Basin Program of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation will receive approximately $250,000 over the next four years to help develop its watershed coordination program to create knowledge sharing networks, increase public engagement and collaboration, and build capacity for organizations and groups working on nutrient reduction for the Lake of the Woods Basin. 

The pdf Proceeedings Report of the 2018 International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum (5.73 MB) is now available.

Lake of the Woods and its watershed went under the microscope at the 2018 International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum, March 7-8 at the Rainy River Community College in International Falls, Minnesota. The auditorium was jam-packed with close to 170 researchers, resource managers and policy makers representing 72 organizations – a record attendance!

Clare Nelligan, Battigelli Award Recipient 2018Clare Nelligan, PhD. candidate at Queen's University, is the recipient of the 2018 Deborah Battigelli Memorial Award. Presented by the Foundation, this Award provides financial assistance to graduate students to present their research at the annual International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum.

Clare will deliver the Deborah Battigelli Memorial presentation at the Forum with a talk titled "Long-term trends in dissolved oxygen, nutrients and primary production in embayments of Lake of the Woods that support lake trout".

Sentinel 2 satellite Lake of the Woods October 20, 2018The view from space is compelling with blue green algae blooms covering most of the lake in late summer and fall as can be seen in this European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel satellite image from October.

A new generation of satellite sensors came on line this year – delivering high resolution detection and tracking of algae blooms. 

At our Watershed Forum in March, Dr. Caren Binding (Environment and Climate Change Canada) will present a preliminary report on her work on Lake of the Woods to develop near real time severity assessment and tracking of algae blooms.

Lake of the Woods issue of Lake and Reservoir ManagementYou’ve got until March 15th to download for free, some of the seminal research that is unlocking the mystery of what is causing algae blooms on Lake of the Woods.

Our science partners working on Lake of the Woods have put together a special issue of the Journal of Lake and Reservoir Management (Volume 33, Issue 4) devoted entirely to Lake of the Woods with free public access to this paid-subscription scientific journal. View online or Download pdf files of the research papers until March 15 at: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ulrm20/33/4

  1. Thanks to Our Supporters
  2. One watershed: One Plan
  3. Storm drain stenciling: Engaging youth in protecting our water
  4. Lake of the Woods algae highlighted at IJC Watershed Board meetings in Ottawa

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