As more people move closer to the waters, the environmental disturbance is growing to a point of no-return.
That鈥檚 the message Jason Schleppe, Ecoscape Environmental Consulting Ltd., is trying to relay from his studies.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a rapid state of development occurring,鈥� said Schleppe, a natural resource biologist, who has mapped 4,000 linear kilometres of shoreline in the Okanagan and Shuswap.
鈥淲e are at a new era and species extinction are at an all-time high. Changes are happening very rapidly and fish and wildlife can鈥檛 adapt.鈥�
A major issue is disturbance, which no one is doing anything about.
鈥淥n Okanagan Lake, in 10 days I was there, there easily could have been 150-200 infractions investigated,鈥� said Schleppe. 鈥淵ou see some dramatic losses there鈥檚 no returning from.鈥�
Foreshore inventory mapping over the years has allowed people like Schleppe, the Okanagan Basin Water Board and local governments to see the extent of change.
鈥淚t allows us to see what鈥檚 changing, how it鈥檚 changing and what the change means.鈥�
The transition from rural to single family is where the largest disturbance occurs, according to Schleppe.
鈥淲e really need to think about transitioning to a lake management plan,鈥� said Schleppe. 鈥淪etbacks alone do not ensure protection of all the things we care about.鈥�
Making his case to Vernon city council Monday, Schleppe could not convince Coun. Brian Quiring that residential development has an impact on the environment and the ecosystem.
Meanwhile others applaud the studies and agree that more needs to be done in the way of protection.
鈥淲e do have responsible landowners but the problem is many aren鈥檛,鈥� said Coun. Juliette Cunningham, who serves on the OBWB, which she says values the work Schleppe does.
The problem is non-existent enforcement along foreshore, which falls under provincial and federal mandate.
鈥淲e see the stuff happening and it鈥檚 out of our hands,鈥� said Cunningham, calling for increased resources from B.C. and Canada. 鈥淲e need to be protecting it for the future.鈥�
Even Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund, a Shuswap Lake lot owner, says that 80 per cent of the properties have altered their shoreline.
Education, said Schleppe, is the key to preservation, and even restoration.
