News
Lake Omar Remediation Project
A major project got underway in August to begin the remediation of Lake Omar, the natural centrepiece of the Shawnigan campus.
Located in the heart of the school grounds, Lake Omar – one of two catchment ponds on campus – overflows into Hartl Creek, which then flows into Shawnigan Creek and eventually the Pacific Ocean. Lake Omar is the heart of a thriving ecosystem with a plethora of water and riparian plants, invertebrates, insects, birds and mammals. It supplies water to the Mark Hobson Hatchery on a seasonal basis, and in past years, it has also been stocked with trout and has been a favourite spot for students to flyfish. Unfortunately, Lake Omar is only a shallow pond and thus cannot sustain the life of fish year around as during the summer months the water becomes too hot to sustain fish life.
In 2013-14, a group of like-minded people with backgrounds in biology, fisheries, and water quality got together with some Shawnigan science teachers to discuss how to improve the year-round health of this water body and how to ensure it could sustain the year-round life of fish. On Founder’s Day 2023, Kevin Tutty ’14 (Lake’s) and his father Brian, a retired fisheries and oceans biologist, brought up those discussions from a decade earlier with Head of School Mr. Larry Lamont, who put a plan in motion.
On November 17, 2023, the first meeting was held on campus with some of the original participants and some current and former Shawnigan staff members, relaunching the Lake Omar Rehabilitation Plan. The end goal is to improve the health of Lake Omar and to eventually build appropriate trout habitat that is sustainable throughout the year. Side benefits include improving the water quality of Lake Omar for the hatchery and enhance and beautify that area of campus.
“The challenges surrounding Lake Omar have not changed,” Shawnigan Environmental Lead Ms. Patricia Hanbidge said. “It cannot sustain fish life on a year-round basis, is nutrient-rich, and lacks the inflow of fresh water. Over time, it will continue to infill with vegetation and sediment which if left unchecked will eventually become an overgrown wetland.”
The first phase of the remediation plan began with the installation of linear aeration and feeder tubing connected to two air compressor pumps, which will improve general water health, while aeration technology will improve dissolved oxygen levels and reduce suspended solids in the water. A biofilter contained in a new 40-foot dock and observation platform converts nutrients in the water into bacteria that become feed for fish and other aquatic animals, creating a vibrant aquatic ecosystem. Just a week after the installation of the new pumps and filters, the clarity of the water was significantly better.
“Less than one year after the initial discussions on Founder’s Day 2023, we have achieved the completion of Phase I,” Ms. Hanbidge said.
Phase II and III of the project will include a retrofit of the irrigation and fire-suppression system at the School.
The Lake Omar Rehabilitation Team includes Mr. Lamont, Ms. Hanbidge, Director of Operations Mr. Ciaran Gargan, Campaign Director Mr. Greg Stevenson, Kevin Tutty, Brian Tutty, retired professor and aquaculturist Dr. David Groves, retired Shawnigan science and environmental teacher Mr. Scott Noble, and current staff members Mr. Nigel Mayes, Mr. Justin Wilke, Mr. Louis Chancellor, Ms. Alexandra Ballantyne and Mr. Tim Stephens. Much of the technology comes from Allan Tweten and Julie Woodward of Aquatech Environmental Systems, who have 30 years’ experience in environmental remediation, developing systems, services and products to meet a range of environmental challenges.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
