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Pigeon Lake environment gets a boost from new technology

A “smart buoy” will be implemented that will provide essential data to understand lake health.
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The Pigeon Lake Watershed Management Plan will be getting a boost from new technology.

They will be implementing a “smart buoy” that will help assess lake conditions and provide essential data to understand lake health.

The buoy is equipped with satellite communication capabilities and will be able to provide information every 15 minutes about key air and water column conditions in the lake. Some of these conditions include: air temperature; barometric pressure; wind speed and direction; water dissolved oxygen levels; temperature; clarity and total algae using a weather station mounted above the water.

The buoy also has sensors that measure variables below the water all the way down to the bottom of the lake.

The Summer Villages of Pigeon Lake say that the Pigeon Lake smart buoy will not only provide essential data to understand lake health and apply measures to help Pigeon Lake, but the information could help all Alberta lakes.

Crystal Springs Mayor project lead Ian Rawlinson said the buoy initiative, “should indeed have potential value to every Alberta lake, but is also another significant step in Pigeon Lake’s drive to become Alberta’s premier recreational lake.”

“The project speaks to the potential of technology in understanding lake health and the value in community/ government partnerships.”

The initiative is being funded by the Summer Village of Crystal Springs through a Community Partnership Grant from Alberta Municipal Affairs. The buoy project is the result of the collaboration between the summer villages to implement the Pigeon Lake Watershed Management Plan and the in-lake technical committee of the Alliance of Pigeon Lake Municipalities (APLM).

The buoy is the latest innovation in an aggressive program by area residents to implement the landmark 2019 report that contained some 46 science-based recommendations to improve conditions in the lake and watershed.

“Albertans treasure their environment and so does their government. We’re proud to work with the community by providing technical advice and $200,000 in funding,” said Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver.

“This smart buoy will help us be even better stewards of our land so that residents can continue to enjoy places like Pigeon Lake for generations to come.”



shaela.dansereau@pipestoneflyer.ca

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