A salmon jumped right out of the water in Sandy Lake!

Posted on September 26, 2019 by admin

Modified Sep 27, 2019

About 10 days ago, a salmon was sighted in a “classic pose” jumping right out of the water at Sandy Lake.

As I was told the story 2nd or 3rd hand and reported initially, I understood that the fish observed jumping was an older salmon, but that stands corrected. I contacted the observer who told me:

I’m certain it was a grilse—not an adult salmon. It jumped clear of the water and I happened to be looking in that direction and saw it in perfect profile. After having fished the diminishing stocks of NS rivers for years I’ve spent a lot of time scanning the water for signs of these fish and a with a clear, clean leap it’s easy to recognize the species.

The same observer told me that he had “caught and returned 9 smolt in the last 2 years”, those caught while fishing for smallmouth bass.

Peverill’s Brook close to where it flows into
Marsh Lake. The “digger log’ was installed by
the Sackville Rivers Association in 2012.
Pic on Aug 17, 2017.
Click on image for larger version.

It’s all  good news, and reflects the efforts of the Sackville River Association to re-establish salmon in the Sackville River system. Those efforts have included placing digger logs on Peverill’s Brook.

It also says something good about the habitat and water quality of Sandy Lake.

Welcome Home, Atlantic Salmon!

 

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Tues Sep 24 2019 at 6PM at Halifax City Hall: Important Public Hearing on Green Network Plan – re Wildlife Corridors

Posted on September 22, 2019 by admin

UPDATE Wed Sep 25, 2019: The Amendment “to the Regional Plan’s conservation design development agreement policies to specifically reference the Important and Essential Corridors shown on Map 5)”  received unanimous approval at yesterdays meeting of Halifax Regional Council!!!!   Walter Regan (Sackville Rivers Association), Karen Robinson (Sandy Lake Conservation Association),  David Patriquin (Sandy Lake-Sackville Regional Park Alliance/NS Wild Flora Society)  and Kathleen Hall (Backlands Coalition/Williams Lake Conservation Co,) spoke at the Public Hearing. View DocsSep24_2019toRegionalCouncil (submissions by David P & SLSRPCoalition)

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Map 5 in the Halifax Green Network Plan
Click on image for larger version and legend

Halifax (HRM) is blessed with phenomenal natural assets. In June of 2018, Regional Council tabled the Final Draft of the The Halifax Green Network Plan  which “provides land management and community design direction to:
– maintain ecologically and culturally important land and aquatic systems;
– promote the sustainable use of natural resources and economically important open spaces; and
– identify, define and plan land suited for parks and corridors”
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Posted in Halifax Green Network | Leave a comment

Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019: Public engagement on the Bedford-Sackville Greenway Corridor

Posted on September 14, 2019 by admin

From HRM:

Join us in the first round of public engagement to let us know about your experience using the Bedford-Sackville Greenway Corridor!

Information on facility usage, user experience and priorities will be collected to aid in the development of route alignment concepts for the extensions of the greenway facility and to inform on how the existing sections of the corridor can be improved.

Location: Sunnyside Mall, Unit 158

Date: Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019 Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

If you cannot attend and would still like to provide your feedback, please complete the survey at: shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/Bedford-Sackville-greenway-corridor

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Water quality issue at Sandy Lake Bedford has subsided (Aug 9, 2019)

Posted on August 9, 2019 by admin

Friday a.m. at Sandy Lake Beach

Whatever it was, “it” has largely subsided.

“It” appeared at Sandy Lake Beach quite suddenly on Tuesday a.m. Aug 6, 2019

On Wed a.m., Aug 7, HRM took water samples and put up a No Swimming sign; a Risk Advisory was issued later in the day.

At 1:54 p.m.on Thursday Aug 8., the Risk advisory for Sandy Lake was lifted

I looked at the beach area this a.m. (Friday Aug 9, 2019), and indeed there was no longer the bubbly scum where the water meets the shore, and no wafts of suspended material drifting in as observed on Tuesday.

There was still some debris around and walking through the water still left a trail of bubbles, but not as pronounced as it had been on Wednesday. So “it” has subsided.

It’s still not completely clear what caused “it”, it being, apparently or possibly, a bloom of diatoms – that’s according to info forwarded by Councillor Tim Outhit, received from Cemeron Deacoff (Water Resources Specialist, Planning and Decelopment, HRM) on Thurs, Aug. 8:

We received the lab results late yesterday afternoon that the specimens identified in the lab were principally diatoms (a form of algae), with trace amounts of one species of cyanobacteria that does not produce any toxins. Correspondingly, staff (i.e., P&D Acting Director Eric Lucic) has approved lifting the PSA. Corporate Communications is now drafting that PSA…

‘Very grateful for HRM’s quick attention to “it”!

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Advisory issued for Sandy Lake due to possible blue-green algae bloom Aug 7, 2019

Posted on August 7, 2019 by admin

UPDATE 2:35 pm, Thurs Aug 8, 2019: Risk advisory for Sandy Lake lifted

“When an algae bloom is observed, a risk advisory is issued and initial testing is done to determine whether the algae bloom is toxin producing. If the algae bloom is not toxin producing, the risk advisory will be lifted and no further testing is required.

“If the algae bloom is toxin producing, further testing will be carried out and the risk advisory will remain in effect until blooms have disappeared and post-bloom test results indicate water is within safe limits.”

and earlier, from info forwarded by Councillor Tim Outhit, received from Cemeron Deacoff (Water Resources Specialist, Planning and Decelopment, HRM):

We received the lab results late yesterday afternoon that the specimens identified in the lab were principally diatoms (a form of algae), with trace amounts of one species of cyanobacteria that does not produce any toxins. Correspondingly, staff (i.e., P&D Acting Director Eric Lucic) has approved lifting the PSA. Corporate Communications is now drafting that PSA…

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Original post (Aug 6, 2019)

Received this afternoon:

Public Service Announcement
Risk advisory in effect for Sandy Lake due to possible blue-green algae bloom

Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019 (Halifax, NS) – The Halifax Regional Municipality is advising residents that due to the presence of a possible blue-green algae bloom, a risk advisory is in effect for Sandy Lake in Bedford. Residents are encouraged to avoid swimming in the lake until further notice.

Sandy Lake Beach, which is a supervised beach, will also be closed to swimming until further notice.

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) is naturally occurring in freshwater environments and may become visible when weather conditions are calm. These organisms can multiply rapidly during the summer, leading to extensive growth called a bloom. Some types of blue-green algae produce toxins during blooms and when these blooms decay, the toxins may be released into the water, posing a risk to people and pets.

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Posted in watershed | Leave a comment

Sandy Lake inundated by unpleasant, suspended, reddish, soapy material Aug 6, 2019; and lake level falling quickly

Posted on August 7, 2019 by admin

Sandy Lake Beach at 11:13 am on Aug 6, 2019
Click on images for larger versions

I happened to be at Sandy Lake Beach Park on the morning of Aug 6, 2019, shortly after the beach area was inundated with an unpleasant suspended, reddish, soapy material.

It wasn’t there when the lifeguards first arrived. They told me they had first noticed it st about 10:40 am; a lifeguard noted that one of the kids in her swim lesson group “looked like the joker from Batman because he had a brown line around his jaw as we had been treading water and his face was in the water at that level, then I noticed it on one of the other kids and as we moved in shallower, the kids noticed all over my back. At about 10:50 we pulled all of the kids out of the water”.

I asked when they (the lifeguards) got there- 9:45 a.m., and “It wasn’t here then, and we were in the water at 10 and there was none of it then.”
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Posted in Beavers, Water Quality | Leave a comment

Guided walks at Sandy Lake Sun June 16 and Sun July 14, 2019

Posted on June 5, 2019 by admin

“The incredible Sandy Lake (Bedford) and surrounding forest is an oasis in the city. Come and discover the area’s mature forests, lakes, and hiking opportunities. More wilderness could be protected here if only more people knew about the area’s conservation value, and what it will take to keep it wild.

“Join us for a 3 hour guided hike on the informal trails of the Jack Lake side (owned by Halifax Regional Municipality) of the proposed Sandy Lake – Sackville River Regional Park, where we’ll talk about and see the land that could be protected to bring the vision of a Sandy Lake – Sackville River Regional Park to fruition. You’ll also have a chance to learn about the plants, mosses, lichens, birds, insects, and more that inhabit the area.”

Poster – click on image to enlarge

These hikes are co-hosted by the Ecology Action Centre, the Sandy Lake Conservation Association, and the Sandy Lake – Sackville River Regional Park Coalition.

Read more and register on EAC Website

(Cost: Free, but please register as space is limited)

Posted in Talks & Walks | Leave a comment

Sandy Lake & Environs well represented in iNaturalist Nature Challenge – let’s keep at it!

Posted on May 1, 2019 by admin

Screenshot of the City Nature Challenge 2019: HRM project
Stats as reported on May 1, 9:30 a.m.
Click on image to enlarge it
Go to project website

The ‘City Nature Challenge 2019: Halifax Regional Municipality’ project ran over the days April 26-29, 2019 and generated an impressive 6839 observations including (approximately) 839 species by 229 observers.

From the Facebook Page:

Some interesting stats so far (which may change this week):

– we rank in the Top 40 of all competing cities for total observations and species identified
– among latitudinally challenged cities, we rank #1 in observations per capita
– we soundly beat Calgary and Richmond and are the “most biodiverse Canadian city in the competition”
– We rank #1 for lichen observations per capita among all cities

Global winners will be announced on May 6, and we have local prizes to give-away too! Stay tuned, and get those observations into iNaturalist

For Sandy Lake & Environs, there were by my count 149 observations by 7 observers with, very approximately, about 55 different species recorded. Final numbers for observations and species will likely be higher as more may be added up to May 5, as long as pics are dated Apr 26-29. The map of observations (as of May 30) is shown below:

Screen capture from a section of the HRM Map for the Nature Challenge showing locations at Sandy Lake & Environs, Multiple observations at some of points for 149 observations in total on May 1, 2019. 

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Posted in Events, natural history | Leave a comment

iNaturalist eyes on Sandy Lake & Environs

Posted on April 28, 2019 by admin

asdads

As I write this post, we are in the midst of a “Nature Challenge” to residents of Halifax (HRM, Halifax Co)

“Help put Halifax Regional Municipality on the global nature scene! On April 26-29, 2019 over 165 cities across the planet, from Columbia to New Zealand to Calgary Alberta, will compete for the most Biodiverse City, and we need your help. Whether your an avid naturalist or a dog walker, everyone can participate: it’s easy, fun, and will encourage you to get outside. We will be using the iNaturalist digital platform to record observations, under this project.

Signup to iNaturalist today and then join our ‘City Nature Challenge 2019: Halifax Regional Municipality’ project!

If you’re new to iNaturalist, then we can help {either contact us via CNC2019HRM@gmail.com or follow instructions online at https://inaturalist.ca/}.

Continue reading →

Posted in Halifax Green Network, natural history | Leave a comment

Please keep an eye out for the “Hemlock Vampires”

Posted on April 18, 2019 by admin

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid.
Source:
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment
Station

There is a recent posting on iNaturalist of a putative occurrence of Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA), aka the Hemlock Vampires, in Hants Co.

If confirmed, the Hants Co. sighting would be the first outside of Digby, Queens, Shelburne, Yarmouth and Annapolis counties in SW Nova Scotia.

Regardless, please keep a watchful eye on hemlocks in the Sandy Lake (Bedford) area – in fact on all hemlocks in NS – and photograph and report anything that looks like HWA to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency &/or ISANS &/or Nova Scotia Lands and Forestry – Donna.Hurlburt@novascotia.ca (Wildlife Manager, Biodiversity)
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Posted in Invasive Species, Pests | Leave a comment