2020 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

2020-10-17  -  The Blue Sea Lake Watershed Association held its 12^th Annual General Meeting on Saturday, October 17^th, from 10 a.m. to noon. Due to the pandemic, this year's AGM was held virtually using Zoom and attendance was limited to members in good standing who provided an email address.

Burlap Project: Successful First Step!

2020-09-08  -  The first and most important stage of the burlap project has been completed. The last tarps were laid on Saturday morning, September 5^th at the Blue Sea public wharf and at the Raymond Lacroix marina. The result of this work is very visible from the docks on a calm and sunny day. A big thank you to our president Francis LeBlanc who did a colossal job to bring to fruition this project so important for the Association. Thanks, as well, to Sébastien Duchesne, who directed the operations and to the staff at ABV des 7 who helped with the installation. Many thanks also to all our volunteers who provided their support; it was a great team effort.

The follow-up planned by the ABV des 7, which will begin soon and will last until 2025, will make it possible to decide on the merits of this technique for the control of Eurasian watermilfoil.

Volunteers Requested

2020-09-08  -  The installation of jute tarps is now completed. However, we should not forget about other activities of the Association. This is certainly the case with the milfoil beds demarcation program using yellow buoys and signaling buoys.

This year, a total of 222 yellow buoys and 18 signaling buoys were installed. They must be removed this fall, no later than mid-October. The work is done on the water, typically 2 persons in a ± 16 foot aluminum motorized boat. The more teams there are, the less time it takes to do the job; so if you want to enjoy the great outdoors one last time on the water, make yourself known. We need boats and people. To participate, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or any other member of the Board of Directors.

Water Quality Monitoring

2020-05-17 - On March 27, the RSVL informed its partners that the 2019 results sheets are now available on the Ministry’s website. To directly access the results sheets for the lakes under our supervision, go to the Water Quality page under the "WATERSHED" tab of our website. This same page explains how water is monitored, provides information on the content of the results sheets, describes the general schedule of monitoring activities and indicates the needs for volunteers to carry out the activities. 

Danger! Eurasian Milfoil! Stay Clear of the Yellow Buoys!

2019-05-25 -  During the navigation season on our lakes, we need to remember the danger of water milfoil for the health of our lakes and the importance of respecting the yellow buoys to be installed shortly by the Association to warn boaters of the presence of water-milfoil-infested areas, that they must avoid.

Wash your Boats

2019-05-25 - And to prevent the importation of other specimens of this invasive plant and of all other species of the same nature, we remind you of the importance of washing your boats before launching them if they come from another body of water. Messines and Blue Sea washing stations are easily accessible; take advantage of them! In this regard, it should be noted that both municipalities remain committed to the continuation and improvement of the mandatory boat washing program.

Don't Make Waves

2019-05-25 - In the spring, the water level is higher than normal. The banks are more fragile and therefore more vulnerable to erosion by waves. However, the passage of motorized boats, in particular wake boats, induces a significant increase in the energy contained in the waves which reach the shore. This has the effect of considerably increasing erosion. Be good boaters; in the spring, don't make waves! Follow the instructions! See our web page.

To Know More on Boat Washing

Photos: M. Grégoire & P.R. OuimetApril 2018 - Representatives of the Association and of the two municipalities of Blue Sea and Messines met recently to plan the boat washing program for 2018. The two municipalities are taking steps to launch the program for the start of the fishing season on April 27.

To Learn More About Washing Boats!

Source: Web video of the MDDELCCApril 2018 - A web video produced a few years ago by the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment and fight against climate change (MDDELCC) highlights the importance of boat washing and illustrates how to do it in 5 steps to prevent the spread of invasive species in our aquatic environments. Click here to see it.

Avoid the Spread of Eurasian Milfoil - Pay Heed to the Yellow Buoys! Why?

Photos: P.R. Ouimet

April 2018 - It's time to recall the danger of Eurasian milfoil for the health of our lakes and the importance of avoiding areas delimited by the yellow buoys installed by the Association to indicate the presence of milfoil bed, areas that boaters must avoid.

Eurasian milfoil reproduces mainly by fragmentation of the stems. The stems are broken naturally or cut accidentally (fishermen, boat propellers, etc.) These fragments are then deposited elsewhere at the bottom of the water. Each fragment of one centimetre or more can produce a new plant.

Eurasian milfoil beds become so dense that other species of aquatic plants naturally present are eliminated. Thus, there are fewer aquatic plant species in our waters. This loss of biodiversity results in an impoverishment of the aquatic environment. This plant can also significantly harm fishing, among others lake trout fishing. Finally, Eurasian milfoil is also a constraint to the use of aquatic environments for human recreational purposes.

For more information, two sources of interest: the Eurasian Water-Milfoil website pages of Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program and of the ministère du Développement Durable, de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (French only).

2020-09-09