LoW property owners continue to work on water quality issues

News Release
LoWPOA

Lake of the Woods water quality research was the focus of an international conference held in International Falls, MN/Fort Frances, ON March 30. The Lake of The Woods District Property Owners’ Association (LOWDPOA) participated with over 90 water quality experts from Canada and USA agencies who convened to share results and discuss future research activities on the Lake of the Woods and Rainy River basins.
LOWDPOA Director Sharon Gurney described the actions that LOWDPOA has taken to stimulate research and engage political leaders to protect water quality in the Lake of the Woods. Gurney also discussed the need for a Basin Sustainability Plan as an important step to ensuring the health of the Lake of the Woods ecosystem. The LOWDPOA presentation was one of many to reflect the growing interest of researchers in water quality issues affecting the Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River basins. Other Forum participants representing First Nations, Universities, Federal, State and Provincial agencies made presentations about their research on Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River basins, and collaborated to identify gaps in current research and chart a course for future priorities to protect water quality on the Lake of the Woods.
LOWDPOA President, Art McKenzie said: “We were honoured to be part of the planning committee who prepared this second forum and to see the growing interest and international collaboration on water quality research in the Lake of the Woods and Rainy River basins. We feel confident that the research going on in the basin and the desire to understand and enhance water quality conditions will continue to contribute to a sustainability plan to protect this great water resource.”
This Second International Water Quality forum on the state of water quality and aquatic research in the Lake of the Woods and Rainy River basins was hosted by an international group consisting of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Rainy River Community College, the North American Lake Management Society, the Rainy River Basin Water Resources Centre and the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners’ Association. The First International Water Quality Forum was hosted by LOWDPOA in February 2004. Since the first forum last year, the LOWDPOA has worked closely with its partners in this initiative to ensure that researchers are aware of others working within the basin, that future research is focused and collaborative, where possible, and geared towards a Water Sustainability Plan that was identified as a need following last year’s forum.