Kootenay Lake is at its lowest level in decades, so many docks, floats and house boats are now grounded. It’s a good time to look under your dock to find out the condition of what usually keeps it afloat. If it has blue or white foam blocks that are breaking down, please consider replacing them with hard plastic floats or logs.
The coloured extruded foam Buoyancy Billets only have a durability of 10 years, white bead Styrofoam blocks even less. When the blocks start to break down into pieces, these float away and wash up on beaches and shorelines around the lake. Ducks and other wildlife eat the bits of plastic, and they are very difficult if not impossible to clean off our beautiful shores.
If you find abandoned and dilapidated docks that have Styrofoam blocks degrading into the lake, you can check out the website for.gov.bc.ca/hen/nrv/report.htm and contact the Report All Poachers and Polluters line (RAPP) at 1-877-952-7277.
Ursula Lowrey
Crescent Bay
