Situated in the counties of Barrhead and Lac Ste Anne, Lac La Nonne is a
small watershed emptying into the Pembina River, part of the Athabasca River
basin. Here are found two of central Alberta’s recreation lakes,
Lac La Nonne and Nakamun Lake
Possibly named for the White-winged Scoter found on the lake, Lac La Nonne was
the home in the 1700 & 1800’s of a Mission and Hudson Bay fort, serving the
Klondike trail which followed along its shores
Near the end 1800’s farms appeared in the area and shortly
after the earliest recreational cabins were being built on lake.
Today the dozen subdivisions and five resorts are home to year
round residents, seasonal cottagers and campers
Subdivisions:
Chrystyna Beach
Fisherman's Cove
Greendale
Idlehours
Lac La Nonne South
Moonlight Bay
Moonlight Bay Estates
Mortensen Beach
Murray’s Beach
Whiterock Beach
Williams Beach
Winkleman Beach
Resorts & Campgrounds:
Camp Encounter
Elks Beach Campground
Killdeer Beach Resort
Seniors Lakeside
Willowbend Resort
Bird Sanctuary
Crown Reserve walking trails
Summer Village of Birch Cove
All seeking the benefits of lakeside living and to enjoy the various
recreational activities to be found summer and winter
Anglers come for the Whitefish, Perch, Turbot and Northern Pike
including a 28 lb’der caught by a visiting youngster this spring
Much of Lac La Nonne’s shoreline and the surrounding area is still covered by
arboreal forest teaming with - -
A vast array of wildlife and species of birds including a pair of nesting
Bald Eagles. Oh ya, and an occasional cougar has been seen in the area
OBJECTIVES
1. To protect the physical and biotic integrity and to prevent environmental
damage to the area of land commonly known as "Lac La Nonne" in the
Counties of Barrhead and Lac Ste. Anne and S.V. of Birch Cove in the Province
of Alberta,
2. To ensure the preservation of the character and biological diversity of "Lac
La Nonne"
for La
educational
and recreational and
purposes,
The Lac
Nonne Enhancement
Protection Association
LEPA
3. To encourage and promote nature
oriented and recreational activities. For
Is One
ofnot
twosogroups
active the
in the
Watershed
greater certainty,
but
as to restrict
generality
of the foregoing,
these activities shall involve pedestrian traffic only and shall not involve
motorized, vehicular or equestrian traffic except for maintenance and safety
Our
programs over the last 25 years have varied from assisting Alberta
purposes.
Lake Watch to building a cairn to area Pioneers, and in 2004 we initiated
4. Generally to“the
encourage,
foster and
develop among
its members and the
Water Quality
Improvement
Project”
public, recognition of the importance of environmental conservation and
responsible management of natural areas with the least possible disruption
when used by man.
5. To acquire lands by lease or otherwise, and to implement management or
other plans to further objectives of the Association.
This Project involved establishing
three riparian On-Farm
Best Management Practice
demonstration sites along streams
in the watershed in 2004 & 2005
A (2) Shallow Well or a Dugout with either a solar system or a windmill were developed on
the sites, and each equipped with distribution systems and troughs providing clean easily
accessible water for the landowner’s livestock. This included building 5 km of fence, by a
core of volunteers resulting in Four riparian pastures totalling approximately 100 acres,
These projects assisted the agricultural producers to manage livestock access to streams
supplying water into the watershed lakes
another of the project’s outcomes was the restoration of destroyed
stream riparian areas, necessary eco-systems to improve stream and
lake water quality for fish, wildlife and all users
Riparian Areas support 80% of all wildlife around Lac La Nonne and
native bird populations are 2 to 3 times higher in healthy riparian areas
than in unhealthy ones
Our Water Quality Project also included three years of sampling Lac La Nonne
and Nakamun for human sewage and area streams for levels of
Phosphorus, E-coli, pesticides and other nutrients
Cottagers & Agricultural producers, volunteered to take the necessary
training and meet bi-weekly to fill sample bottles from eight watershed
streams during early spring, water temperature - bloody cold! Samples
were then taken into an Edmonton lab for analysis
Results are incorporated into the ‘State of the Watershed Report’ and
have provided a base for developing water improvement projects
Annual Newsletters
Annual General Meeting
Lake Booklet
Website: www.lepa-ab.com
An ongoing initiative of the Association is to increase the awareness of our
Brochures,
members and lake users on how their actions Information
affect the health
of the lake and its
and Pamphlets
shoreline. In partnership with the Waters Books
Edge Resource
Group a unique
Handbook for residents and recreational users was developed. Many tips on being
Annual
Outreaches
stewards of the lake and watershed were highlighted
along
with area History
Lakeside Presentations
Project Tours
Information Sessions
• Silent Auction & Supper
• August Boat Regalia
Membership in LWSS, WERG
Through tours of our project and area workshops, we have extended
our outreach efforts to the surrounding region and beyond
Fun is also part of our outreach activities. Each fall we hold our silent auction fundraiser
followed by a family supper. And Last year we sponsored our first Boat Regalia. This
Parade of decorated watercraft toured 15 km of shoreline to the enjoyment of participants
and onlookers alike. Prises were awarded the two groups shown
Whether to write an article, assist at casinos, pound nails, deliver
annual flyers, sit on our Board or just support us by purchasing an
membership, Our Volunteers are an major asset. We are always open
to new members and volunteers desiring to assist in our objectives
Lac La Nonne Enhancement & Protection Association
- a non-profit society established in 1983, now with charity status -
Our membership is comprised of local agricultural
producers, recreational users, lake residents and resorts
operators. LEPA's mandate is to preserve the biological
integrity of the Lac La Nonne Watershed and to protect
it from environmental damage. We encourage among our
members and the public recognition of the importance of
the sustainability of all natural areas.
“Working Harmoniously” to improve the health of the
watershed; it’s waters and riparian areas.
Site 1, Box 14, RR#1
Gunn, AB. T0E 1A0
www.lepa-ab.com