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This is where we'll announce the most recent additions to our web site and list news articles we feel are of interest to cottagers and residents alike. If you've visited us before

and want to know what's changed, take a look here first.

PUBLIC MEETING set:               Miron Pit & Quarry Rezoning Application

Last Wednesday evening, the Township accepted the Miron has complete and have set the date for the public meeting for Wednesday, November 16. 

This should get posted on their web site soon. It is so critical to our success to get as many people out to this meeting as possible.  You will have an opportunity to speak

at the meeting and can send in your objections prior to.

After Thanksgiving weekend, let’s all put the pedal to the medal to save our quality of life, the beauty of our area, our river, the fish and wildlife – the whole natural

environment from the destruction of a quarry and pit.

Doris Kelly-Capyk, MA (Crim), CHRP

President POWR MAG Inc.

Protectors of Wetlands & River Magnetawan Inc.

Septic Systems

● Operation ● Maintenance ● System Failures ●Treatment Technologies

 Well Aware

● About the Well Aware program ● Water Testing ● Common Contaminants ● Maintenance Tips ● Protect the Source

Two free, public education workshops

aimed at improving and sustaining our water quality,

while increasing the value of your property

When: Saturday August 27; 10 am – 12 noon

Where: Kearney Community Centre, Senior’s Room

Who should attend: Residents of our community & surrounding areas, members of Cottage Associations,

 local business providers for Wells and Septics and anyone wanting to know more about these subjects.

Includes opportunity to network with Speakers and attendees.

Workshop Presenters:

Robert Palin:  Septic Systems Workshop

I-CBO-SS, North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA), Director, Ontario Wastewater Association (OOWA);

Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing (MMAH) Training Facilitator for Septics

Rebecca Francis: Well Aware Workshop

      Stewardship Coordinator, Muskoka Heritage Foundation

For more details, Click HERE

Mark your calendars – Saturday, August 27, 2011

Arrive early as seating is limited

NBMCA – North Bay Mattawa Conervation Authority www.nbmca.on.ca

OOWA – Ontario Onsite Wastewater Association www.oowa.ca

Muskoka Heritage Foundation www.muskokaheritage.org; www.muskokastewardship.blogspot.com

KWEF – Kearney Environmental Watershed Foundation www.kwef.ca

Public Notice (to be held at the Legion on July 16, 2011)

Dorothy Walford Memorial Environment Award 2010.

Meetings

Visitors welcome.

            Your most recent Bell Yellow Pages Phone Book has information on where to dispose of items responsibly in our local area, or visit http://ON.YellowPages.ca

The changing chemistry of our lakes may be reducing biodiversity in these ecosystems, according to recent data collected through Muskoka's Lake System Health Program.
Keith Somers from the Dorset Environmental Science Centre delivered a presentation on the condition of Muskoka's lakes at the Muskoka campus of Nipissing University in Bracebridge on Nov. 12. Somers utilized data from the past six years of the Lake System Health Program to discuss changes in the chemistry and biological composition of Muskoka's lakes.
The good news is that phosphorous levels are generally decreasing and pH levels have remained constant over the past six years. However, Somers did note that a 30-year study conducted by the Dorset Environmental Science Centre shows pH levels appear to be affected by climate change as lakes are generally more acidic during a drought; therefore, the data from one six-year period may not be indicative of a long term trend.
One area of concern is rising chloride accumulations in our lakes since high levels can have a detrimental effect on aquatic life. Somers noted that Jevins Lake, part of the Jevins and Silver Lake Conservation Area north of Kahshe Lake on Highway 11, and Webster Lake on Highway 69, located in the Musquash River watershed in the Township

of Georgian Bay, have recently shown very high levels of chloride. This indicates road salt is having a negative impact on these ecosystems.
Possibly of greater concern is declining calcium concentration levels in our lakes and the impact of that on their biodiversity. Because Muskoka is situated on the Canadian Shield the lakes are already generally low in calcium, which is an important element for aquatic life, particularly zooplankton. Recent data shows the majority of local lakes have now moved into the "bad range" of calcium concentration in terms of their ability to support various species of zooplankton.
Zooplankton, dubbed "the lawn-mowers of the lake" by Somers, are an important part of the aquatic food chain. They eat algae and are then eaten by other invertebrates. Vertebrates such as fish and birds eat both zooplankton and the other invertebrates that feed on zooplankton. So, the decline in calcium could have an extremely negative impact on the biological composition of our lakes. Indeed, Somers noted the number of crayfish species and the size of crayfish populations in the area have been decreasing in recent years.
Somers also mentioned Muskokans can get involved in the monitoring process through participation in the Ontario Ministry of Environment's Lake Partner Program, which provides kits for collecting phosphorous samples and conducting water clarity readings for their lakes.
The seeds of the Lake System Health Program were actually sown in 1980 when the District Municipality of Muskoka began its recreational water quality monitoring program in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment. The program was expanded in 2003 with the development of a Muskoka Water Strategy designed to guide the management and protection of Muskoka's water resources. The Lake System Health Program is a key aspect of that initiative. The program monitors 190 sites on 161 lakes in the Muskoka area in order to establish a long-term record of water health, identify trends and assist in making decisions and policies that affect the watershed.
The monitoring conducted throughout the program can include tests for significant parameters such pH level, water clarity and calcium and phosphorous concentrations, as well as surveying shoreline land use and recording temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles. The results are published annually in a year end report. Data is also available at www.muskokawaterweb.ca.

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Last modified: 09/17/11