Kahshe Lake Ratepayers Association (KLRA) News

Dippies on Kahshe

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:08:05 GMT

Maybe you saw the parade of 20 Dispros on the lake in August. This was an unusual event, which is described and illustrated in the Events section of the Member Zone.

Take a look.

2010 Kermit Long Fishing Derby

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:17:59 GMT

The 2010 Kermit Long Fishing Derby report and photos are mounted in the Member Zone in the Events section.

Marilyn Tuero has written a comprehensive report and taken a series of photos of the winners and of other fisher person.

Check out all these great photos.

Lake Levels

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:00:47 GMT

In August, there is always an interest in the level of the water in the lake.

Sandi Follis checks the level at the dam every week and reports to the MNR and the web site. I post the levels on the Discussion Forum so members can see the official level.

To see the levels, log onto the web site as a member, go to the Discussion Forums, choose Environment and then Lake Levels.

Note that the level is read in meters above sea level.

Gravenhurst Town Office Moving August 27

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:46:50 GMT

We Are Moving

The Town of Gravenhurst Municipal Office

will be closed at

12:00 Noon on Friday, August 27^th, 2010

In order to move to its new location at

5 Pineridge Gate

The Municipal Office will Re-Open

at its new location at

5 Pineridge Gate at

12:00 Noon on Monday, August 30^th, 2010.

New Mailing Address:

3-5 Pineridge Gate

Gravenhurst, ON

P1P 1Z3

KIds on Kahshe Photo Contest

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:52:11 GMT

The Kids on Kahshe Photo Contest was a great success.

We received 50 photographs from 26 over age 12 photographers and 20 photos from kids 12 and under.

The contest was judged by two professional photographers and the prizes were awarded at the Kahshe Craft Show on Sunday, August 1.

To see the winners as well as all of the photos that were submitted, log on and go to the Member Zone. Click on "Events" in the Member Zone and enjoy these great photos.

KLRA Appeals New Gravenhurst Zoning By-Law

Wed, 26 May 2010 00:31:11 GMT

Today the KLRA filed an appeal of the new Gravenhurst Comprehensive Zoning By-law 2010-04, which was passed by Council on April 20.

While the by-law implements many improvements, there remains a significant gap that permits unreasonable redevelopment of waterfront properties. This gap runs counter to important goals and policies articulated in the Gravenhurst Official Plan.

The issue is with existing residential structures that are close to the water’s edge. The by-law, as written, could allow a small cottage to be expanded to approximately 4000 square feet on Kahshe and Bass Lakes. Other lakes could see such expansion approach 10,000 square feet. This could take place literally within spitting distance of the water. Even as the Town’s planners recommend moving new residential structures further from the water (30m), existing small residential structures, which may be just a couple of feet from the water, can be expanded radically.

Other controls in the by-law may reduce such sizes, but these controls alone are not seen as being effective in implementing Official Plan goals and policies that seek to protect the beauty and natural environment of Gravenhurst’s lakes and rivers. To quote the Official Plan, “The aesthetic and environmental quality of the lakes shall be maintained and enhanced through land use planning and lake stewardship initiatives.” While this is a quite general goal, other sections of the Plan are much more specific.

The draft by-law limited such expansion. Council removed this limitation when passing the by-law. While this may have been a good decision, since the wording of the limitation was far from perfect, it leaves redevelopment unchecked, a situation that isn’t acceptable to the KLRA.

The KLRA has been actively engaged on this topic for many years and will stay that way. We have written to Council seeking to work immediately with the Town to craft a solution that best meets the needs of all constituents. The appeal process could ultimately result in the Ontario Municipal Board needing to make a decision if one cannot be developed locally. The KLRA would prefer to see the solution developed locally, quickly, and at minimum cost to the Town and our Association.

The KLRA is collaborating with other associations, including the Muldrew Lakes Cottagers’ Association (which has filed a similar appeal), to demonstrate how broadly important this issue is to Gravenhurst’s waterfront residents and to agree on principles that would guide improving the by-law. At the moment, about 1000 waterfront residents are part of this, through their associations; this is expected to grow significantly as association meetings take place in the coming weeks

KLRA Dues Now Payable Online

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:00:42 GMT

We are pleased to announce that you can now pay your KLRA dues online using our secure website. Payment can be made using a credit card or through PayPal if you have an account with them. Either way, it is quick, convenient and secure.

If your credit card includes a rewards program, using it to pay your KLRA dues is doubly rewarding!

For members whose renewals are due on July 1, 2010, we'll be sending an email reminder in May.

Master Steward Training

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:53:10 GMT

The Muskoka Heritage Foundation and the Muskoka Watershed Council are going to be running a stewardship program this summer, to help interested landowners be good stewards of their land.

Rebecca Francis is running the program; she's still looking for 3 or 4 volunteers from the south end of Muskoka to be Master Stewards. It's my understanding that there will be a training session May 1 and 2 and then each Steward would visit three properties over the summer.

If you or anyone you know is interested is being a Master Steward, please contact Rebecca,

at 705-645-7393 or stewardship@muskokaheritage.org

Here is more detailed information.

Volunteer to be a Master Steward

Do you love Muskoka?

Do you want to conserve Muskoka for your children?

Do you want to learn about Muskoka and meet new friends?

Volunteer and become a Master Steward!

Exciting news for 2010! The Muskoka Heritage Foundation and the Muskoka Watershed Council have collaborated to restart the Muskoka Stewardship Program. Volunteers are needed to be Master Stewards.

Do you love Muskoka and want to help conserve it for your children?

The Muskoka Stewardship Program will help landowners learn how to be good stewards of their property.

A Desire to Help Conserve Our Shared Natural Resources

The Muskoka Stewardship Program will build on the success of previous programs. The original program enlisted the hundreds of Muskoka landowners in private land stewardship. The program was very successful and by 1996 there were 341 landowners voluntarily protecting more than 30,000 acres of diverse Muskoka landscape.

A Broad Interest in the Natural Environment

As a Master Steward you will be trained to visit conservation-minded landowners and provide them with resources that will help them protect the natural values of their property. Popular landowner inquiries to the program include forest management, native species gardening, wetland care, habitat protection, and well and septic awareness.

Master Stewards will be supported by:

Master Steward training seminars and workshops that also provide valuable networking opportunities.

•· Social atmosphere with like-minded people.
•· Stewardship Resource Centre including print & online materials and expert professionals.
•· Reimbursement for mileage from property visits.

Provide On-Going Support to Landowners

The Muskoka Stewardship Program will establish an in-office library of resources for landowners as well as a database of useful websites and online resources. These resources will cover topics such as woodlot management, healthy shorelines, natural gardens, species at risk, fish and wildlife information, and species specific resources for flora in our watershed.

Enjoy Speaking with and Engaging People

Property owners will be recognized for their stewardship efforts. For smaller properties, landowners can take a stewardship pledge and receive a framable certificate. For larger properties, landowners will receive both the framable certificate and a gatepost sign that indicates their commitment to good stewardship of their property.

Conservation through Private Stewardship

The Muskoka Stewardship Program needs your help!

Here are some ways you can contribute to the success of this program:

Become a Master Steward
Participate as a landowner
Spread the word about the program

The Muskoka Stewardship Program is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation for 2010.

The Muskoka Stewardship Program will incorporate the Well-Aware program that has been active in Muskoka for the past 2 years. Well-Aware is a voluntary, confidential, non-regulatory program designed to educate landowners about caring for their wells. Trained staff will provide guided self-assessments for rural well owners.

Rebecca Francis is the Stewardship Coordinator at the Muskoka Heritage Foundation. Contact her by calling the Muskoka Heritage Foundation (705-645-7393) or at stewardship@muskokaheritage.org.

KLRA Applauds Gravenhurst Development Process

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:32:45 GMT

The KLRA has written to Gravenhurst Mayor John Klinck to applaud the open process used by the Town’s Development Services department in developing the new Comprehensive Zoning By-Law. The process encouraged active involvement of community groups like the KLRA.

Members of the Kahshe Lake Plan Implementation Committee attended several meetings, public and private, to provide input on successive drafts of the by-law. George Lindsay spearheaded this effort, providing his analysis to other KLPIC members for review. The new by-law, which is understandably quite complex, is to be presented soon to council for approval. It contains a number of Kahshe Lake-specific regulations. It is the culmination of a decade’s work by the KLRA, starting with the Kahshe Lake Study in 2000.

For the full text of the letter, click here.

2009 Lake System Health Monitoring Program

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:32:22 GMT

The following was received from Rebecca Willison at the District of Muskoka.

From: Willison, Rebecca

Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 10:04 AM

To: Willison, Rebecca

Subject: 2009 Lake System Health Monitoring Program

The District Municipality of Muskoka administers a Lake System Health Monitoring Program that is comprised of recreational water quality monitoring, shoreline surveys, and technical assistance to lake associations interested in undertaking a volunteer based monitoring program.

The 2009 Lake System Health Monitoring Program Year End Report contains details of the monitoring program and the 2009 Data Report provides data for each lake monitored in 2009. Both reports are available on The District Municipality of Muskoka website at

http://www.muskoka.on.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp?PageID=231.

Lake Data Sheets for specific lakes can be downloaded from the Muskoka Water Web site at

http://www.muskokawaterweb.ca/1/1.1/Text.htm.

Any questions about the Lake System Health monitoring program may be directed to me by phone at 705-645-7393 or by email at rwillison@muskoka.on.ca.

Thank you,

Rebecca Willison, BSc.

Watershed Planning Technician

District Municipality of Muskoka

The Seven Wonders

(Past member) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:34:09 GMT

THe photographs that make up the Seven Wonders of Kahshe Lake can be seen by clicking here.

KLRA Comments on Gravenhurst Comprehensive Zoning By-law Update

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:48:16 GMT

The Town of Gravenhurst is in the process of updating its zoning by-law to make it consistent with the Official Plan approved earlier. The intent is to have the new by-law approved before the end of 2009.

The Town has held two open houses to present draft versions of the by-law. A number of KLRA members have been actively engaged in attending these sessions, doing an in-depth review and providing comments. Key players in this activity have been: Sandi Follis, Alex Milburn, Clare Henderson, and George Lindsay. There has been lively discussion amongst members of the KLRA board and KLPIC.

Here are a couple of letters we have sent that comment on the draft. For those who are interested, the by-law can be found on the Gravenhurst website - this would help you understand the reference numbers in the letters.

Alex Milburn letter to Nick Popovich - December 1, 2009

Greig Holder letter to Nick Popovich - October 15, 2009 - (actually authored by George Lindsay)

We will continue to be active in representing Kahshe Lake and Bass Lake interrests as this by-law evolves. Members should know that this is, in essence, the culmination of work that began almost ten years ago with the Kahshe Lake Plan.

2009 Resident Survey Summary

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:02:52 GMT

A summary of the survey conducted during the summer of 2009 is available in the Member Zone. You must log on to view it.

New Ward Boundaries for Town

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:23:43 GMT

Here is a link to the Gravenhurst Banner article by Allyson Snelling about the revised Gravenhurst ward boundaries: http://www.bracebridgeexaminer.com/article/148423

The KLRA community collected more than a quarter of the petition signatures necessary for this review to take place.

Pesticide Legislation

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:15:05 GMT

The Government of Ontario has implemented a ban on the use of cosmetic pesticides, the type commonly used to control weeds. You can read more about the legislation, and the background for it, on the Ontario Website at http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/land/pesticides/.

Several years ago, Gary MacLean provided the following article, which has been on the KLRA Website. The Government's ban is merely catching up with knowledge that has been in the public domain for a long time.

Pesticides (Part 1)
The following information is drawn from papers published by the Workers Health. & Safety Centre, The Toronto Star, World Wild Life, and the Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph.

What are pesticides?

Pesticides are substances designed kill, injure, repel and neuter living organisms that some have determined to be pests. These pests might include insects, plants, fungi, molds and/or rodents. The term pesticides refers to a wide range of products, including herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. They are available in a variety of formulations including sprays, dusts, powders, granulars, concentrates, liquids, pastes, pellets, pressurized products and tablets.

There are approximately 6,000 pesticide products registered for use in Canada. Most came into the market following the World War II. The World Wildlife Fund has calculated that at least 50 million kilograms of these products are used in Canada each year, at a reported value of one billion dollars a year. They are used in agriculture, in fish farming, in homes, in day cares, in parks and recreational fields, on residential lawns, on golf courses, on pets, and even on children to combat head lice. They are also used widely in industries such as food service and textile industries.

What are the health effects?

Acute or short-term effects of pesticides can result in the following:

- Rashes
- Shortness of Breath
- Vomiting, and
- Death

Long term health consequences can also be devastating. A recent study of individuals newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease has found that home pesticide use and exposure is associated with a substantially increased risk of developing this disease.

Previous studies have also found a relationship between pesticide exposure and neurological disorders, negative effects to the immune system, liver and kidney damage, respiratory ailments, infertility and cancers, including brain, lung, prostate and breast cancers.

How are children affected?

Children from conception to sexual maturity are most vulnerable to pesticides. The Environmental Health Committee of the Ontario College of Family Physicians report a higher incidence of leukemia, brain cancer and soft tissue sarcomas in children exposed to herbicides and insecticides. Emerging science has also linked wide variety of health problems in children to their parent's exposure to pesticides, including birth defects, premature birth, learning and behavioural problems.

Some Statistics:

To eliminate broadleaf weeds many people use a product containing 2-4-D. Here are some facts:

-	Endocrine disruptor, component of agent orange (used to defoliate in Vietnam)
-	Contaminates bodies of water (detected in Grenadier Pond, Humber and Don Rivers)
-	Surface and groundwater contamination
-	Linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in farmers
-	Found in residential carpet dust up to one year after application outdoors on lawns
-	Linked to canine malignant lymphoma
-	Contains chlorine and contaminated with dioxin
-	Exposure from ingestion or skin absorption linked to nausea, vomiting, spasms, seizures and coma
-	Negative reproductive effects
-	Half-life in soils of seven days and therefore never disappears entirely.

Municipalities have the right to implement by-laws protecting public health and safety. So ruled the Supreme Court of Canada last June (2001) in their landmark decision upholding a by-law passed in Hudson, Quebec that banned the cosmetic use of pesticides within municipal boundaries.

What is happening locally?

Pressed by health, safety and environmental activists many Canadian municipalities are not waiting for other government jurisdictions. They have already moved to protect their workers, environments and citizens by passing bylaws to reduce or outright ban the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes. Most are limited to uses on public property, but with the recent Supreme Court ruling upholding a municipality's right to implement measures protecting the health of citizens, up to and including restrictions on private property, others are looking to broaden their approach.

Pesticides - Designed to Kill (Part 2)

by Gary MacLean The following information is drawn from papers published by the Workers Health & Safety Centre, The Toronto Star, World Wild Life and the Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph

Alternatives to Pesticides

Lawn Care:

If you must have a lawn you may avoid the use of dangerous pesticides by following these guidelines.

1.	Choose grasses or ground covers and plants that are well adapted to your general climate and that are suitable for the specific site.
2.	Mow the lawn frequently with sharp blades set as high as possible.
3.	Leave grass clippings on the lawn.
4.	Water (if you must) slowly and deeply, preferably in the evening.
5.	Use organic slow release fertilizers.
6.	Over-seeding is another important strategy. You can attain excellent results by casting a mix of drought-tolerant grub resistant grasses. eg. perennial rye with white clover. Mix the seed into soil and throw over existing lawn.
7.	Remove weeds by hand.

Insect infestations:

Ants: Apply bone meal or diatomaceous earth at the burrow opening. Encircle the point of entry with a line of red chili powder, paprika or dried peppermint leaves. Diatomaceous earth is the material used in swimming pool filtration systems. A caution when using this material- it also kills butterflies, honeybees and other beneficial insects.

Aphids: In a blender, mix garlic, green onions and half a teaspoon of Tabasco sauce. Strain and mix with soapy water. Spray the garden, wait a half and hour and rinse off affected plants.

Slugs, snails or earwigs: Place a dish of stale beer in the garden. Insects will enter and drown.

Grubs: Spray lawn with soapy water and turn over areas of sod infested with grubs allowing birds to eat them. Alternatively, apply nematodes, a natural predator of grubs, to the affected areas.

Fungus control: Use natural methods such as compost. There is a general movement to ban insecticides and herbicides for cosmetic purposes throughout Muskoka. The Town of Gravenhurst is doing their part by not using pesticides on Town-owned parks and properties. They are accomplishing their goals by over-seeding and the use of natural compost.

Are you doing your part? Remember that these chemicals can exist in the ground (as well as in your living room rug) for a long time . They also enter the water table and run off into steams, gutters and eventually the lake. These poisons and nutrients can only cause damage to the natural state of our lakes.

Benthic Monitoring - Year 4 - 2007

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:45:51 GMT

2007 - Benthic Monitoring: Year Four

Herb Grossman, Kahshe Lake Steward, received the following letter after the 2007 benthic monitoring took place. Herb asked for feedback on the health of the lake in layman’s terms, and this is the result.

Benthic monitoring involves the identification and counting of species found at the bottom of the lake. The process takes place yearly and the results gain significance if the testing takes place over a period of time. 2007 was the 4th year on Kahshe.

Hello Herb,
I can understand the need for feedback in layman's terms and have attached some files the District put together, which you may have already received.

The jist of those documents is that Lakes in Muskoka, include Kahshe Lake are in excellent condition and therefore deemed "reference sites". Data that we collect from these lakes are used to compare negatively impacted lakes all over Ontario too, through a new network called Ontario's Benthic Biomonitoring Network (OBBN).

For instance a lake that has been negatively altered would not be as healthy, so benthic populations and species composition would differ. This information is helpful in court cases were ecologists now have hard data to say that a water body is being negatively altered and is suffering "adverse effects" ( a legislation term that was almost useless until this protocol was able to establish what is normal for a lake in pristine condition). Therefore making calculations regarding Kahshe Lake status is not nessaccary, it has already been determined to be in excellent condition.

This is not to say that the data tells us nothing about the Lake. Since Kahshe Lake has tested two sites so far, we can tell that it is rich in biodiversity, because of the changing richness levels between the sites. Also there is different hilsenhoff index averages between the two site which also indicates that there is several aquatic environments (microclimates) on the lake which adds to the biodiversity of life on Kahshe Lake.

Also I can tell without even seeing the Lake that the shoreline vegetation is in good condition and is offering the a large amount of decaying material to feed the shredders in the lake. A lake with a high amount of shredders is a good indication that your shoreline has not suffered shoreline vegetation removal, such as those lakes in southern Ontario.

The presents of Caddisflies and Mayflies is an indication of good water quality and little if any pollution in the water, since they just would not survive those conditions. Likewise the lack of leeches backs that up since they would indicate higher than normal pollution.

I hope this quick analyses of the data helps with the newsletter, and drums up support for the ongoing monitoring on the lake. As time goes by we will be able to make more determinations of what the data means for Kahshe Lake in particular. If the numbers start to change for the worse we will be able to catch it. In the meantime Kahshe Lake residents can feel good about helping lakes similar to Kahshe, overcome the burdens they face in the light of human development.

Thanks for your continued interest and efforts to keep you lake beautiful

Sincerely,
Maggie Braun
Ecological Monitoring Technician
District Municipality of Muskoka 70 Pine Street Bracebridge, Ontario P1L 1N3
(705) 645-2231 ext. 332

Benthic Monitoring - Year 3 - 2006

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:48:10 GMT

2006 - Benthic Monitoring Year Three: Volunteers Count Bugs Again!

On August 3, volunteers carried out a count of living organisms from a sample taken from the bottom of Kahshe Lake.

Here is a list of some of the organisms they are looking for in the picture below: Caddis Flies, Mayflies, Dobsonflies, Crayfish, Sowbugs, Scuds, Alderflies, Damselflies, Craneflies, Dragonflies, Clams, Aquatic Worms, Midges, Blackflies, Leeches.

Bet you didn’t know they were there!

The volunteers are industriously counting living organisms from a sample taken from the bottom of Kahshe Lake near the shore as part of a Ministry of the Environment testing program under the supervision of Sarah Sinclair, Biological Monitoring Technician, District of Muskoka and Herb Grossman, Kahshe Lake Steward.

After the local count takes place, the District of Muskoka reports to the Lake Steward on the count, which will be compared with the counts taken the last two years (2004 and 2005) and the counts in future years. This form of monitoring of life in the water tells a great deal about the health of the lake over a period of time.

2006 - KLRA Renaturalization Project

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:52:49 GMT

2006 - KLRA Renaturalization Project
by Allyn Abbott, Chair of Heritage Committee
Kahshe Lake Plan Implementation Committee

On Saturday May 27, 2006, a small group of volunteers planted some native plants at the site (southeast of the bridge where the South Kahshe Lake Road crosses the Kahshe River). Fortunately it wasn't hot in the morning and the breeze kept the bugs at bay.

We removed the sod from one patch of ground and seeded it with a mix of native wildflower species that can tolerant a sunny dry site. The patch has been covered with straw to retain moisture while the seeds germinate. Thanks to the Muskoka Trails Riding Academy for donating the straw for the project. Since the seeds are perennials, it will likely be 2007 before we see any flowers in that patch and 2008 before all of the plants are flowering.

We planted three species of native trees: three white pine, two red pine and three white ash. The white ash look like twigs stuck in the ground but hopefully they will take. I'd like to thank Kim and Rob Pollard for donating the wild spirea bushes, which are frankly the largest things on the site.

We also put in a number of potted native wildflower plants, which were purchased from Wildflower Farm, in Orillia. Just in case you are interested in planting some yourself, the plants are: Prairie Smoke, Heath Aster, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Tennessee Coneflower, White Aster, Prairie Cinquefoil, Black Eyed Susan, Showy Goldenrod, Stiff Coreopsis, Rough Blazingstar, Spiderwort, Wild Quinine, Canada Milk Vetch, Purple Coneflower, Canada Tick Trefoil, Yellow Coneflower, Bergamot and Purple Prairie Clover.

Some of these species are included in the seeded plot. Other seeded species include: Wild Columbine, Sky Blue Aster, Flowering Spurge, Lupine, Dotted Mint, Beardtongue, Stiff Goldenrod and Hoary Vervain.

My thanks to Susan and George Lindsay, Joan and Alex Milburn and Rob Abbott for helping me with the re-naturalization project. I would also like to thank Norm Page, who has kindly offered to water the newly planted trees, flowers and seeds.

Hopefully this plot of shoreline will become a bit more interesting than just a patch of grass. I also hope that cottagers and residents will be inspired to avoid putting in
lawns, which are less effective at stopping runoff and tempt people to use herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, which we do not want anywhere near the lake.

Benthic Monitoring - Terms of Reference

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:50:51 GMT

Benthic Monitoring - Terms of Reference

August 29, 2005

Dear Lake Steward,
Thank you for your participation in the District of Muskoka Biological Monitoring program this season. Your time and dedication is appreciated and we look forward to your continued participation in this beneficial program.

A copy of the data collected during your workshop has been included with this letter for your records. This information will now be submitted to the Dorset Environmental Science Centre to be used as reference site data for the Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network database. We are in the process of gathering baseline data that will be combined with data from similar sites to define the normal condition for your shoreline type. This will enable you to compare and analyze samples from degraded sites in the future.

Although no analysis of the data has been done at this time, there are general inferences that can be made about the quality of your lake’s water. Below is a chart describing the sensitivity of various benthos, which will allow you to make a general characterization about the quality of your lake’s water

Sensitive	Somewhat Sensitive	Tolerant
• Caddis Flies • Mayflies • Dobsonflies	• Crayfish • Sowbugs • Scuds • Alderflies • Damselflies • Craneflies • Dragonflies • Clams	• Aquatic Worms • Midges • Blackflies • Leeches

Please remember that you must resample your site at the same time every year to ensure that the data can be accurately compared from year to year. Please call early May 2006 to set up your 2006 sampling workshop. Next season, you may decided to set up or start sampling a new site on your lake, which would allow you to make a more accurate assessment of the water and habitat quality of your lake. This matter can be discussed with the Biological Monitoring Technician when you call to book your appointment.

If you have any further questions about your results, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thanks again for a great workshop!

Sarah Sinclair
Biological Monitoring Technician
District of Muskoka
biotech@muskoka.on.ca
705-645-2231 ext 332

Benthic Monitoring - Year 2 - 2005

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:55:18 GMT

2005 - Benthic Monitoring Year Two: Volunteers Count Bugs Again!
Volunteers recently carried out a count of living organisms from a sample taken from the bottom of Kahshe Lake. In the photograph, Herb Grossman, Kahshe Lake Steward, watches as the volunteers pick out specimens from their dish and identify them.

They are industriously counting living organisms from a sample taken from the bottom of Kahshe Lake near the shore as part of a Ministry of the Environment testing program. After the local count takes place, the District of Muskoka reports to the Lake Steward on the count, which will be compared with the counts taken last year and the counts in future years. This form of monitoring of life in the water tells a great deal about the health of the lake over a period of time. For more information on Benthic monitoring and other aspects of water testing, go to the ““Lake Study”” section of the Discussion Forum and read the conversation in ““Lake Stewardship.