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GRAVENHURST — The Ontario government is investing more than $4.25 million to further protect the Muskoka River Watershed. The funding will support projects that will help safeguard the region from environmental pressures, such as severe weather and flooding, while also improving the health of the watershed, a key commitment in the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan.

The District Municipality of Muskoka (the District) has initiated five new causation studies of lakes across Muskoka.  The lakes being studied are:

1. Bass Lake – Town of Gravenhurst
2. Echo Lake – Township of Lake of Bays
3. Leonard Lake – Township of Muskoka Lakes
4. Stewart Lake – Townships of Georgian Bay and Muskoka Lakes
5. Three Mile Lake – Township of Muskoka Lakes

The District has retained environmental sciences consultants and experts in community consultation to undertake the studies. In partnership with our consultants, our goal is to provide recommendations and actions that can be taken by stakeholders (those who live or work on or near the lakes, those who use the lakes for recreational purposes, the District, and others) to ensure water quality can be protected and enhanced.

What is a Causation Study?

A causation study is a way to determine why the water quality of a lake may be vulnerable based on key indicators (such as a confirmed blue green algae bloom). Determining which causes are affecting water quality is essential for protecting Muskoka’s lakes.

Public Engagement

Stakeholders have important knowledge that is vital to our current and historical understanding of the lakes. In order to ensure this valuable information is considered as part of the studies, there will be several public engagement opportunities including public meetings, surveys, and opportunities for feedback throughout the course of each study.

Initial public meetings will take place for each lake during the last two weeks of April 2021.  The purpose of these meetings is for the consultants to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to understand the approach to each study, ask questions of the consulting teams, and provide any information or insights that may be helpful to the projects.

The meeting dates and times for each lake are included in the table below:

Meetings will take place via Zoom. If you wish to attend one or more of these virtual meetings, RSVP to jacquie.evans@muskoka.on.ca to receive the meeting details.

Learn more and Stay Informed!

To learn more about causation studies, visit our Engage Muskoka platform at: www.engagemuskoka.ca/protecting-muskokas-vulnerable-lakes-causation-studies  

To stay informed of the causation studies that are of interest to you, including opportunities to participate and provide information to the consultant(s), subscribe to the Engage Muskoka project pages linked below:

• Bass Lake – Town of Gravenhurst
• Echo Lake – Township of Lake of Bays
• Leonard Lake – Township of Muskoka Lakes
• Stewart Lake – Townships of Georgian Bay and Muskoka Lakes
• Three Mile Lake – Township of Muskoka Lakes