Lake Water Monitoring

Muskoka Water Strategy

The Muskoka Water Strategy is a framework of integrated and strategic initiatives for the protection of Muskoka's water resources. The purpose of the strategy is to guide and minimize the impact of human activities on water resources; ensure human and environmental health; and preserve the quality of life in Muskoka.

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The District spearheads Muskoka's Water Strategy, through collaboration with the Muskoka Watershed Council and wide variety of stakeholders to protect Muskoka's water resources.

Strategy Components

The strategy consists of four broad components:

The Lake System Health Program, including lake and watershed monitoring, volunteer-based benthic monitoring, and stewardship and outreach programs
Communication and community involvement initiatives, including the Muskoka Water Web
The Muskoka Watershed Council, which includes initiatives such as the Muskoka Watershed Report Card and Best Practices program
Broader water initiatives, such as flood plain mapping and research programs.

The strategy emphasizes relationship building and resource sharing with other organizations, as well as greater community involvement.

As the strategy evolves, it will address any new issues or concerns for Muskoka's water resources and provide a structure for future initiatives.

Lake System Health

The District undertakes several monitoring programs to assess different aspects of Lake System Health, including chemical, biological and physical.

Chemical: The recreational water quality monitoring program collects data on phosphorus, calcium, chloride, pH, and a number of other chemical parameters, as well as dissolved oxygen and temperature.
Biological: The benthic monitoring program collects data on the aquatic communities that form the basis of the food web. Support is available for lake associations and volunteers interested in collecting data on other biological communities, such as algae, amphibians and reptiles, and birds, etc.
Physical: shoreline land use surveys map the physical characteristics of shorelines across Muskoka and shoreline assessment programs provide relevant stewardship information at a property level.

The Lake System Health Program incorporates the best available science and responds to emerging water quality issues, which in turn guides District policies to achieve a holistic and balanced approach to managing Muskoka’s watershed health and shoreline development.

The data collected through the Lake System Health Program is used to identify lakes that are considered vulnerable based on specific water quality indicators, such as confirmed blue-green algae blooms or increasing phosphorus levels. Causation studies may be undertaken for these lakes to identify the likely reason these lakes are experiencing a water quality issue.

Recreational Water Quality Monitoring

Overview: Muskoka has monitored recreational water quality for 40 years. The recreational water quality monitoring program is a field-based program that monitors approximately 165 lakes across Muskoka on a rotating basis depending on development pressures and the specific characteristics of the lake. The purpose of the program is to establish a long-term record of key water quality parameters so that trends in water quality can be identified.
Reports and Data: Annual reports are available on the District's Document Centre. Lake Data Sheets for individual lakes that track change over time are available on the Muskoka Water Web at http://muskokawaterweb.ca/lake-data/muskoka-data/lake-data-sheets
Sampling Schedule: Each year, approximately 80-85 sites are sampled across Muskoka. Download the list of lakes scheduled to be sampled in 2021 here.

Biological Monitoring Program

Overview: The District provides training for lake associations interested in undertaking volunteer monitoring programs. The program focuses on benthic monitoring and contributes data to the Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network.
Reports and Data: Annual reports are available on the District's Document Centre. Aquatic Invertebrate Data Sheets for participating lakes is available on the Muskoka Water Web at http://muskokawaterweb.ca/lake-data/muskoka-data/biological-monitoring-data.

Shoreline Land Use Surveys

Overview: Shoreline land use surveys document all built structures, the condition of the shoreline and general land uses adjacent to a lake. This information is mapped and made available for municipal planning programs as well as lake associations, Area Municipalities and other interested parties.
Access to Maps: Shoreline Land Use Survey maps are available on the Muskoka Water Web at http://muskokawaterweb.ca/lake-data/muskoka-data/shoreline-land-use-maps.

Causation Studies

Overview: A causation study may be undertaken for a lake if it is identified as being vulnerable based on a set of water quality parameters, as outlined in the Muskoka Official Plan. A causation study is a way to determine why the water quality of a lake may be vulnerable based on key criteria. Impacts to water quality may be due to natural processes or human activities, and determining which causes are affecting water quality is an essential step in protecting Muskoka’s lakes.
Access to Causation Studies: Access to past and current causation studies is available on Engage Muskoka.

Stewardship and Education

Overview: The District works closely with the Muskoka Watershed Council to implement a number of stewardship initiatives, including the Love Your Lake shoreline assessment and stewardship program, the Natural Edge shoreline re-naturalization program, workshops for school groups and summer camps, activity centres at water festivals, and presentations on species at risk, invasive species, and other stewardship topics.