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As we enter the summer season in Muskoka, many are excited to spend time in our lakes and rivers. From swimming and fishing to boating, canoeing, and kayaking, there are countless ways to enjoy the water.
However, as summer temperatures continue to rise, with longer heat waves and more days above 30°C we are seeing impacts on Muskoka’s lakes and rivers.
One impact is called eutrophication. This is when high levels of nutrients in the lake lead to excessive plant and algae growth. Climate change accelerates this by warming water temperatures and creating conditions that increase nutrients in aquatic habitats and support rapid plant growth.
A Warming Loop: More Growth, More Methane
Elevated temperatures can indirectly increase the release of nutrients from lake sediment and soil around the lake, promoting more rapid plant and algaegrowth.1 When the excessive plants and algae die and decompose, they release methane, a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.
This creates a positive feedback loop. The warmer it gets, the more plant growth occurs, leading to more methane being released. Decomposition also causes anoxia, or a lack of oxygen in the water. This pulls phosphorus from the sediments in the lakebed, feeding more plant growth and creating another powerful positive feedback loop.
Climate Change and Blue-Green Algae Blooms
The District’s Lake System Health program has also received evidence that climate change isa key driver of blue-green algae blooms.
Several confirmed blue-green algae blooms in recent years prompted causation studies to determine their causes; however, none of these studies concluded that development-related pressures (i.e., nutrient enrichment) were the primary driver of blooms. Rather, data analysis concluded that climate change (i.e., heavy rainfall events and prolonged periods of hot, calm conditions) and associated factors including the release of phosphorus from sediments and changes in lake stability appear to be the primary causes of recent blue green algae blooms. You can find more information about this in a staff report.
What Can We Do?
At the moment, there isn’t a magic bullet to prevent algae blooms, but everyone can take action to reduce fossil fuel emissions. If you want to learn how you can reduce your own emissions and protect Muskoka’s environment, join our new Climate Hero program! The program tells you how you can reduce fossil fuel emissions, moving from simple day to day habits like switching off lights when not in use or using a travel mug, to making your property and community more ecofriendly, like naturalizing your shoreline or installing a rain barrel.
Programs That Support Lake Health
There are two environmental stewardship programs the District runs to support clean and healthy lake systems:
1. Love Your Lake
The Love Your Lake program assesses the health of a lake and encourages lakefront residents to take stewardship action. Waterfront property owners on participating lakes receive a property-specific report that includes an assessment of the waterfront area as well as detailed actions that property owners can take to protect this valuable habitat. The District works with lake associations to carry out the program and relies on associations to provide the one-on-one contact with their members that is the cornerstone of the program.
2. The Natural Edge
The Natural Edge is a shoreline renaturalization program designed to support waterfront property owners who want to improve the health of their shoreline but aren't sure where to start.
“Many cottage owners want to take steps to improve their shoreline but aren’t sure how to doit. What should they plant, where should they plant it, and where to buy the plants are just some of the questions we get asked. The Natural Edge provides these answers as well as the materials needed to get started on their renaturalization project,” explains Rebecca Willison, the District’s Watershed Program Coordinator.
Interested property owners can sign up for a free site visit where advice and recommendations will be offered to improve the health of their shoreline property. A planting plan can be developed for properties that need it, and a starter kit can be purchased by property owners to get started on their project.
Protecting Muskoka, Together
Everyone can enjoy Muskoka’s lakes, and everyone can do something to help keep them that way for generations to come. Learn more about the work we are doing to support our natural environment at www.muskoka.on.ca/envirohub.
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