• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

New Report Reveals Ongoing Concerns About Lake Simcoe’s Water Quality

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In Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority
Jun 27th, 2010
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From the SCOOP on Lake Simcoe June 10 2010 — The Province’s Lake Simcoe Science Committee recently released the Lake Simcoe Water Quality Update. Below are highlights of the report’s summary, followed by our thoughts about what direction we can take from this report:
OXYGEN – Lake Simcoe’s fish need a certain amount of oxygen in the water to survive. Though levels improved during the 1990’s and 2000’s, the oxygen level is still far below the dissolved oxygen target the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan aims to achieve.
CLIMATE CHANGE – When the warm and cold layers of water settle into distinct layers, it’s called stratification. “Stratification occurs 20 days earlier in the spring than it did in 1980 and ends in the fall 15 days later compared to thirty years ago. There is some evidence that climate change is a factor.”
PHOSPHORUS LEVELS – The federal government is set to reduce the phosphorus concentration limit in laundry and dishwasher detergents in 2010. This could have a positive impact on the lake’s phosphorus levels, which went down in the 80’s and 90’s, and have been steady or going up since then. The report says the levels are still not good enough for fish to sustain themselves.
ALGAE – Algae has leveled off and increased since the 1990’s.
ROAD SALT – Chloride concentrations, mostly from road salt, have increased.
CHEMICALS – The concentration of metals and chemicals is varied and has changed largely in response to improvements in regulations or in technologies.
CONTAMINATED FISH – The levels of contaminants in Lake Simcoe sport fish (such as Lake trout, whitefish) have “decreased or remained stable over the last 10 – 15 years. Levels of these contaminants in Lake Simcoe Fish are generally equal to or lower than levels found in Great Lakes fish.”
BEACHES CLOSED – From 2006 – 2008 most beaches had at least one posting or closure. Beaches on the south and east shores of the main basin, the Georgina and Durham areas had a higher number of postings, which reflect higher levels of bacteria, or more onshore winds, or both.
DRINKING WATER – Drinking water that comes from the lake meets provincial standards. Protecting sources of drinking water is regulated through the Clean Water Act and Source Protection Committees. The program aims to protect future impacts and address existing issues.
 
Campaign Lake Simcoe comments on these results:
 
Thanks to the combined efforts of people, groups, and government, some improvements have been observed in the lake. But all of the impacts are due to human activities, and increasing the development footprint in Simcoe County will affect the lake’s health. The Growth Plan targets a 53% population increase in Simcoe County in 22 years. About half of that growth will occur in the Lake Simcoe watershed, consuming 17,000 hectares.
 
Improvements in water quality in the 1990’s and 2000’s resulted largely from upgrades to sewage treatment plants, septic systems, and agricultural practices. But now that the low-hanging fruit is gone, the changes we need to make now are more difficult and more expensive. The 2010 draft Phosphorus Reduction Strategy lists $163 million in costs just for stormwater retrofits and sewage treatment plans upgrades. Until we find ways to fund the improvements we know we need to make, we question the intelligence of permitting more activities that will harm the lake.
 
The Lake Simcoe Protection Act and Plan is great legislation, but for it to be implemented successfully, we must do more than measure and monitor changes. In this October’s municipal election, make sure you vote for a Mayor and Councilor who will make Lake Simcoe’s health a priority.
 
Click here to see who’s on the Province’s Lake Simcoe Science Committee.
 
Click here to see the full Lake Simcoe Water Quality Update.

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