Archive - 2019

Greetings JLA members,

 

With the Havelock Belmont Methuen (HBM) survey recentlycirculated, we've received quite a bit of interest about the JLA Board'sposition on boathouses.  In response, wewanted to connect with everyone to ensure clarity and understanding in the interestof further constructive discussion.

 

JLA's mission statement is to 'Conserve, Connect andCare'.  Given this mandate, you can restassured that the Board's default position on most issues will be to work forthe conservation of the lake and its surroundings.  Further, on the 'About Us' section of the JLAweb site, and in our Lake Plan, it is clear that our purpose is to work toprotect the lake.  Several examples ofrecent issues (including boathouses) are provided to illustrate this work.  Although we are all volunteers, we take ourprimary role as Stewards of the Lake seriously.

 

The potential construction of new boathouses on theshoreline of Jack's Lake raises many environmental issues concerning the healthof lake water quality and the habitat of the creatures living in and around itsshores.   Put simply, the construction ofnew boathouses alters the natural shoreline, and this modification in turn,disrupts the ecological balance of the lake, its shoreline and the lands onwhich our cottages sit.

 

An interesting fact about Jack's Lake is that our lake isvery unique within the whole of the Kawartha Lakes and the Trent SevernWaterway. Very recently, our lake, Sharpe's Bay, was designated an "AtCapacity, Cold Water Trout Lake". It is the only lake with this designation in the Kawarthas.  In lay person's terms, "AtCapacity" indicates that there is a very delicate/fragile balance to bemaintained before the lake environment is no longer able to support its currentinhabitants and water quality.  Too muchphosphorous from increased building density around the shoreline will lead tothis imbalance and destroy the special water quality that is necessary tosustain the lake as we know it.  We areaware that other lakes in the region have undergone a noticeable decline inwater quality and significant weed and algae growth.

 

For these reasons (including those contained in the attacheddocuments on the subject), our position is to support a by-law which isconsistent with the North Kawartha by-law that proactively protects waterquality.  Please note that our lake isdivided between two townships; North Kawartha and HBM.  HBM is currently proposing an Official Planwith the amendment of several bylaws (including restrictions on boathouseconstruction).  Worth noting, NorthKawartha has already prohibited boathouses. So, part of our thinking is to ensure uniformity on the lake as awhole.

 

While the Board is concerned with conservation, we are alsocottagers/home/property owners.  As such,we share with you an interest in maintaining and indeed possibly improving ourrespective properties.  For most of us,our cottages are our refuge ....places where we can renew, reconnect withnature and enjoy life with family and friends. When you own a property, it is only natural to want to make the most ofit.  We all share this inclination, butwe also recognize that times have changed. We know much more about the science behind environmental sustainabilitythan we did 40 years ago.  With thisknowledge, we believe that we now need to make a few modifications in the waysthat we have gone about things in the past to ensure the health and well-beingof our lake today and into the future.

 

We are attaching below various interesting articles exploring the topic in more detail. 

Respectfully,
JLA Board.

- Muskoka Watershed Council - Shoreline Vegetative Buffers

- ON Ministry of Environment - Lakeshore Capacity Handbook 

- SHORELINE MODIFICATION IMPACTS ON LAKEECOLOGY AS A RESULT OF INTENSIVECOTTAGE CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT

- WA Dept of Ecology - Piers, Docks and Overwater Structures 

- U of Chicago - Relative impacts of morphological alteration to shorelinesand eutrophication on littoral macroinvertebratesin Mediterranean lakes

 - Oxford University - Ecological Consequences of Shoreline Hardening: A Meta-Analysis

 - Lake Simcoe Protection Plan - Shorelines andChapter 6Natural Heritage

Observations have been made that we now have four baby loons on our lake.

Please proceed withcaution if you are out boating and come across adult loons protecting theiryoung.

 

See: Top 6 Ways You Can Help Loons

Any observations/sightings of loons or if are interested in volunteering to participate in the Jack’s Lake Loon Survey inconjunction with Bird Studies of Canada, contact Dawn Tower DuBois at dtdnvs@rit.edu or 705-656-9035.