rev-digital-FINAL-PRESS-2023-PAGES-AHCC-QUARTER-BLEED - Flipbook - Page 58
ALMAGUIN HIGHLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
It has natural features – allowing fallen trees and branches to settle
While out of sight, it’s important to make sure your septic
on your shoreline and in the water provides crucial habitat. Turtles use
system is functioning properly – improperly treated wastewater
logs to bask upon and fish use underwater branches and logs to hide
may contain bacteria, viruses, phosphorus and nitrogen. Inadequate
from predators and lay eggs. On land, logs provide essential habitat for
treatment can result in an overabundance of weeds and algal blooms
small mammals, woodpeckers, toads, and salamanders. Overhanging
which can make a lake unpleasant for swimming and boating, affect
vegetation shades and cools the water. Fish and frogs often feed and
water quality, fish, wildlife, and their habitats, and it can cause health
spawn below overhanging vegetation and the leaves, twigs, fruit, flowers
risks for people.
and even insects found on overhanging vegetation provide an important
food source for many species. Aquatic vegetation helps maintain water
Feel like your lake needs more help? Be sure to visit LoveYourLake.ca for
quality and stabilizes wave energy to help reduce erosion. Cavity trees -
information on the Love Your Lake program. Developed by Watersheds
trees with holes in the trunk or branches - are used by many species of
Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Love Your Lake is a
birds and mammals for creating nests, raising young, feeding, escaping
shoreline stewardship program that is delivered by local conservation
predators and hibernating. Plus, removing some of these features could
groups. Every property on participating lakes is assessed and every
require a permit.
property owner receives a free personalized shoreline property report
full of voluntary recommendations to help improve the health of their
It doesn’t have a hardened shoreline – at one time it was common
shoreline and contribute to a healthier lake. Lake groups also receive
practice to install a retaining wall made from wood, concrete, steel, rock,
a summary report that provides an overview on the state of the lake’s
or other material. We now know that these walls ultimately do more harm
shorelines with voluntary lake-level stewardship recommendations.
than good. Instead of absorbing wave energy, hardened shorelines not
The program has already helped more than 46,700 shoreline property
only deflect this energy to the sides passing the erosion problem on to
owners on 203 lakes in Canada. We can help you love your lake too!
neighbouring sites, but also deflect it down, scouring away any sediment
or plant life near the base of the wall. Eventually, the wall will fail. If you
Everyone loves their lake but may not realize their day-to-day activities
have a retaining wall, you can restore some native vegetation behind the
could be putting their lake at risk. If you have not already, you can make
wall, on the landward side, to help reduce erosion. If you have riprap or a
the change on your shoreline property. Small steps can lead to real
loose rock retaining wall, you can let vegetation grow between the rocks
change!
or add live stakes of willow or dogwood to help stabilize slopes.
[Remember that the need for permits in or near water, and the governing
Access to the shoreline is contained to one area – limiting foot
body responsible for those permits, varies from region to region. Be sure
traffic to one area minimizes the chances of erosion. Consider a curved
to check with your local municipality, conservation authority, appropriate
path with wood chips or crushed gravel for gentle to moderate slopes.
provincial ministry and/or federal department for the permits to do work
For steeper slopes, installing raised stairs with open backs works best.
in or around water.]
P h o t o g r a p h y c o u r t e s y o f To w n sh i p o f S t r o n g
Photography by Andrea Jantzi
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