water quality

A Permission Slip for Your Shoreline: What Gord Miller Taught Us About the Littoral Zone in Muskoka

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Most cottagers don’t need to “clean up” their whole waterfront to love it. That was one of the best takeaways from How Lakes Work Episode 2, a webinar presented by Muskoka Discovery Centre in collaboration with Friends of the Muskoka Watershed, featuring a talk on the littoral zone by ecologist Gord Miller of Earthroots (Ontario’s … Read more

On Thin Ice: Lake Ice Safety, Climate Signals, and Why It Matters for Muskoka

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Aerial drone view of a frozen lake at sunset, illustrating the expansive ice cover and the safety risks associated with changing winter patterns.

        Some environmental changes creep in quietly. Lake ice doesn’t. In Episode 1 of How Lakes Work, Dr. Sapna Sharma (York University) laid out a reality that’s both simple and unsettling: winter is still here – but the rules that made ice predictable are breaking down. This isn’t just about skating season … Read more

**NOW SOLD** Cottage in Muskoka for sale, Lake Muskoka (Muskoka Beach)

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Cottage in Muskoka for sale, Lake Muskoka (Muskoka Beach) – Beautifully kept, super-clean, three bedroom, one bath cottage for sale on level lot in Muskoka Beach area.   The Muskoka Beach community on Lake Muskoka is known for its shallow, perfect hard-sand bottom, beautiful views and gorgeous sunsets. This four season cottage has municipal water … Read more

Muskoka Lakes Association AGM

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This Friday, the Muskoka Lakes Association will hold its AGM in Port Carling. Details below and here. The 121st Muskoka Lakes Association Annual General Meeting will be held on July 25th at the Port Carling Community Centre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. Come and enjoy some refreshments and … Read more

In Muskoka, the environment is the economy. For cottagers, protecting the Muskoka watershed, protects your investment.

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This is the most important thing you can do today to help protect the Muskoka watershed which gives us all so much everyday! The Muskoka Watershed Council has launched an online campaign to bring the 2014 Watershed Report Card to life! This new user-friendly digital report card will provide information on water quality; phosphorus levels in your … Read more

Muskoka’s Lakes: The Calcium Story

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As mentioned last month in this cottageinmuskoka blog entry and this news story from the Huntsville Forester (Cottage Country Now), the decline of calcium in our lakes can affect our lakes recovery from acid rain as well as zooplankton in our lakes, which are are very sensitive to declining calcium levels. From the Muskoka Watershed … Read more

Reminder: The Great Muskoka Paddling Experience is this Saturday!

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Even if you aren’t paddling in the event, it’s an … ahem… Great Experience to watch. This Saturday, at Annie Williams Park in Bracebridge, come out and see why The Great Muskoka Paddling Experience has become an epic one in Ontario paddling and beyond. https://vimeo.com/76351898 The Great Muskoka Paddling Experience generously supports the work of the … Read more

Timber harvesting and the health of our lakes: The Calcium Story

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Mentioned in a number of Muskoka Watershed Council lectures over the past few years, calcium decline in Muskoka Lakes and in particular, the consequences of timber harvesting on lake calcium levels have been hinted at as a potential direct cause of declining health of our lakes in Muskoka. Here’s a past primer news story from the … Read more

Muskoka and Global: Environmental Good News Stories.

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Did you know that Gravenhurst Bay in Lake Muskoka is 4 to 5 times cleaner than it was 1970? Did you know that everyone alive in the 70’s had toxic levels of lead in their blood? Did you know that Muskoka has only half as many acid lakes as it once did? Well, how about … Read more