Lake Huron e-news - February 2016

When we observe environmental problems showing up at the beach, such as excessive algae washing ashore, or beaches posted due to high bacteria, we find that often these problems originate beyond the local beach area. Some of these issues are compounded by the state of our watersheds.  The Lake Huron watershed covers roughly 134,000 square kilometres.  Since European settlement of the Lake Huron region, the watershed has undergone significant changes, particularly south of the Bruce Peninsula, and along southern Georgian Bay. Forest cover, for instance, has been reduced from  an estimated pre-settlement extent of 90% to around 18%, and as low as 6% in some of Huron's river systems.

When some experts make general statements about the health of Lake Huron, they may proclaim that the Lake Huron watershed has an impressive forest cover of 60%. This number is true when looking at the whole Lake Huron watershed; however, most of this forest cover exists in northern Ontario. Stating that the Lake Huron watershed has a 60% forest cover, as if to imply that the state of the Lake Huron landscape is in pretty good shape, misrepresents what is happening regionally to the Lake.

The diagram below illustrates the Lake Huron watershed's current land cover. Green represents forest cover, yellow shows agricultural lands and red is urban areas. The lands south of the Bruce Peninsula and Georgian Bay have become highly dominated by agricultural lands.  The historical removal of forests and wetlands, and extensive land drainage has sped up the way water runs off the land and into Lake Huron.

 

(Lake Huron land use cover. Source: Lake Huron Community Action)

Forests, wetlands and other natural systems act as sponges, holding back water and slowly releasing it into our rivers and lake. The removal of these systems for agriculture and development has changed the landscape so that water moves much more quickly through the watersheds.  Extensive field tiling and stormwater drainage  has increased water discharge even further.  Faster moving water influences soil erosion rates, and can move pollutants off the land and into our waterways.  The relative lack of forest and wetland cover in southwestern Ontario corresponds with the relative lack of buffering capacity, or natural ability to filter pollutants from surface water runoff.  Efforts to restore buffering capacity by planting or protecting native plants adjacent to our waterways will help contribute to quality improvement and ecosystem health.

A number of groups along the Lake Huron coast are taking up the challenge of restoring native plant life to our coastline and watersheds. An example is the Pine River Watershed Improvement Network, working south of Kincardine. This grassroots organization continues to implement action-oriented projects aimed at improving water quality in the Pine River watershed, in part by re-instating some of the natural biodiversity that has been lost.

The Lower Maitland Stewardship Group near Goderich is a similar grassroots organization  focused on protecting the biodiversity of the Lower Maitland watershed. Its members participate in clean-ups, education and awareness programs, and landowner engagement.

Friends of Sauble Beach is a group of local citizens who have undertaken major restoration works of their dune grassland ecosystems. This group of volunteers has raised well over $150,000 to implement measures to protect a globally rare environment.

Local Conservation Authorities are working on ‘priority watersheds,’ small watersheds draining into Lake Huron in need of some specialized care.  A lot of this work involves cottagers and farmers uniting in the common cause of water quality improvement.

There are many more groups in the Lake Huron watershed undertaking similar acts of good work to help protect Lake Huron's biodiversity.  While they act locally, taken collectively, these groups are creating positive change for the entire Lake Huron watershed. There is much more work to do, but the involvement of individuals and community groups will be the game changer, as far as improving the health of our environment.

If you're not already involved, consider participating with a local environmental grassroots organization in your area. You can also support the work of the Coastal Centre and its stewardship planning and restoration initiatives along the coast.

Some environmental issues may seem overwhelming, but it's like eating an elephant...take one bite at a time! 
 
(article by Geoff Peach, Coastal Resources Manager)

Date:  ​Friday, May 27, 2016