Bass Lake Causation Study
Muskoka's residents and District Council care about water quality. This important topic impacts the environment, economy, and desirability of the District as both a place to call home and a destination. In an effort to enhance water quality and resident/visitor experience in Muskoka, the District is undertaking causation studies on lakes considered as vulnerable from a water quality perspective. One of these causation studies will be on Bass Lake.
Bass Lake is 0.40 km2 in size and is located in the jurisdiction of the Town of Gravenhurst. This lake has experienced long-term phosphorus concentrations exceeding 20 micrograms/litre. This led to the lake being classified as vulnerable in Schedule E2 of the Muskoka Official Plan (MOP). As outlined in the MOP, when a lake is listed as vulnerable, a waterbody-wide causation study should be initiated to determine the causes and relative contributing factors which lead to the identified water quality indicator, as well as to produce recommendations and mitigative actions that can be taken by stakeholders, the District, and others to ensure water quality may be enhanced in the long-term.
To receive project updates and to stay informed of the outcomes of the Bass Lake Causation Study Project, enter your email address in the "Stay Informed" tool (located at the top right-hand corner of this page on your desktop or scroll down on your mobile device) and click the subscribe button.
Muskoka's residents and District Council care about water quality. This important topic impacts the environment, economy, and desirability of the District as both a place to call home and a destination. In an effort to enhance water quality and resident/visitor experience in Muskoka, the District is undertaking causation studies on lakes considered as vulnerable from a water quality perspective. One of these causation studies will be on Bass Lake.
Bass Lake is 0.40 km2 in size and is located in the jurisdiction of the Town of Gravenhurst. This lake has experienced long-term phosphorus concentrations exceeding 20 micrograms/litre. This led to the lake being classified as vulnerable in Schedule E2 of the Muskoka Official Plan (MOP). As outlined in the MOP, when a lake is listed as vulnerable, a waterbody-wide causation study should be initiated to determine the causes and relative contributing factors which lead to the identified water quality indicator, as well as to produce recommendations and mitigative actions that can be taken by stakeholders, the District, and others to ensure water quality may be enhanced in the long-term.
To receive project updates and to stay informed of the outcomes of the Bass Lake Causation Study Project, enter your email address in the "Stay Informed" tool (located at the top right-hand corner of this page on your desktop or scroll down on your mobile device) and click the subscribe button.
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Public Survey Results Now Posted
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThank you to all who participated in the Bass Lake Causation Study Survey this spring. A summary of the survey results is now posted to this page at the following link: Bass Lake Survey Results.
Other key aspects of the public consultation process will be summarized in the study’s final report.
Next steps in the study:
- The Terms of Reference (TOR) for the study will be shared with stakeholders by August 2021. We will post the TOR to this page and send a newsletter to advise that this document has been posted.
- Data collection and field work will continue into the fall, after which, the consultant will analyze the data and prepare the draft report for the study.
- Once the draft report is ready, a stakeholder meeting will be scheduled where people can ask questions to better understand the report findings and recommendations and provide feedback.
- The timing of the draft report may be affected by late fall blooms but is expected to be prepared for early 2022.
- After the stakeholder meeting, the report will be revised (if needed), finalized, and presented to the District’s Community and Planning Services Committee.
Lake residents and stakeholders are asked to continue to be our eyes on the lake over the summer and fall seasons and report any sightings of potential blue-green algae blooms to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks’ Spills Action Centre at 1-866-663-8477.
If you have any additional data or information you would like to share with the consulting team, please send it to jacquie.evans@muskoka.on.ca. We will be accepting submissions from lake stakeholders until October 31, 2021.
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April 30, 2021 Public Meeting Video Recording Now Available!
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThe first public meeting for the Bass Lake causation study took place on Friday, April 30, 2021 via Zoom - thank you to those who were able to participate in the live meeting!
If you were not able to participate with us, we have made a video recording of the meeting available below.
If you have any questions or comments about the presentation or the study process, or if you have information or data to contribute to the study, please contact Jacquie Evans, Planning Policy and Programs Coordinator, at jacquie.evans@muskoka.on.ca or 705-645-2100 ext 4114.
Thanks again for your interest in the Bass Lake Causation Study!
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Bass Lake Public Survey
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkBass Lake Causation Study Survey Now Open!
The goal of the survey is to gather information on lake use and observations of water quality, and how it has changed over time. We are seeking input from members of the lake association, those who live or work on or near the lake, those who use the lake for recreational purposes, and others with knowledge about the lake to help inform the causation study. We know that these stakeholders have data, information, and observations to share which is critical to our current and historical understand of the lake.
Anyone with specific knowledge about Bass lake and overall water quality on the lake is asked to complete the survey to share this information with us. The survey can be accessed at the link below and will be available until May 27th, 2021.
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Upcoming Public Meeting
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkA public meeting for the Bass Lake Causation Study is scheduled for Friday, April 30, 2021 from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm via the virtual platform Zoom.
Please RSVP to Jacquie Evans at jacquie.evans@muskoka.on.ca to receive the details for this meeting. Please note that the consultant’s presentation from this meeting will be recorded and posted to this project page at a later date.
The purpose of this meeting is to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to understand the consultant’s approach to the study, to ask questions of the consulting team, and to provide any information or insights that may be helpful to the project. Please help us spread the word!
For those unable to attend in person or wishing to provide additional details, an online survey will be conducted and will be posted to the this project page when available.
Stay tuned for more project updates in the coming weeks!
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Consultant Selected
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkThrough the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, the District Municipality of Muskoka has selected Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Ltd. (HESL) as the successful proponent for the Bass Lake Causation Study. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, HESL has partnered with Eco-Vue Consulting, a firm which specializes in public consultation, to ensure both the scientific and engagement components of the project are thoroughly performed.
A start-up meeting between the District and the consultants have recently taken place and the consultation plan is currently underway.
Please be sure to subscribe to the Bass Lake project page to receive information regarding upcoming meeting dates, consultation opportunities and important project updates.
Thank you for your interest in the Bass Lake Causation Study!
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Other Causation Studies and Related Project Pages
Related Documents
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Bass Lake Data Sheet.pd (358 KB) (pdf)
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Bass Lake Land Use Survey.pdf (1.81 MB) (pdf)
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Final RFP - Bass, Echo, Leonard, Stewart and Three Mile Lakes.pdf (330 KB) (pdf)
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2020 Causation Study Locations - Bass Lake - Gravenhurst.pdf (201 KB) (pdf)
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Bass Lake Consultation Plan (674 KB) (pdf)
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Bass Lake Causation Study Survey Summary (2.11 MB) (pdf)
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Bass Lake Causation Study Terms of Reference (323 KB) (pdf)
Helpful Links
Committee Reports, Presentations and Resolutions
Lifecycle
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Request for Proposal Issued
Bass Lake Causation Study has finished this stageRequest for Proposal are now open for eligible bidders until Tuesday December 1, 2020.
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Request for Proposal Closed
Bass Lake Causation Study has finished this stageRequest for Proposal are now closed. A consultant will be selected and announced in the coming weeks.
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Consultant Selected
Bass Lake Causation Study has finished this stage -
Project Start-Up Meeting
Bass Lake Causation Study has finished this stageThe project start-up meeting has been completed during which the project timeline and preliminary workplan were reviewed.
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Consultation Plan Underway
Bass Lake Causation Study has finished this stage -
Stakeholder Meeting #1
Bass Lake Causation Study has finished this stageFriday, April 30, 1:00-2:30 pm via Zoom. This initial stakeholder meeting will be taking place to communicate the purpose of the study to the public and to obtain information from the public that will help form the consultant's project plan.
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Stakeholder Survey Open for Submissions
Bass Lake Causation Study has finished this stageThe stakeholder information survey has launched. The purpose of this survey is to collect information from stakeholder's which will help provide the consultant with information regarding the history of Bass Lake with respect to lake uses.
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Stakeholder Survey Now Closed
Bass Lake Causation Study has finished this stageThe stakeholder survey is no longer open for submissions.
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Data Collection and Field Work
Bass Lake Causation Study is currently at this stageThe consultant will continue to collect and reivew data and conduct field work.
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Data Analysis
this is an upcoming stage for Bass Lake Causation StudyThe consultant will analyze all data to inform the study results and recommendations.
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Stakeholder Meeting #2
this is an upcoming stage for Bass Lake Causation StudyA second stakeholder meeting will be scheduled, likely near the end of February or early in March 2022, at which the consultant will present their draft findings to the public, answer questions, and collect any suggestions/comments, which will be considered in the final report.
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Final Report
this is an upcoming stage for Bass Lake Causation StudyThe final report, to be presented to the Community and Planning Services Committee in July 2022, will document the causes of phosphorus concentrations exceeding 20 micrograms/litre in Bass Lake based on all available information, summarize public consultation, and include recommendations for future action.
Who's Listening
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JE
Phone 705-645-2100 x 4114 Email jacquie.evans@muskoka.on.ca