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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 Echo Lake.
Echo Lake is 2.23km2 in size and is located in the jurisdiction of the Township of Lake of Bays. Echo Lake experienced a blue-green algae bloom in 2019, located at the east end of the lake, which was confirmed by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) on October 11, 2019. 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 Echo 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 Echo Lake.
Echo Lake is 2.23km2 in size and is located in the jurisdiction of the Township of Lake of Bays. Echo Lake experienced a blue-green algae bloom in 2019, located at the east end of the lake, which was confirmed by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) on October 11, 2019. 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 Echo 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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Thank you to all who participated in the Echo Lake Causation Study Survey this spring. A summary of the survey results is now available and posted to this page at the following link: Echo 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 you 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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The first public meeting for the Echo Lake causation study took place on Friday, April 23, 2021 via Zoom - thank you for 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 Echo Lake Causation Study!
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Echo 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 Echo lake, factors that could contribute to algae blooms, 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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A public meeting for the Echo Lake Causation Study is scheduled for Friday, April 23, 2021 from 10:00 am – 11:30 am 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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Through the Request for Proposal (RFP) process, the District Municipality of Muskoka has selected Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Ltd. (HESL) as the successful proponent for the Echo 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 Echo Lake project page to receive information regarding upcoming meeting dates, consultation opportunities and important project updates.
Thank you for your interest in the Echo Lake Causation Study!
Request for Proposal are now closed. A consultant will be selected and announced in the coming weeks.
Consultant Selected
Echo Lake Causation Study has finished this stage
Project Start-Up Meeting
Echo Lake Causation Study has finished this stage
The project start-up meeting has been completed during which the project timeline and preliminary workplan were reviewed.
Consultation Plan Underway
Echo Lake Causation Study has finished this stage
Stakeholder Meeting #1
Echo Lake Causation Study has finished this stage
Friday, April 23, 10:00 - 11:30 am 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.
Stakeholder Survey Open for Submissions
Echo Lake Causation Study has finished this stage
The 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 Echo Lake with respect to algal blooms and lake uses.
Stakeholder Survey Now Closed
Echo Lake Causation Study is currently at this stage
The stakeholder survey is no longer open for submissions.
Data Collection and Field Work
this is an upcoming stage for Echo Lake Causation Study
The consultant will continue to collect and review data and conduct field work.
Data Analysis
this is an upcoming stage for Echo Lake Causation Study
The consultant will analyze all data to inform the draft study report and recommendations.
Draft Report Submission
this is an upcoming stage for Echo Lake Causation Study
The consultant has prepared a draft report detailing the findings of the study.
Stakeholder Meeting #2
this is an upcoming stage for Echo Lake Causation Study
A second stakeholder meeting is scheduled which the consultant will present their draft findings to the public and collect any suggestions/comments that may result in changes to the report if necessary.
Final Report
this is an upcoming stage for Echo Lake Causation Study
The final report documents the causes of algae blooms in Echo Lake based on all available information, summarizes public consultation and includes recommendations for future action.
Echo Lake is 2.23km2 in size and is located in the jurisdiction of the Township of Lake of Bays. Echo Lake experienced a blue-green algae bloom in 2019, located at the east end of the lake, which was confirmed by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) on October 11, 2019. 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.
