The temperature in the Great Lakes has been a little above average so far this month. Lake Michigan-Huron is now 4 inches lower than it was at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 1, 3, 7, 7 & 6 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, Erie & Ontario are lower by 11, 4, 1 & 9 inches, respectively, and Lake St Clair is up 1 inch, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 2, 12, 14 & 1 inches, respectively, above their long-term April average, and Lake Superior is 1 inch below. All the lakes remain well below their April record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Superior, Michiga
With the steady increase in development along the shores of our lakes and rivers, critical fish habitat is being compromised and degraded. Watersheds Canada is partnering with local organizations to protect, enhance, and restore freshwater fish habitats. By building and deploying brush bundles, Watersheds Canada is creating spots for perch, bass, and pike to rest, feed, spawn, and hide. Often these woody debris areas are "cleaned up" by people who want a clean lake look and do not realize the impact this has on aquatic species. If your area is home to pike, perch, sunfish, and bass species and could benefit from more in-water habitat, have your local community association submit a project request to partner with Watersheds Canada in 2024 or 2025. Please note that not every group who fil
The temperature has been close to average so far this month. Lake Michigan-Huron is now 4 inches lower than it was at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 1, 2, 3, 4 & 2 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are lower by 7, 4, 6, 5 & 13 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie are 2, 7 & 10 inches, respectively, above their long-term April average and Lake Superior & Ontario are 1 & 4 inches below, respectively. All the lakes remain well below their April record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair,
Canada's federal government is warning of the potential for another "catastrophic wildfire season". In a press conference, the Canadian Emergency Preparedness Minister, Harjit Sajjan, said low snowpack levels and a forecast for warmer-than-average spring weather are combining to create high wildfire risk for much of the country. Southern Quebec, eastern Ontario and Western Canada were noted as particularly at risk. The map below shows the extent and severity of drought conditions across Canada as of March 31, 2024. So far April has brought snow and rain to Ontario which may temper some of the risk. Wildfire season typically runs from April 1 through October 31 annually. Read more about the 2024 wi
Lake Michigan-Huron is now 4 inches lower than it was at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are up 0, 2, 3, 2 & 2 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are lower by 7, 4, 10, 7 & 11 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie are 0, 6 & 8 inches, respectively, above their long-term April average and Lake Superior & Ontario are 2 & 5 inches below, respectively. All the lakes remain well below their April record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St. Clair, Erie & Ontario are expected to rise by 2, 3, 2, 2 & 6
Parks Canada is currently seeking public comments on the introduction of a new regulation to restrict floating homes from mooring overnight on the Trent-Severn Waterway and the Rideau Canal. This change, which will take effect on May 1, 2024, on the historic canals, is intended to give Parks Canada greater control over floating accommodations that are not primarily used for navigation on its waterways. All other mooring provisions will remain the same for property owners and boats at lock stations and licensed marinas. - Although the Trent-Severn Waterway is not on Georgian Bay, this notice is another step to getting the right regulations in place with all levels of federal, provincial and municipal government and provides a useful precedent which will help our ongoing efforts on Floatin
There have been warmer-than-normal temperatures in the basin in March. Lake Michigan-Huron is now 2 inches lower than it was at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior & St Clair are down 1 & 0 inches, respectively, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, Erie & Ontario are up 1, 1 & 2 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are lower by 8, 2, 7, 7 & 8 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 3, 9, 12 & 2 inches, respectively, above their long-term March average and Lake Superior is 1 inch below. All the lakes remain well below their March record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Sup
It is with great sadness that we report that Wally King passed away peacefully on March 25 at the age of 90. Wally was a true and loyal friend to the preservation of the Georgian Bay environment and a tireless advocate for protecting our precious ecosystem. - As a long-time director and president of the Sans Souci & Copperhead Association and GBA, Wally inspired countless people to go the extra mile to do what they could for the Bay. Among his most notable and enduring achievements were his roles in reviving the Georgian Bay Association, which had ceased operations in the 1970s, and building it back up prior to the formation of the Township of the Archipelago and the Georgian Bay Land Trust, all of which have gone from strength to strength over the years. In his many travels througho
GBA representatives met with Brian Saunderson, MPP for Simcoe-Grey, to discuss how to reduce microplastic/microfibre pollution in the Great Lakes. This exploratory meeting should lead to the development of a strategy to build consensus across industry, academia, government and NGOs on how we can work together to get microfibre filters installed on new washing machine filters, and encourage their application on existing washing machines. - Eden Hataley, from the University of Toronto, presented a summary of the issue to show why action is needed. See the presentation here. -
GBA's Aquaculture committee has written again to the federal Department of Fisheries & Oceans (DFO) to ask that they review the industry’s expansion plans and compliance with the Great Lakes Water Quality/Canada-Ontario agreements. Open net pen fish farms are not permitted in the US Great Lakes states. - Read the letter, here: GBA Letter to DFO Minister - March 16, 2024 - Read more about the aquaculture issue here. -
A University of Windsor project, in partnership with the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), is raising sturgeon for release with the goal of rebuilding a healthy, self-sustaining lake sturgeon population in the Detroit River. The project is focused on naturalizing juvenile sturgeon to their environment so future generations can flourish in the wild. Raised in tanks on the Detroit River, researchers are studying young sturgeon in varied environments to see how different factors affect their growth. Upon eventual release, these young fish can then be monitored and tracked for decades to come due to their slow growth and long lifespans. Once incredibly abundant, the Great Lakes sturgeon population is currently listed as endangered. It is estimated that the current
There have been warmer than normal temperatures in the basin in March so far. Lake Michigan-Huron is now one inch above where it was at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, & Erie are down 1 & 0 inches, respectively, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Ontario are up 1, 2 & 2 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are lower by 9, 1, 3, 4 & 6 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 3, 11, 12 & 2 inches, respectively, above their long-term March average and Lake Superior is 1 inch below. All the lakes remain well below their March record highs. - In a month’s t
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GBA Amplifies Your Voice
Since 1916, we have taken a leadership role, advocating to all levels of government and other stakeholders to protect and preserve this precious and fragile freshwater ecosystem on behalf of 18 water-based communities on the eastern and northern shores of Georgian Bay. We advocate on a broad range of issues as your watchful eye on the Bay. GBA works to identify and address issues before they become problems.
Read our Value Proposition >>What are sea lampreys and why are they problematic? Sea lampreys are an ancient form of a jawless fish with a toothed, funnel like mouth, that suck blood out of fish. They entered the Great Lakes through the St. Lawrence Seaway. During the 50’s, Lake Huron’s commercial fishing industry was verging on collapse. In particular, one of the most valued species, Lake Trout, a favorite sea lamprey meal, was nearing extinction. The good news is Lake Huron’s sea lamprey population (once the largest in the Great Lakes with over 700,000 in the 1940’s and 1950’s) has been declining. For example, in 2015 the population fell to 70,000, well below the target of 90,000 set by the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission (GLFC), established in 1954 to oversee a Great Lakes sea lamprey control
The message from traditional Indigenous teachings is that catch and release is disrespectful to the fish (it can also harm their ability to eat properly after they are released) and one should only fish respectfully, which includes eating the fish we catch. Now it seems there is another reason to question this practice. Some bass are smarter than we might think, learn to avoid lures and can pass that knowledge down through the generations! Who knew! - Read more here. -
What’s your name and what’s your connection to Georgian Bay? Sheila Williams and I (Celesta Bjornson) are the co-presidents of the Bay of Islands Association (BICA) and have been enjoying our summers in the Bay of Islands since we were toddlers. My family is from Pittsburgh and we originally found the Bay of Islands in the 1950s by vacationing at a fishing lodge called Moredolpton Lodge. Sheila's family is one of the founding families of the Bay of Islands. Her grandfather discovered the Bay of Islands in early 1900s while working on the lakers, travelling from southern Georgian Bay to the North Channel, transporting lumber back south. He fell in love with the area and purchased an island around 1924 and began building a cottage. Why is being a Guardian of the Bay important to yo
Luc Voorn is a cottager in the South Channel and a passionate advocate for Georgian Bay. He currently serves as the Membership Chairperson for the South Channel Association (SCA), Editor of the SCA “On the Waterfront” newsletter, and as Director, Friends of the Massasauga Park. This past summer (2019), he was nominated as a Guardian of Georgian Bay for his ongoing enthusiasm and efforts to protect and preserve the Bay. Note from Jamie Drayton, GBA Chair of Guardians of Georgian Bay Committee My Dad used to take us camping. His lure to get us to bathe was to promise us ice cream if we ran into the water first thing in the morning for a swim. I recall the water being absolutely freezing at 7 o’clock in the morning… I don’t recall ever getting any ice cream. A few years l
Boating from October through June offers a very different experience steeped in solitude and excellent fishing. It is a beautiful time to be on the water. But boating during this season also requires extra attention to detail and the ability to be self-sufficient given that there are fewer boaters around should you require assistance. Here are some helpful tips from the Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) and the Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters to make off-season boating safer for you. Check the weather forecast. The weather can change quickly and storms can be more violent. Fog is also more common. Ensure that your boat and engine are in good working order. Ethanol-based fuel can allow water contamination in the tank. The use of a fuel additive prevents water in the f
As nominated by Heather Sargeant My Phragbuster Hero About 5 or 6 years ago, at an event jointly put on by the Georgian Bay Association, Georgian Bay Forever, and featuring Dr. Gilbert, an ecologist with Phragmites expertise , I first learned about invasive Phragmites and the harm it can have on wetlands. I decided to investigate if Phragmites was a threat in Woods Bay (my favourite area of Georgian Bay), and that’s when my journey tackling this plant began. I wasn’t sure if a plant across from the family cottage was indeed the invasive type, and so I was nervous and queasy about leading people to help me cut it. What if it was the native plant, and I’d taken all these people out to cut down something benign? One of my neighbors told me there was a hero on Georgian
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is asking motorists to look out for vulnerable turtles on our roadways. Road surfaces provide an attractive source of warmth for these cold-blooded reptiles, particularly in the spring and early summer. During this time, turtles are mating and nesting; in late summer and early fall, newly hatched turtles are travelling from their nests to nearby wetlands. The Nature Conservatory of Canada has an informative video and tips for safely moving turtles. Watch the video and read the tips here.
Here are some things to think about around Fire Safety at the cottage: Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are present and working. Have a list of local emergency numbers posted for all to see. Include all pertinent cottage location information. Have the right fire extinguishers in the right places. Have an individual fire plan for evacuation. Make sure your plan has two escape routes. Respect local fire ratings. Have a fire pump and use it regularly to ensure it is in good working order. At the very least have a list of neighbours to call for assistance. Follow your association’s emergency plan if it exists. Make sure you have insurance. Make sure you understand what it covers and that it is adequate to rebuild and covers contents AND fire de
The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario has just released a useful guide on how to how we can all reduce our environmental footprints. Being a Guardian of the Bay also means doing what we can to reduce our individual consumption of carbon based fuels. - Here is a very good fact sheet and here is a full presentation on this topic. -
What’s your name and what’s your connection to Georgian Bay? Cory Kozmik, Anthony Laforge, Samantha Noganosh, Chevaun Toulouse. We are the Lands and Resource Department for Magnetawan First Nation, in Britt, Ontario. - Source: Magnetawan First Nation Our connection to the Bay is the dense biodiversity that it hosts and the role its ecology plays in our lives, including the environment. It is also where ancestors of the Anishinabek Nation walked and practiced each day what it means to live with the land in reciprocity. The connection to the land and water is sacred to the Anishinaabe culture, and held very close to the communities that inhabit the area. - Why is being a Guardian of the Bay important to you? We take great pride in being “Guardians” because it is our
Large wakes continue to be a bone of contention. They cause damage to docks and shorelines and can be very disruptive to cottagers enjoyment of their docks. What can be done? The occasional disruption and damage caused by excessive wakes are an ongoing source of irritation between boaters and cottagers. Boaters are responsible for their wakes and any damage caused by them. But the OPP tells us that damage caused by wakes is a civil issue. And so what you need to do is be able to identify the vessel and the operator and pursue the matter in small claims court if a reasonable result can’t be agreed upon between the parties on their own. However, if a boater is observed to be operating their vessel in a dangerous or careless way then the OPP should be called. They ideally would like t
This past summer there seemed to be a search & rescue operation happening and it left many cottagers confused about what was going on. The questions were about what to do in a situation like that - where to get information, and potentially how to help. When involved in a current investigation the OPP generally will not disseminate info through the media. They most often feel they have the resources to adequately conduct a search. Note that, if the OPP does ask the public for assistance, they are civilly liable if a member of the public gets injured while searching, and so tend not to involve the public. If the OPP is not successful then they will ask the public for assistance through media channels. If people have questions they can call the OPP non emergency ( 1 800-310-1122 ) num
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