The Membership Committees mandate is to help to increase membership in the GBA,
Through the coordination of our member association’s own membership directors and committees, we ensure a shared learning environment where we regularly meet to share best practices.
Our focus areas are:
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
