District of Muskoka

With over 400 lakes within a two hour drive of Toronto, Muskoka is an historic and important recreational area as well as a growing residential area. The District of Muskoka was one of the first municipalities in Ontario to recognize water quality in its official plan and undertakes an annual Lake System Health Monitoring Program that provides reliable background data upon which development policy is based and decisions are made. Historically, the Lake System Health Monitoring Program consisted of basic lake chemistry, including dissolved oxygen, temperature, Secchi depth, and phosphorus analysis. In 2003, the Lake System Health Monitoring Program was enhanced to include the collection of benthic data and to undertake shoreline mapping. Benthic data are collected on several lakes across Muskoka with the assistance of volunteers from lake associations and in collaboration with the Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network.

The District of Muskoka began monitoring lake water quality in 1980 and has maintained a consistent program since that time. A total of approximately 180 sites are sampled on a two to three year rotation with approximately 80 sites sampled each year. The principal parameter of concern for this collaboration is total phosphorus; however, dissolved oxygen, temperature and secchi depth readings are also taken at each site. Since 2003, these samples have been analyzed at the DESC Water Chemistry Laboratory.

Each year, these data are used to prepare an annual report outlining the water quality of Muskoka lakes. The report is publicly available through the District’s web site.