One of Ontario’s Great Lakes is dealing with “ecological stressors” that are having a “devastating effect on the ecosystems” living there.
The Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition (RLSC), an organization pushing for a healthier Lake Simcoe, shared a report Tuesday showing that phosphorus pollution and road salt are among various factors threatening the lake’s wellbeing.
“What we’re trying to do in the report is to take a very fair, frank view at what the challenges are, what has been working, and what hasn’t been working,” said Jonathan Scott, executive director of RLSC.
As Canada’s ice fishing capital, declines in fish populations would greatly affect tourism in the area.
“The health and wellbeing of the lake is intrinsically linked to the economic success of the region,” he added. “Lake Simcoe is central to the economic drivers of the region, agriculture, tourism, fishing, both in the summer and winter.”
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“Success depends not only on clear goals but on full commitment from governments, municipalities, conservation authorities and isolated capital investments alone are no substitute for a sustained strategy,” Scott said.
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The report presents a mixed picture for Lake Simcoe: invasive species and climate change continue to threaten native fish species; while lake trout and whitefish populations are struggling, burbot, bass and perch species are resilient and generally healthy.
RLSC points out several examples where phosphorus levels have slightly decreased; however, they still exceed the target set by Lake Simcoe Protection Plan (LSPP) back in 2009. Likewise, deep-water oxygen levels have improved slightly, and wetland cover has remained fairly stable in some areas. These trends indicate that despite some successes initially, they remain below the coalition’s goal for “maintained ecosystem resilience,” according to the report.
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According to Scott, this shows that while LSPP isn’t broken, it’s under pressure.
The LSPP is a provincial legislated initiative aimed at protecting and restoring Lake Simcoe’s health by improving water quality, reducing harmful pollutants, addressing invasive species issues, restoring cold-water fish habitat, promoting sustainable land use practices along with water use policies, and reinforcing protections through research monitoring and provincial legislation.
Lakes Simcoe is still encountering threats mentioned in Lake Simcoe Protection Act 16 years after its original plan was put into action., according to statements from Government of Ontario’s website.
The RLSC is urging immediate coordinated efforts to fulfill Ontario’s watershed protection commitments based on recommendations made in its report.
Those suggestions include updating and enforcing provincial phosphorus reduction strategies investing in stormwater management maintenance tackling road salt pollution via liability reforms regulations enforcement as well as strengthening conservation authority governance structures.
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