A slide showing how many stressors may act together to cause algae blooms

You mean one problem isn’t enough?

How the cumulative effects of multiple stressors impact the Muskoka Watershed. By Neil Hutchinson. This slide from Friends of the Muskoka Watershed show an example of cumulative effects — many…

Citizen scientists collecting data in Muskoka

Citizen Scientists Play Important Role in Sustaining Our Watersheds.

By Dr. Norman Yan. Whether sampling algae in a lake or spreading ash in a sugar bush, citizen scientists are making an important contribution to understanding our watersheds. My friend…

Photo of a server farm near Ashburn, Virginia

Artificial intelligence and its impact on the Muskoka watershed.

Everything is connected to everything else. It’s going to be challenging to manage the wonderful natural environment of Muskoka in this rapidly changing world. By Peter Sale. This server farm…

What’s Wrong with the Current Management of Our Watershed?

Too Many Managers and No Common Plan. By Patricia Arney. The Muskoka River Watershed stretches from its headwaters within Algonquin Park to its outlet to Georgian Bay. This watershed needs…

Sunrise over a lake by Derek Sutton

On Our Path to Integrate our Watershed Management.

IWM is a necessary new approach to manage how we live, work and play in Muskoka. We need this new paradigm to remain economically prosperous while retaining a resilient natural…

A Water Quality Technician measures water clarity using a Secchi disk

How well do we know our watershed?

What do we know about our watershed and are there gaps in the information being collected? By Dr. Peter Sale. The Muskoka River watershed is quite well known because many…

Norman Yan, enjoying his canoe and thinking about Muskoka’s wonderful water.

What’s in that sip of lake water?

By Dr. Norman Yan. Norman Yan, enjoying his canoe and thinking about Muskoka’s wonderful water. Over the decades on wilderness canoe trips, I commonly scooped a drink of lake water,…

Photo of Finn MacDonald, Taryn van Kooten and Om Patel at MSE2024 – Resilience

MWC Chair’s Annual Report for 2024.

Delivered by MWC Chair Aaron Rusak at MWC’s Annual General Meeting held on February 21, 2025. My usual style of brevity and efficiency may not lend itself well to summarizing…

Ken Black at the 2014 Muskoka Summit on the Environment

Do you know the ‘long history’ of integrated watershed management in Muskoka?

“The long-term prosperity of the Canadian economy can only be built on the sustained integrity of our [environment].” — "Achieving a Balance" published by the National Round Table on the Environment and…

Flood waters swirl past the Bracebridge Generating Station during the 2019 flood.

There’s a Big Difference Between “Water Management” and “Watershed Management”.

By Kevin Trimble. Flood waters swirl past the Bracebridge Generating Station during the 2019 flood. There has been recent interest in reopening and modifying the Muskoka River Water Management Plan…

Graphic of the four types of risk

Caring for Muskoka’s environment with the unknown unknowns.

Unknown unknowns cause problems we cannot anticipate, problems that can be small or very large. By Peter Sale. Our environment faces four types of risk. Known and unknown risks that…

Photo of sailboats participating in a regatta

An idyllic summer’s day on the lake?

How can we reduce our use of mechanized watercraft and still have heart-thumping fun? By David Parsons. Sailing is a green, emission-free way to enjoy the lakes of Muskoka, whether…