What Covid-19 Teaches Us About Dealing with Climate Change and Development Pressure
By Peter Sale. When the Covid-19 pandemic is past, and it will pass, we will still need to manage the Muskoka watershed – the environmental quality of this place we…
Earth Day, Spring cleanup, COVID-19 and Geese!
By Pete LeMoine. We can celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day outside at home! The snow has melted, and we are all self-isolating and eager to be out in…
When it comes to road salt, a little can go a long way!
The overuse of road salt is damaging to our infrastructure, automobiles, vegetation, water quality and the environment, which is why it was added to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act's…
How our forests influence water flow in Muskoka
by Javier Cappella. Water and forests in Muskoka’s watersheds are intimately linked. Muskoka’s forests are unique in their abundance. Without the intense land use pressures of southern Ontario but still…
How important is that wetland?
By Peter Sale You’ve all seen wetlands. There are lots of them in Muskoka. Marshy, boggy, mosquito-infested, noxious places; neither a lake nor dry land; what good…
Mother Nature thinks we are all deadbeats in Muskoka
By Geoff Ross In most human endeavours, from managing a home, to managing a major business enterprise, it is important to consider all the costs and all the…
What Are Algae Doing in Muskoka’s Lakes?
By Peter Sale Responding to considerable community interest, the Muskoka Watershed Council wants to find out what algae are doing in Muskoka lakes. These tiny single-celled plants…
Why talk about “models” when we need to stop real floods?
By Geoff Ross In the many discussions underway about recent flooding in Muskoka, the idea of a “model” for how water moves through Muskoka is perhaps the most…
Integrated watershed management can manage Muskoka’s environment
By Peter Sale In a previous article, Kevin Trimble proposed using watershed hydrology to help manage floods. How do we do this? The Muskoka Watershed Council recommends…
We need more than just an update to the Muskoka River Water Management Plan
By Kevin Trimble, MWC Chair The “Flood of 2019” is now a common term in Muskoka. In its aftermath, there has been an urgent need to focus political…
The Great Lakes: A Macrocosm of the Muskoka River Watershed
By Emily Crowder At the University of Guelph, Professor Paul Sibley teaches a course titled “Stressors in the Great Lakes” where 15 or so lucky students get to participate…
It’s time for a low salt diet
When it rains, pollution on streets, parking lots and lawns is washed into storm drains, then directly to our drinking water supplies and the lakes our children play in…