Muskoka Watershed Report Card
The Muskoka Watershed Report Card, produced every five years by the Muskoka Watershed Council, scientifically assesses Muskoka’s watershed health. It educates residents and decision-makers about water and land conditions, enabling sustainable practices to bolster the strength of our remarkable natural environment. This is essential for our way of life and economy.
Muskoka Watershed Report Cards have been released in 2004, 2007, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2023.
Contact us to book a presentation on the Muskoka Watershed Report Card for your group or organization.
2023 Muskoka Watershed Report Card
Muskoka’s watersheds stand at a crucial turning point. While currently healthy, they are gradually degrading in several ways, and our existing management systems seem incapable of halting or reversing this negative trend. We need an integrated, watershed-scale management system capable of dealing with the multiple stresses our iconic environment now faces.
What is Watershed Health?
A watershed is a living and intricate ecosystem capable of maintaining its structure and functions unless faced with excessive stresses. Its health, or ecological integrity, signifies how effectively it preserves its typical structure and functions. Similar to how medical experts gauge human health, we measure watershed health by analyzing diverse indicators.
Muskoka’s Watersheds
This Report Card covers the entire Muskoka River Watershed (in blue), as well as a small portion of the South Georgian Bay Shoreline (in red) and parts of the Severn River-Lake Simcoe Watershed (in green) that intersect with the District of Muskoka. This vast 7,000 km2 area spans over 210 km from the Algonquin Highlands to Georgian Bay, including approximately 2,000 lakes amid extensive forests.
Report Card Highlights
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Background Report
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2018 Muskoka Watershed Report Card
The 2018 Muskoka Watershed Report Card was released in July 2018 and provides a science-based evaluation of the health of our watershed using a variety of environmental ‘health’ and ‘threat’ indicators that provide a “snapshot” of watershed health and increase our understanding of the watershed where we live, work, and play.
There are many new features incorporated into the 2018 Muskoka Watershed Report Card, including a strong online interactive multimedia component and interesting, easy to understand infographics.
Learn more by exploring the tabs below!
- Summary
- Background Report
- Story Maps
- Subwatershed Infographics
Dive deeper into the 2018 Muskoka Watershed Report Card with the online interactive multimedia story maps!
2018 Muskoka Watershed Report Card
Health Indicator: Phosphorus Concentrations in Lakes
Health Indicator: Calcium Concentrations in Lakes
Health Indicator: Benthic Macroinvertebrates
Health Indicator: Interior Forest
Threat Indicator: Climate Change
Threat Indicator: Invasive Species
Threat Indicator: Fragmentation
Threat Indicator: Species at Risk
Big East River Watershed
Dee River Watershed
Gibson River Watershed
Hollow River Watershed
Kahshe River Watershed
Lake of Bays Watershed
Little East Watershed
Lower Black Watershed
Mary Lake Watershed
Moon River Watershed
Lake Muskoka Watershed
North Muskoka River Watershed
Oxtongue River Watershed
Lake Rosseau Watershed
Rosseau River Watershed
Severn River Watershed
Skeleton River Watershed
South Muskoka River Watershed
Upper Black River Watershed
2014 Muskoka Watershed Report Card
- Summary
- Background Report
- Subwatershed Report Cards
Big East River Subwatershed Report
Dee River
Subwatershed Report
Gibson River
Subwatershed Report
Hollow River
Subwatershed Report
Kahshe River
Subwatershed Report
Lake of Bays
Subwatershed Report
Little East River
Subwatershed Report
Lower Black River
Subwatershed Report
Mary Lake
Subwatershed Report
Moon River
Subwatershed Report
Lake Muskoka
Subwatershed Report
North Muskoka River Subwatershed Report
Oxtongue River
Subwatershed Report
Lake Rosseau
Subwatershed Report
Rosseau River
Subwatershed Report
Severn River Subwatershed Report
Skeleton River
Subwatershed Report
South Muskoka River
Subwatershed Report
Upper Black River
Subwatershed Report
2009 Progress Report Card
The principal objective of the 2007 Watershed Report Card was to evaluate changes in ecosystem condition and the impact of human actions against a standard of a healthy, functioning and sustainable watershed. Achieving this objective is a shared responsibility of everyone who lives within the watershed.
The 2009 Progress Report Card explored new programs and actions that have been taken by municipalities to move toward the long-term goal of sustainability. Although municipal action is only one component of the overall equation, there is no doubt that our municipal governments can, and do, take a lead role by their example and by implementing policies and regulations that support a more sustainable approach to development and community activities.
2007 Muskoka Watershed Report Card
The 2007 Watershed Report Card was released on July 27, 2007 at Partners Hall in the Algonquin Theatre in Huntsville.
The objective of the 2007 Watershed Report Card was to evaluate changes in ecosystem condition and the impact of human actions against a standard of a healthy functioning ecosystem. A review of existing data on the health of our water, air and land forms the basis upon which the 2007 Watershed Report Card was developed.
- Summary
- Background Report
2004 Muskoka Watershed Report Card
MWC released its first Report Card of Watershed Health on Thursday, July 8, 2004 at Annie Williams Park in Bracebridge.
MWC worked closely with several provincial and federal departments to accumulate and analyze environmental data for Muskoka and were pleased with the results of the 2004 Report Card. It was used to guide MWC’s projects and programs for the follow several years.
- Summary
- Background Reports