Protecting Our Lake
The shallow water at the lake’s edge and first 10 metres of shore land around our lakes is where much of the lake life is born, raised, and fed. Landowners in some lakes, unaware of the importance of this area, have cleared the shorelines of native vegetation and replaced it with lawns, non-native ornamental vegetation, retaining walls and boathouses. This can have a negative effect on fish and wildlife habitat and water quality, and can encourage Canada Geese to take up residence. Natural vegetation retained or restored along the shoreline helps prevent erosion and improves water quality by binding nutrients before they can enter the lake.
Aquatic Invasive Species
While Eurasian Water Milfoil poses the greatest current threat to our lake, we need to be aware of threats posed by other aquatic invasive species. Although there is a report from the late 1990s of an invasive Rusty Crayfish found in Palmerston Lake, there do not appear to have been reports of other aquatic invasive species such as zebra and quagga mussels or the spiny waterflea, but these species are found in many surrounding lakes. These and other species can be inadvertently introduced into a lake in an improperly drained and cleaned live well or bait bucket or attached to boat hulls, motors, trailers or even angling equipment.
The Federation of Cottage Associations has put together a very useful Invasive Species Guide that includes tips for helping prevent the spread of invasive species. The Invading Species Awareness Program website and the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System website provide descriptions of and tips to help identify Ontario’s invasive species, instructions about how to report sightings and shows the geographical distribution of reported invasive species in Ontario
Wells and Septic Systems
Improperly maintained septic systems can contribute to excessive nutrient pollution of our lake. The Ontario Onsite Wastewater Association is a great resource for cottage and home owners about building and maintaining wells and septic systems
Tree cutting
Maintaining a healthy vegetative buffer along the shoreline is important for the health of our lake. The North Frontenac Township’s zoning bylaws lay out a number of restrictions against cutting trees in the 30 metre vegetation buffer along the shoreline of waterfront properties.