Page 19 - SLPOA Spring 2014 Newsletter

SPRING 2014 NEWSLETTER SHARBOT LAKE PROPERTY OWNERS’ ASSOCIATION

Love Your Lake
Kevin Browne

Lakefront property is among the most valuable land in Canada. Shorelines are also among
the most ecologically productive places on earth, providing rearing areas for approximately
90% of all lake life, as well as helping to filter pollutants, protect against shore erosion and
provide many other societal values.
Landowners want to manage their property in ways that maintain property values and the lake quality, but to do
so they need information, encouragement, incentives and support, so the Canadian Wildlife Federation
(http://www.cwf-fcf.org/en/) and the Centre for Sustainable Watersheds (http://www.watersheds.ca/en/) have
created a unique partnership framework and a packaged shoreline evaluation and stewardship program that can
be transferred to any shoreline community across the country and delivered with regional partners.
The SLPOA executive has been working with the Centre for Sustainable Watersheds to engage in the Love
your Lake program to undertake a shoreline survey of all properties. With your help this project would proceed
this summer and continue over to the next year. In the MPAC report that the association acquired for the Lake
Plan, there are 389 properties on the main land, with another 84 properties distributed across our 73 islands.
This survey will be carried out from the water by Centre staff who will photograph your shoreline and collect
data on: shoreline structures and access; wildlife and habitat areas; erosion types and location; aquatic and
upland vegetation including buffers, and restoration and protection opportunities. A copy of the report for your
property will be made available to you (probably late in 2015 or 2016). You will have the only copy – which
we hope will provide information that helps you to manage your property in a lake-friendly manner. It will be
full of ideas on how you can maintain or improve the health of your lake through some simple actions.
In addition to the detailed report that every property owner will receive, the program will provide the association
with a general report on the lake’s shoreline and potential actions to take to help maintain Sharbot Lake as a
healthy lake. This report will also assist the association in updating the Lake Plan over the next few years as
this plan will be a constantly evolving document of information.

This program starts with an introduction letter and survey that is given to each landowner that encourages them
to think about the value of their lake, why it’s important to them, what features they enjoy the most and more
importantly what legacy they may be leaving their children. This is then followed by the shoreline survey where
the Centre staff will survey part of the lake this year and hopefully the balance next year. To do this we will
need volunteers who can provide their time and a boat (suggested 14 ft aluminum) to take the staff around the
shore. For more detailed information please go to SLPOA Forum site and additional information will be posted
in the Announcements section.

We will be joining the following lakes that have already participated in this program:
Eastern Ontario Eastern Ontario Greater Sudbury Region Kawartha Region
Loughborough Lake *Killenbeck Lake Fairbank Lake Chandos Lake
Otty Lake *Bob’s and Crow Lake St Charles Lake
Elbow Lake *Grippen Lake Middle Lake Refrew Region
Adam Lake *Lower Beverley Lake Hannah Lake Round Lake
Farren Lake *South Lake Lake Clear
*Lower Beverly Lake *Lyndhurst Lake Muskoka Region Green Lake
*Upper Beverley Lake *Singleton Lake Leonard Lake Paugh Lake
*Gananoque Lake *Lost Bay Peninsula Lake Lowell Lake
*Graham Lake *Fody Lake Fairy Lake Mink Lake

* Lakes that were surveyed prior to partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Federation by CSW

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