Lake Simcoe region watershed report card issued to residents

The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) has issued a report card on the health of Lake Simcoe and its watershed.

It is being distributed to 165,000 households between May 9 and 16.

Six indicators were used to report on the health of the lake, and eight for each tributary. For the lake, indicators included phosphorus and oxygen concentrations, water clarity and various forms of aquatic wildlife. Tributary indicators included phosphorus, stormwater runoff, and vegetation.

"Each indicator provides meaningful information about one aspect of the health of the watershed, but results for one indicator alone can't always be explained by the reasons we first suspect," said LSRCA Board Chair and East Gwillimbury Councillor Virginia Hackson. "It's the combination of indicators that helps us understand how our environment is changing."

Scientists at the conservation authority monitor several individual features with particular attention.

These features are known as "indicators," because they are like an early warning, signaling changes in the ecosystem. They help scientists understand how the health of the environment is changing as a result of such things as human activity, weather or pollution.

The report was completed by the LSRCA in accordance with standards endorsed by Environment Canada, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and Conservation Ontario.

"This report card presents a great deal of information, and it's presented in common language that everyone can understand," Hackson said. "We think it's important that all of our watershed residents share these results so we can all work together to achieve the balance that is needed in the watershed."