Kashwakamak Lake Sustainability (original) (raw)

Current

Phase 4: Implementation

We are currently in the fourth and final phase of Lake Sustainability Planning. Implementation of the Kashwakamak Lake Sustainability Plan, (which was approved unanimously at the 2016 AGM), began in 2017. Here’s a list of our implementation activities to date:

2024: Continued Focus on Shoreline Health – MVCA/Kaskwakamak Lake Shoreline Planting Project

In partnership with the KLA, Mississippi Vally Conservation Authority (MVCA) is helping Kashwakamak Lake property owners add plants to their shorelines this spring. Participating waterfront property owners have the opportunity to order up to 15 trees/shrubs for a $25 donation to MVCA’s stewardship program.

KLA Lake Sustainability

As part of the KLA’s ongoing Lake Sustainability efforts to improve shoreline health and water quality, the KLA will donate 10toMVCA’sstewardshipprogramfor∗∗everyorder∗∗fromacurrentKashwakmakLakeAssociationmember,uptoamaximumof10 to MVCA’s stewardship program for every order from a current Kashwakmak Lake Association member, up to a maximum of 10toMVCA’sstewardshipprogramfor∗∗everyorder∗∗fromacurrentKashwakmakLakeAssociationmember,uptoamaximumof2,000/200 KLA property owners. This means current KLA members can choose to donate a minimum of 15fortheirorder,butweencourageyoutodonate15 for their order, but we encourage you to donate 15fortheirorder,butweencourageyoutodonate25 and get a charitable receipt. The KLA will still make the 10donationformemberswhochoosetodonate10 donation for members who choose to donate 10donationformemberswhochoosetodonate25.

Some details:

Waterfront property owners must be on Kashwakamak Lake, and plants must be planted within 45 m of the lake. If a property owner wants more than 15 plants, additional plants are available at cost (approximately $3 each). Property owners who are interested in having a larger shoreline planting doe should contact Kayla Cuddy, kcuddy@mvc.on.ca, for more information on their Shoreline Naturalization Program and planting assistance.

Click these links for the options to choose from:

MVCA Shoreline Planting Program Information Sheet

MVCA Lake Tree Days Order Form

Don’t miss out – first come, first served!

All orders must be submitted no later than Tuesday, March 5 along with your plant order sheet and donation. Plant pick-up by road or water is on Saturday, June 1 between 11:00 am – 2:00 pm at either Woodcrest Resort or Fernleigh Lodge. More pick-up information will follow closer to the date.

More information:

Kayla Cuddy, kcuddy@mvc.on.ca

Questions on the status of your KLA membership, email Don Cory, membership@kashwakamak.ca

2023: Focus on Shoreline Health

The KLA’s focus for Lake Sustainability in 2023 was Shoreline Health – Creating a Natural Ribbon of Life. We shared information from the Love Your Lake Shoreline Assessment and encouraged property owners to learn more about what they could do to enhance their shoreline health. We also had Melissa Dekkers, Watershed Canada, as a keynote speaker for the July 2023 AGM, where she shared the highlights of Kashwakamak Lake’s Shoreline Assessment. You can see her presentation here: https://kashwakamak.ca/love-your-lake-natural-is-beautiful/

We also held a contest for 3 lucky KLA members to win a free Natural Edge Shoreline Assessment and Planting Kit, (valued at $395 each). It included a site visit from Watershed Canada to discuss their shoreline, a detailed personalized planting plan to help improve their shoreline and a selection of plants to get them started. Two of the three winners had their assessment and did their plantings in the fall of 2023. The other winner is getting theirs done in the spring of 2024. We can’t wait to see the results!

Catch up on the 2023 Healthy Shoreline articles here:

https://kashwakamak.ca/tag/healthy-shorelines/

https://kashwakamak.ca/kla-update-part-2-shoreline-health/

https://kashwakamak.ca/kla-update-shoreline-health-part-3-the-ribbon-of-life/

New for 2022: The Natural Edge Program

As part of our continued focus on Lake Sustainability, and in follow up to the 2020 Love Your Lake Shoreline Assessment, the KLA encouraged property owners to take advantage of an exciting (free) opportunity available through The Natural Edge Program. It is a Not-for-profit shoreline naturalization program available to property owners in our area to plant native trees, shrubs, groundcovers, wildflowers, and grasses along the water’s edge. Some property owners on the lake took part in this great program in the past.

As you know, shorelines are among the most important places on earth for wildlife. Healthy layers of shoreline vegetation benefit wildlife, protect our Kashwakamak Lake shorelines from degrading, and support natural processes that are essential to maintaining our healthy lake!

Next steps:

Review your property’s 2020 Shoreline Assessment Report and determine if this program is for you.

Contact https://naturaledge.watersheds.ca/contact/ now to make a booking for the summer of 2022.

2021: Each individual property owner received a copy of their individual shoreline report this spring. The KLA received the Kashwakamak Lake Values Survey/Lake Summary Report in December 2021. This report will help the KLA determine opportunities for restoration, education, and stewardship on a lake-wide level. Over the winter months, the Water Quality & Shoreline Protection & Health Sub-committee will be carefully reviewing the final report, and making recommendations to the board for possible shoreline stewardship initiatives for 2022 and the years following. We are hoping to get a LYL presentation included as part of our 2022 AGM so members can get their questions answered. Click the image to read or download the Kashwakamak Lake Values Survey/Lake Summary Report.

2020: The KLA Board agreed in 2019 to implement the **Love Your Lake**Shoreline Assessment. The LYL program promotes shoreline stewardship and supports the implementation of Issue 3 (p. 20 of the Lake Sustainability Plan) “Protect, maintain and improve the water quality of Kashwakamak Lake” and Issue 6 (p. 25) “Increase community awareness regarding shoreline protection and health.” The LYL program helps shoreline property owners protect and restore their shorelines and maintain their property in an environmentally responsible way, thereby improving the health of their lake. Our LYL shoreline assessment took place over 13 days in July 2020. In all, 595 properties were assessed totalling about 46 km of shoreline on Kashwakamak Lake.

2018: The KLA assisted the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority’s (MVCA ) in distributing 886 free trees and shrubs to property owners as part of the efforts being taken to maintain and enhance the lake water quality and shoreline. Part of the action plan included shoreline tree and shrub planting in 2018.

In June 2018, the Flora & Fauna sub-committee launched the online survey Let’s Get Tracking! It’s an ongoing, online database to track plants and wildlife. It will help the KLA track threatened or endangered species, as well as keep an eye on species of “special concern”. People are also asked to email their photos, along with the date they were taken to: tracking@kashwakamak.ca

Get started here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KLATracking

Background: KLA members received a Lake Sustainability package in June 2017 which included: a printed copy of the plan along with key Lake Sustainability information, (Boating Etiquette, Protecting our Loons) and an important flyer and information on Septic Systems). The KLA hopes that this information will sit on every coffee table on the lake and garner good discussion!

Additional printed copies of the Lake Sustainability Plan are available for $10 a copy. Please contact Judy McIntyre, at 613-336-2882 or email

The final, approved Kashwakamak Lake Sustainability Plan is also available online.