The crystal-clear water of our cottage lakes could be at risk as the Ontario government drags its feet on renewing funding for a water quality testing program.
Since 1996, the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA) has helped administer the Lake Partner Program (LPP). The program uses 629 lake steward volunteers to collect water samples from 546 lakes at 917 sites across the province. Many of these volunteers are cottagers who have properties on the lakes.
The samples are sent to the Dorset Environmental Science Centre where staff from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP) test the quality of the water.
“The LPP provides immense value to the public and to Ontario as a whole. It is one of the largest long-term databases on water quality for freshwater lakes, and the data is essential for research and analysis conducted by universities, government, community groups, and scientists,” FOCA said in a May 5th letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Ontario Minister of Environment, Conservation, and Parks Todd McCarthy.
The tests are meant to track the long-term health of the lakes, catching issues such as algal blooms, before they happen. MECP staff test the samples for four main components: phosphorus, calcium, chloride, and water clarity.
Increased levels of phosphorus in a lake can reduce oxygen levels, impacting fish health and eventually causing toxic algal blooms. High levels of phosphorus are caused by agricultural runoff from fertilizers, industrial waste, and treated wastewater discharge.
Not enough calcium in a lake can unbalance its aquatic ecosystem as it’s an essential nutrient for living organisms. Warmer temperatures from climate change can reduce calcium levels.
Too much chloride in a lake can stunt the growth and reproduction of organisms. Road salt runoff is a main contributor of heightened levels of chloride.
Finally, water clarity is how far sunlight can penetrate a lake. If samples from a lake are growing murkier, it could indicate a disturbance in the watershed or the introduction of an invasive species. It turns out water clarity can also affect property prices. A 2014 study that used data from the LPP found that cottage buyers are willing to pay about 2 per cent more for each 1-foot increase in water clarity.
Cottagers who want to find information about their lake’s water quality can do so here.
To ensure the continuation of the LPP, FOCA is asking its members to write to the provincial government.
“This is a proven, cost-effective model of citizen science. For a modest annual investment, the province leverages thousands of volunteer hours and builds community engagement around a shared goal: Safeguarding Ontario’s inland lakes,” FOCA said.
The LPP’s five-year agreement expired in March. FOCA says it has been working with the MECP since November 2024 to establish a new agreement. Negotiations were delayed by February’s provincial election, and the ministry has yet to commit to funding the program.
“We have now reached a critical point in the sampling annual cycle, which puts the 2025 data at risk. Sampling kits have been distributed and will soon be returned to the lab for analysis. Time is of the essence,” FOCA said.
As part of the previous five-year agreement, the MECP conducted the lab testing of the water samples and funded an assistant lake stewardship coordinator position at FOCA to manage the LPP’s hundreds of volunteers.
This isn’t the first time FOCA has had to push the provincial government for LPP funding. In 2018, when the LPP’s previous five-year agreement was coming to an end, the provincial government warned that its financial situation would force it to modify its approach to funding partners. However, FOCA managed to rally its members and convince the government to commit to a new agreement.
With the support of its members, FOCA is hoping to make the same thing happen now. “Freshwater is one of our most precious and valuable resources—supporting biodiversity, recreation, property values, and local economies,” the association said. “In times of global environmental and economic uncertainty, protecting water quality and preserving long-term datasets like those in the LPP is more important than ever.”
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