Leech Lake 2009 Bug Count

Leech Lake
2009 Bug Count
Volunteers Required

Dated: July 12, 2009
Time: 8:30 am
Place: Hembling / McCoy cottage. 1037 Lakeshore Rd (Right side)

Varieties of tiny creatures live in our lake sediment and form an essential part of the lake food chain. These little critters are sensitive to stressors such as toxins and pH etc. that enter the lake from the surrounding environment. Monitoring changes to this population tell us about the health of our lake's ecosystem, and if required, to consider and then take remedial action.

The collection will be done by a Biological Monitoring Technician from the District of Muskoka. After collection we will identify and count macro-invertebrates. For the less outdoorsy types - please be assured that counting is done on the shore, the "bugs" confined to plastic collection trays and there is nothing gross in the process!

This is great education for adults and older kids. High school kids can use the time toward their volunteer hours.

The collection will be done by a Biological Monitoring Technician for the District of Muskoka. After collection we will identify and count macro-invertebrates. For the less outdoorsy types - please be assured that counting is done on the shore, the "bugs" confined to plastic collection trays. There is nothing gross in the process!

This is great education for adults and older kids. High school kids can use the time toward their volunteer hours.

Please e-mail vmccoy@rogers.com or call 705-645-9692 (no answering machine) to let us know you'll be there.

Welcome! A New Cottager

The Beginning:
As a recent new cottage owner on Leech Lake I made my first visit up from Mississauga last weekend with my family. This first thing we noticed is how much different it looks with all the trees in full bloom, shortly after we realize how many mosquitoes were around! It was a humbling experience to open the doors of the cottage for the first time realizing that this is actually ours. We have been to cottages before and camped many times but to finally own one is a different experience. Once the initial excitement subsided we started to settle in. Kids after running around picking their rooms, me checking if water is running, lights working and my wife checking the kitchen. Soon thereafter when the unpacking was finished we sat down to catch our breaths. Naturally we started talking about what needs to be done, what we can improve, what we can keep and so on. But soon we both began to realize the work involved in cottage ownership is not trivial. I’m sure all you veteran owners are having a chuckle. Either you are saying it’s a piece of cake I’ll get use to it after a few years or you’re saying it’s definitely like another child that needs love and care and lot of work. I’m sure I’ll have my own view after a few years.

A Good Cottage Citizen:
The previous owners, who had the cottage from the beginning of its life 40 years ago, were noticeably proud cottage owners as it was a well maintained the cottage. Now it was up to us to keep that pride going as well as add a few of our personal touches. As a good cottage citizen I’d like to keep in touch with my neighbours and hope this blog can be useful to introduce myself and learn of the good cottage practices that we all should adhere to.

Questions:
I am looking for help/comments on a few things.
I noticed that the mosquitoes have been in full force and probably smelled fresh blood when we arrived. I can just picture their smiling faces looking at us. As soon as I would walk out of the cottage they would be ready for me and took no time to start their feasting. How long will this last? I’ve been told by some that it will die down in a few weeks and others say get use to it as they never go away. Any tips on mosquito repellents, I’ve seen some blue light zappers on sale that claim 1 acre range and emit some sonar to repel them.
I’m looking for a canoe that will be good for family but not to expensive, budget is a bit tight. If anyone is selling or know someone who is selling please let me know.
Not all of us are at the cottages full time so I’m wondering if there is some sort of community watch program or phone list shared for emergency contacts etc.

I have read about our water test, road repairs and tree by-laws blogs and as my family and I get ready for our new cottage adventures I look forward to your comments and keeping involved with Leech Lake community.
_________________

Par Virdee
1206 Lakeshore Rd S.

Spring Potpourri

Potpourri

Winter Visit: We are basically summer cottagers. However, I ventured north in March to check the snow level on the roof. Luckily we had little snow on the roof while others had upwards of one to two feet of the white stuff. There was evidence of severe wind storms over the winter. Lying beneath our power line lay a huge branch torn from one of our white pines on the property. This branch was as large as some of the juvenile trees on our lot. How it got beneath the power line without damaging the line or the cottage stack is a mystery. As well a large branch came down and speared the bottom of a fiberglass row boat near the cottage. The weather was cold, crisp, and sunny. It was very serene to stand at the lake’s edge and be engulfed by the silence.

Spring Visit: In April we spent a day at the lake. In twenty odd years we have never experienced the ice break up. On this particular day we had some open ice near our shore. About noon a brisk wind kicked up and started driving the ice around the lake. It finally drove the ice on our shore and the ice began breaking up. It was quite a sight.

Lake Water Quality Report: I saw the 2008 water quality report for the Muskoka District and there is some disturbing data about our lake. The phosphorous content in the spring of 2008 was above the upper level of acceptable and trending in the wrong direction. This means that we all must be vigilant in curbing phosphorous in our lake. The largest contributors to phosphorous in the lake are cottagers through their septic systems. We should all be vigilant of our septic systems. If they are old and breaking down they should be replaced with technology that will minimize phosphorous in the lake. If your system has grey water by passing the septic tank then shame on you!

As well this report monitors dissolved oxygen in the water in the spring and again in August. Leech Lake shows a marked reduction in dissolved oxygen in the water as the temperatures rise in August. My untrained mind deduces that there may be many more living organisms, e.g. algae, vying for oxygen in the lake and thus the dissolved oxygen levels decrease in a small lake such as ours. Phosphorous is like a fertilizer and promotes growth of vegetation such as algae. Control the phosphorous and ensure the health of our lake.

Leech Lake Newsletter: The spring newsletter had a great deal about the road and its condition and nothing about the condition of the lake and how we can make sure it’s healthy. Without a healthy lake the road will be a secondary issue.

Beavers: Judging from the level of the lake this spring the dam at the end of the lake is not being attended to by beavers. Did our beavers fall ill or move somewhere else.

Blog Postings: If anyone wishes to post to the blog please forward the submission to agreenwood@rogers.com