The Lake Huron Centre For Coastal Conservation
Advocating Wise Stewardship of Lake Huron's Coastal Ecosystems
1.0 - Study Purpose
Impairments of nearshore water quality along portions of southeastern Lake Huron have been a major public concern in recent years. Beach postings and algae fouling have been frequent observations, and local media attention to the issue has raised the level of concern. The development of Intensive Livestock Operations near the lakeshore has heightened the level of concern in Saugeen Shores, Kincardine, Huron-Kinloss, Goderich, Grand Bend, and Sarnia. Concerned citizen groups have evolved in response to concerns that these types of intensive operations may be responsible for some of these impairments, and so there is an increased sensitivity about beach postings and algae fouling.
One of the specific objectives of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is that "recreational waters should be substantially free from bacteria, fungi, and viruses that may produce enteric disorders or eye, ear, nose, throat and skin infections or other human diseases and infections." The public is becoming increasingly concerned with beaches exceeding Provincial recreational water quality objectives. Some local cottage associations have begun their own monitoring programs in an effort to better understand the magnitude of the problem in their own portion of the lakeshore.
In addition, public concerns have been raised about the regular occurrences of algal fouling along a number of beaches within the study area in recent years. Many of these fouling occurrences have produced a foul, “sewage” smell that has led some to infer that a manure spill has occurred. This has resulted in a number of complaints to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment who have been required to investigate each complaint.
A number of water quality reports have been prepared within the study area. Some have been ad hoc studies, while others have been watershed based and part of an ongoing planning process. From a coastal context, none of them seem to have been reviewed collectively to establish temporal or spatial trends.
As a preliminary step to better understand the extent of impairments along the southeastern Lake Huron shoreline, Environment Canada and the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation (Coastal Centre) have undertaken this review of information on water quality impairments in the area between Sauble Beach and Sarnia, particularly as they relate to nutrients and pathogens.
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The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation P.O. Box 178, Blyth, Ontario, Canada N0M 1H0 Phone: (519) 523-4478 Email: coastalcentre@lakehuron.on.ca |
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