A number of Muskoka Lakes are set to be put under higher environmental restrictions.
The District uses different sets of environmental rules and regulations under it’s Official Plan when it comes to lakes and recently a number of lakes were placed under enhanced protection protocols.
During a recent District meeting, Summer Valentine, the District director of planning, told council that all of the lakes in question had experienced blue-green algae blooms in 2019 or 2020.
The most recent lakes to be included in the District’s heightened regulations include Bass Lake, Black Lake, Brandy Lake, Weismiller Bay (Lake Muskoka) and Silver Lake in Muskoka Lakes Township; Echo Lake, Ril Lake and Ten Mile Bay in Lake of Bays; Kahshe Lake in Gravenhurst; and Little Lake in Georgian Bay.
The enhanced regulations include increased building and septic setbacks beyond the minimum requirement and site-specific soils investigation when a new or an upgraded septic system is required as part of an application. It also includes a reviewing of the type of soil – or type of system – that is being used when a new septic system is required to ensure it has an enhanced ability to bind phosphorus and reduce any risk of runoff to the lake, and monitoring of the site for a minimum of 10 years to ensure all the stormwater management and vegetative shorelines are maintained.
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