Tracing the roots of environmental protection, we can point to early efforts in the 1800s and early 1900s such as establishing the Canadian Forestry Association in 1900,.but it was in the 1960s and 1970s when the framework for our current environmental protection was established. Environment and Climate Change Canada was founded in 1971 then referred to as the Department of the Environment. Since this time, we have seen an increased focus on environmental protection.
It is easy to lose sight of the progress we have made over the past 50 years because it seems there is always a new environmental issue that requires attention. One of the areas of progress is addressing years of environmental problems in and around Lake Simcoe in Ontario.
Ecological Challenges
According to the Ontario Government, “The Lake Simcoe watershed is home to more than 450,000 people, crosses 20 municipal boundaries and is fed by 35 major streams and rivers. The lake itself has a surface area of 722 square-kilometres, while the surface area of the watershed is 2,899 square-kilometres.” In Ontario, which includes four of the five Great Lakes, Lake Simcoe ranks number 12 for largest lakes in the province.
But Lake Simcoe has experienced a number of environmental issues including nutrient loading, which resulted in algal blooms, loss of oxygen, and loss of some fish species. These types of issues are not unique to Lake Simcoe, very similar issues are evident in Lake Erie and other bodies of water worldwide.
Again from the Ontario Government, “Over the years, human activities like urban development, agriculture, and recreation have had significant affects on the ecological health of the watershed. To date:
- development in the area has changed the natural landscape
- excessive nutrients like phosphorus have had negative effects on the lake’s water quality, threatening native aquatic life, such as coldwater fish
- road salt in the streams and lake has significantly increased and could also affect aquatic life if it continues to rise”
In recognition of the problems in Lake Simcoe, the Province of Ontario established the Lake Simcoe Protection Act in 2008 to provide a legislative framework for the protection and restoration of Lake Simcoe.
Understanding Nutrient Movement
Before getting to the progress at Lake Simcoe, it’s important to mention the importance of understanding the problem before rushing to solutions. Building a conceptual site model (CSM) or as we prefer, a robust conceptual site model to thoroughly understand the site, the various inputs, the limitations, etc…is key to success.
For example, nitrate is another nutrient that can contribute to problems in lakes (and groundwater). My colleague, Dr. Michael Sklash, P.Eng. has helped solve issues involving nitrate runoff. Here is what he said in one of his webinars about nitrates:
“What we have found over the past 40-50 years of doing isotopic investigation…we have actually looked at water molecules in storm runoff and in snow melt runoff in streams. What we have found is a lot of the water that happens during a storm event, which in your mind might be coming from the rainfall, is actually coming from the groundwater. So the groundwater will actually have more control of the nitrate concentration than you would think in a storm runoff event…It’s becoming more and more accepted now that groundwater, or old water or legacy water, is an important contributor to storm and snow melt runoff in streams.”
This is vital, if for example, a farm (which are part of the focus in Lake Simcoe) has changed their nutrient management practices, but they or others are still finding nitrates in a nearby stream, it might be frustrating. Understanding the role of legacy nitrates will be important.
You can view Dr. Sklash’s webinar, “Nitrates in Groundwater: Identifying the Source Using Advanced Methods.” Dr. Sklash discusses legacy nitrates at about the 22 minute mark on the webinar.
A Cleaner Lake Simcoe
Progress on such a large undertaking is slow, but there has been progress. The Lake Simcoe 10-Year Report highlights some of the recent actions that the province and partners have taken to protect and restore Lake Simcoe. The report also highlights monitoring results that show encouraging signs of improvement and demonstrates that remedial efforts have an impact. A couple of noted accomplishments include:
- repaired or replaced more than 160 failed septic systems
- reduced phosphorus loads from sewage treatment plants by 50% since 2009
In the Executive Summary (of the ten-year report) they state, “As we continue our monitoring programs, we track improvements and changes in the key indicators of the plan and assess our targets. Our monitoring is showing some encouraging signs of improvement for the lake, demonstrating that ongoing remedial efforts are having an impact.”
In the same report, they acknowledge that there is more work to be done. “As we enter the next decade of our work to protect Lake Simcoe, we will continue to be faced with several challenges. The stressors facing the Lake Simcoe watershed are complex and compounding, and climate change will continue to affect the local ecosystem. The continued pressure from urbanization and growth, and the need to control the pathways for new invasive species, will require innovative solutions.”
There are groups in and around Lake Simcoe who while acknowledging the progress in mitigating the past issues, remain concerned (see Lake Simcoe Under Pressure in 2021: Key Stressors and Solutions).
While there is much more work to be done, the accomplishments at Lake Simcoe are not insignificant. The environmental issues at Lake Simcoe and across the nation are not easily fixed, but environmental practices and our understanding of environmental issues have advanced in the 50 years since Environment and Climate Change Canada was established.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 519-948-7300, Ext. 114.
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