GORE BAY—The Manitoulin Planning Board (MPB) wants the province to prove, with data, its concerns that Lake Kagawong is at development capacity.
“We are saying it is in their ballpark to prove the lake is at capacity for development,” said MPB chair Richard Stephens at a board meeting last week.
“We’re asking the ministry for more data to prove this,” said Ken Noland. “And we want to invite them to come to a meeting to provide more data. We want them to prove it with hard data.”
Theresa Carlisle, secretary-treasurer of the MPB told the meeting, “at our last meeting the board had requested I write a draft letter outlining our concerns. The recommendation was for board members to read the draft letter and discuss what we want to do. So should I send the letter to the ministry and ask them to attend a meeting with the board?”
“Yes, we should be making a formal request to join us at a meeting and have a delegation of ministry people on hand to provide more information and tell us what is wrong with the lake,” said Mr. Stephens.
“Basically, we don’t agree with their opinion, we don’t have the data; it doesn’t make any sense,” said Mr. Noland. “They don’t have the data to prove what they are saying. So far they haven’t provided the data needed to prove the lake is at capacity for development.”
Mr. Stephens noted if the board does not reply to the ministry concerns raised, it would basically mean the MPB agrees with the ministry.
“Manitou Lake isn’t continually monitored (and it has been deemed by the province as being at development capacity),” the meeting was told.
And it was further pointed out one of the signs of a lake that is struggling is no little fish being found. However there are fish of all sizes being caught in the Kagawong and Manitou lakes.
“We need scientific evidence the (Kagawong) lake is at capacity,” said Mr. Stephens.
As was reported earlier this summer, a letter from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and addressed to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) to the MPB stated there is limited water quality information available from Lake Kagawong, and there are existing water quality issues with the lake.
Ms. Carlisle had explained at the previous meeting that they had received a letter sent from Carrie Hutchinson of MOECP to Kay Grant, planner with MMAH, on data and recommendations regarding the lakeshore development capacity and Lake Kagawong. “In response to your request for information regarding the development capacity status for Lake Kagawong on Manitoulin Island, the (MOECP) has reviewed its files and other information including available practices, policy and legislation. As a result of this review, it was noted there are existing water quality issues with the lake. Therefore, the ministry recommends that a cautious approach be taken towards any additional development on Lake Kagawong in consideration of the following: there is considerable lakeshore development (in excess of 120 cottages plus an unknown number of resort facilities along the shoreline of the lake), as well as other activities on the lake; the calcareous soils that make up the Island provide increased mobility of nutrients, namely phosphorus, that may more readily migrate to the adjacent lakes from shoreline developments than in areas with non-calcareous soils; the lake hosts a population of lake whitefish. In order to protect the natural function of the lake it is necessary to ensure suitable habitat is present for this species throughout all seasons. As well, it was indicated that dissolved oxygen levels in the lake are a concern.
The MPB at its meeting last week agreed to send a letter to MMAH on the data and recommendations regarding lakeshore development capacity and Lake Kagawong. The letter being sent to Ms. Grant reads, “the information and recommendations were reviewed by the (MPB). The dissolved oxygen and temperature profiles reported from 2007, 2008 and 2014 do not provide a long enough trend. The report actually shows an improvement in 2014 over 2007/2008. We agree that there is limited water quality data available for Lake Kagawong. The situation may actually be improving.”
“As you are aware the Official Plan for the District of Manitoulin, Section D.1.1-Lake Capacity provides policy when new development is proposed adjacent to a waterbody where the Provincial Water Quality Objective (PWQO) for phosphorus and other standards set by the province for dissolved oxygen are exceeded.”
“The management of development along the shorelines of our inland lakes is important,” the MPB letter says. “Monitoring the relationship between phosphorous, dissolved oxygen and water quality is an important task that should be ongoing.” The board questioned, “have there been any additional reports since 2014? Were the samples taken from the same location(s); same time of year? Has any testing been done other than plotting dissolved oxygen and temperature that would assist in determining the health of Lake Kagawong? I.e. chemical analysis, water clarity, fish sampling?”
“To put the onus on a landowner to include new water quality data and total phosphorous levels over several years of a planning application to create a lot or two as recommended, may be a costly process and may be considered a hardship. It is felt that the ministry should be doing the lake assessment and continuous monitoring. The planning process would benefit from continued assessments and this would greatly assist the (MPB) in making good planning decisions.”
The letter contains, “as you are also aware the ministry has identified Lake Manitou as an “At Capacity” lake in our Official Plan. To our knowledge, no further monitoring/testing/reports are being done for this lake. It is unknown if perhaps the lake is actually getting better. We do not want this same situation for Lake Kagawong.”
The MPB requested full reports from 2007, 2008 and 2014, historical data from 1972, any other available completed sampling of Lake Kagawong and any other comparable reports from other inland lakes in Ontario of similar size and depth.
The MPB also requested a meeting with the MMAH and the Ministry of the Environment to discuss the data and recommendations.
