March 20, 2023, Eastern Ontario — The “Sustaining Our Freshwater” two-year pilot project will engage municipal decision-makers, freshwater stakeholders, Conservation Authorities, small businesses, Indigenous communities, and waterfront property owners with science-based information and educational resources in an effort to sustainably naturalize and restore shorelines to protect and improve freshwater quality.
This pilot project will include many components, including public consultations, information events, freshwater information toolkits through the Planning for our Shorelands program, presentations, public plantings and demonstration events through the Natural Edge shoreline restoration program, shoreline assessments through the Love Your Lake program, and the development of education materials.
This project is generously funded through the Government of Canada’s EcoAction Community Funding Program and is being delivered by Watersheds Canada, Quinte Conservation, Cataraqui Conservation, Dog & Cranberry Lakes Association, the Municipality of South Frontenac, the Municipality of Tweed, and Friends of Stoco Lake and local residents. Love Your Lake is a program coordinated and delivered by the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Watersheds Canada.
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Media Contact
Robert Pye Executive Director Watersheds Canada pye@watersheds.ca
Using the Natural Edge Program to create a resilient and beautiful shoreline.
With summer just a few months away, you may find yourself already planning for upcoming adventures on the lake. Paddling, swimming, wildlife viewing, and fishing are some of the activities you may be looking forward to. Lakes provide many benefits to people: memory-building with family and friends, a connection to culture and traditions, or economic and recreation opportunities. And all of these benefits and activities depend on healthy shorelines.
What do you value?
Healthy shorelines are important to Canadians—53% said natural shorelines are an element that affected their personal enjoyment of being by the lake, and 68% said the same for scenery/view (Love Your Lake, 2021). Healthy lake ecosystems also provide important environmental services that protect water quality, provide homes for wildlife, and shield against erosion and flooding. If these are the things waterfront property owners value, how do their actions support these values?
Out of 44,274 shoreline assessments Watersheds Canada has completed on 187 developed lakes, only 22% of properties met the minimum criteria for sustaining wildlife and lake health. Our surveys show that there is a huge disconnect between people’s values and their actions.
Modern waterfront landscaping practices have come to favour hardscapes like retaining and armour walls that remove vegetation adjacent to water bodies. Oftentimes, native vegetation is sacrificed to achieve the aesthetic desires of property owners, all to the detriment of wildlife health and water quality. Within the perceived conflict between private property owners and freshwater ecosystems, there is an opportunity to benefit wildlife and lake health through habitat creation that fits the needs and desires of private property owners. Watersheds Canada, a national charitable organization, developed the Natural Edge Program to meet this opportunity, utilizing our twenty years of experience with conservation programming and outreach pertaining to illustrate the importance of shoreline habitat restoration.
The Natural Edge Program
Different native plants are overlaid on a section of shoreline property in the Natural Edge iOS App to help a property owner visualize their soon-to-be restored property.
The Natural Edge Program focuses on shoreline renaturalization by using native plants and the custom-made Natural Edge iOS App, Canada-wide Native Plant Database, and self-guided resources. Our one-of-a-kind planting design software tool is the platform in which field staff work with waterfront property owners to develop their restoration plan. It uses site photographs taken with the App and incorporates graphic overlays of borders and plants selected from our integrated and geographic-specific Native Plant Database. This allows landowners to see what their restored shoreline will look like before planting actually takes place.
Water quality routinely ranks as the predominant issue among lake association members (Dennison, 2020; Love Your Lake, 2021; Natural Edge, 2020). One study found that a 30-metre buffer removed more than 85% of all studied pollutants including suspended sediment, nutrients, and pesticides (Zhang, et al., 2010)! Compared to turf grass, deep rooted plants like silver maple, black chokeberry, and nannyberry have extensive root systems, making them valuable for filtering runoff and stabilizing loose soils that may be vulnerable to erosion, ice push, and boat wakes. Any sized buffer is better than no buffer at all! Remember that your buffer can be completely customized based on your preferences and budget.
Naturalized shorelines are also good at keeping away the one wildlife species you may not want visiting your property: Canada Goose. By creating a native plant buffer in and along the shoreline and transforming part or all of a manicured lawn area to a more natural state with a “no-mow” zone, you will prevent Canada Goose from coming up on your property as they prefer open visibility and easy access to water to escape predators. The planting of native vegetative buffers along shorelines therefore creates wildlife habitat, shade, provides aesthetic beauty, and protects from erosion.
How to Take Action
Cost and lack of time are two predominant barriers property owners face to naturalize their shoreline. Our survey of 246 Natural Edge Program participants showed that a lack of time also creates a knowledge barrier as people do not know how or what to plant (Natural Edge, 2020). Eighty-four percent of landowners said they are not confident in knowing what to plant on their shoreline, and 98% of landowners said the guidance and education from the Natural Edge Program was critical to their participation in shoreline naturalization (Natural Edge, 2020).
Lack of education and awareness are issues often cited in discussions regarding riparian zone issues. Effectively changing or mitigating the continuation of shoreline degradation will necessitate reducing these barriers. The Natural Edge Program reduces financial, knowledge-based, and experiential barriers for all Canadians to participate in shoreline restoration. We do this by designing shoreline restoration plans easily on-site with a landowner in less than an hour. Individual property conditions and personal preferences are easily incorporated into each custom restoration plan.
There is no other program that pools all of these resources together as a ready-to-go program, and it is available right now for you! There are many trained community organizations across Canada who deliver the Natural Edge Program; find the closest one to you here.
Because of the Natural Edge Program, over 104,000 native plants have restored 216,000 square metres of shoreline since 2013! You can join hundreds of other Canadians who are taking action right now to protect what they love. Click here to book your Natural Edge site visit for 2023. By doing so, you will help you protect your local lake for generations of wildlife and people to come.
Zhang, X., Liu, X., Zhang, M., Dahlgren, R.A. and M. Eitzel. (2010). A Review of Vegetated Buffers and a Meta-analysis of Their Mitigation Efficacy in Reducing Nonpoint Source Pollution. J. Environ. Qual., 39: 76–84.
Perth, ON, June 29, 2022 – A recent stewardship and education event for Thousand Islands property owners showed them how the actions they take on their properties can directly protect their river’s health.
Neighbours and property owners attended a planting demonstration workshop on June 2, 2022 to learn about the many benefits of having a naturalized shoreline. Attendees could then immediately put that information into practice as they helped plant 138 native plants on two properties. In just a few hours, 286m2 of shoreline was restored using native plants. Restoring shoreline with native plants is an example of a nature-based solution that protects shorelines from erosion and flooding impacts, provides critical wildlife habitat, and provides increased shoreline resiliency in the wake of climate change.
“During the floods of 2017 and 2019, we realized how vulnerable our shoreline was,” said Blu Mackintosh, a shoreline property owner in the Thousand Islands Area. “When the water receded, we were left with erosion and bare ground at the water’s edge. There should have been vegetation providing habitat for wildlife there, helping to keep the water healthy and clean. We approached Watersheds Canada for a ‘Natural Edge’ planting plan to make our shoreline stable and beautiful with native wild plants and cope with weather extremes.”
“TIARA (the Thousand Islands Area Residents’ Association) was happy to get involved by sending volunteers to help on the actual planting day. We hope other waterfront landowners will take advantage of this program to protect their shorelines in a natural and sustainable way”, Mackintosh adds.
The Natural Edge Program works directly with landowners and community groups to restore shoreline areas using native plants and the Natural Edge iOS App that creates a customized planting plan for each property. Plants are chosen by the landowner based on their personal preferences and the site conditions found on their property. Plants like Allegheny Serviceberry, Spotted Joe-Pye Weed, and Nannyberry were chosen for the two properties planted on June 2nd because they are deep-rooted and have complex root systems, making them ideal for shoreline stabilization and controlling erosion typically experienced on the St. Lawrence River.
“Nature-based solutions are strategic actions that can be taken by property owners to protect or restore terrestrial and aquatic areas in their community”, said Chloe Lajoie, Natural Edge Program Manager at Watersheds Canada. “Our Natural Edge Program is an example of a nature-based solution. By restoring shorelines with native plant species, individuals can address the challenges they are experiencing on their property. This integrated approach sees people working with nature to combat climate change and biodiversity loss while supporting sustainable development and recreational activities on their property.”
The St. Lawrence River is just one of many Canadian freshwater bodies that benefited from the national launch of the Natural Edge Program in 2021-2022. The national launch took place across British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and New Brunswick. It was possible because of a generous donation from the RBC Foundation through RBC Tech for Nature, a global, multi-year commitment to support new ideas, technologies, and partnerships to address our most complex environmental challenges.
“At RBC, we believe in the power of innovative technologies to address and scale solutions to some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time,” said Valerie Chort, Vice-President, Corporate Citizenship & Sustainability, RBC. “We’re proud to have worked alongside Watersheds Canada and the Natural Edge Program to develop real-world, scalable solutions to tackle the challenges that continue to plague our environment.”
A list of trained partners who currently deliver the Natural Edge Program across Canada can be found on the Natural Edge Program’s website: https://naturaledge.watersheds.ca. Property owners who are interested in renaturalizing and restoring their shoreline can participate in the Natural Edge Program by contacting a delivery partner located near them or they can use the free tools and guides on the Natural Edge website to get started on their own. The Natural Edge website includes four extensive resource guides, a Canada-wide Native Plant Database, and tutorial videos that can help landowners succeed at every stage of their shoreline restoration efforts.
About Watersheds Canada Watersheds Canada is a national non-profit charitable organization that works with landowners, communities, and organizations to enhance and protect lakes and rivers through developing effective and transferable long-term solutions. Watersheds Canada envisions people caring for their waters, resulting in clean, healthy lakes and rivers to support humans and wildlife for years to come. Learn more at Watersheds.ca
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Media contact: Chloe Lajoie Natural Edge Program Manager Watersheds Canada naturaledge@watersheds.ca
Newly added native plants on the shores of the Morrisburg Waterfront Park will make the area more welcoming for local residents and the wildlife who utilize this ‘ribbon of life’.
Shoreline ecosystems, or riparian zones, are especially valuable habitat for terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. The shoreline area includes the first 30-metres of land around a freshwater body. It is considered the ‘ribbon of life’ because it supports 70% of land-based wildlife and 90% of aquatic species at some point in their lifetime as they use it for food, water, shelter, and breeding.
The ribbon of life along the Morrisburg Waterfront Park was in need of some extra help. Local resident Michael Burton heard about Watersheds Canada’s Natural Edge Program through a friend who had participated in the program on their own property. The Natural Edge is a shoreline renaturalization program that helps individuals and community groups restore their shorelines by planting native species of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers.
“It is important for the river to stay natural and healthy for people to use”, said Michael. “This park is the heart of the community and we want to make it a place where there are things to do and it connects people with the history of the area and to nature.”
At the centre of the park, within the pavement, is a compass design which signals back to the history of town and allows people to stop and remember this rich history. New lighting has also been installed along the shoreline.
Involving the next generation of environmental stewards has been a focused priority during the park’s ecological restoration. This has included tree plantings by local Guides, Pixies, and Sparks groups, and most recently a planting by the Agricultural Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) class at Seaway District High School on October 25, 2022. This investment from children and youth as they plant native species will be something they treasure throughout their lives every time they visit the park with their family and friends.
“Today we were able to bring sixteen students out to learn about soil erosion and water quality”, said Heather Thompson, Teacher, Agricultural SHSM Lead for Seaway District High School. “This was an opportunity for real-world learning and we are happy to help. This opportunity was a great way for Morrisburg-local students to learn from and connect with other volunteers to plant 200 native plant species”.
Jason Broad, the new Mayor Elect for the Municipality of South Dundas, was also on-site to help get plants in the ground. “I was in the council meeting as a visitor when this project was first approved and am glad to be a part of this project on my first day as Mayor Elect. These plants will enhance the visual sightlines for residents and tourists visiting the park, and will improve what we already have.”
This project was generously funded by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, and was a success thanks to Seaway District High School, local Morrisburg residents and volunteers, and Watersheds Canada.
Eligible waterfront property landowners in the St. Lawrence River watershed who want to restore their shoreline can participate in the Natural Edge Program in 2023. Each participating landowner will receive a free site visit which provides advice and recommendations to improve shoreline health. If planting is recommended, a Shoreline Re-Naturalization Starter Kit can be purchased which includes the creation of a shoreline restoration plan for the property, native plants and materials, as well as education guides on how to maintain shoreline health. Each customized restoration plan will provide detailed descriptions of native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers suitable for planting based on site conditions and landowner preferences. To learn more about what is included in a kit and its cost, please visit naturaledge.watersheds.ca/
About Watersheds Canada
Watersheds Canada is a federally incorporated non-profit organization and registered Canadian charity committed to providing programs to communities across the country that work to engage and help shoreline owners enhance and protect the health of lakes and rivers. Learn more: watersheds.ca/
When you love your lake, you will want to make sure your septic system is functioning properly. Improperly treated wastewater may contain bacteria, viruses, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Inadequate treatment can result in an overabundance of weeds and algal blooms. This can make a lake unpleasant for swimming and boating, affect water quality, fish, wildlife, and their habitats, and it can cause health risks for people.
Maintaining your septic system is your responsibility! Follow these helpful tips to make sure your septic system keeps functioning properly.
Septic System Do’s:
Know where your tank and drain field are.
Reduce your water use to keep solid sludge settled on the bottom of the tank.
Have your septic system inspected and pumped regularly and keep a record of all maintenance work.
Have this done by a licensed professional. Get the contractor to check the scum and sludge depth, inspect for any large cracks or deterioration and check the fit of access lids.
How often you do this depends on the size of your tank, how many people are in your household and how much it is being used. A general rule of thumb is to have a septic tank inspected and pumped every three to five years.
Holding tanks may have to be pumped as often as every week, depending on its size and usage. Check your tank regularly and have it pumped before it reaches its capacity.
The best time to pump out your septic tank is summer and early fall. This ensures the tank will have time to refill and re-establish bacterial activity before winter.
For systems that receive little to no use over winter, keep about one foot of liquid in the tank to support bacterial action and to reduce any damage from freezing.
Keep your septic system accessible so it can be properly maintained.
Keep a perimeter around the edge of the drain field clear of trees and shrubs. How big of a perimeter depends on the species – be sure to do some research!
Septic System Don’ts:
Don’t drive or park vehicles on top of your drain field; this can compact the soil and damage pipes.
Don’t use cleaners, soaps and detergents with phosphates.
Don’t use septic additives. They are not necessary or effective and some may harm your system.
Don’t flush anything that you didn’t produce, except for toilet paper! That means no fats, grease, paints, cat litter, sanitary products, diapers, wipes, cigarette butts or kitchen waste.
Don’t water your lawn over the drain field.
What to do if your septic system isn’t working properly It’s time to call for help from a professional if:
Your toilets or drains are backed up
You have foul smells inside and/or outside your house
You find soft or spongy ground over the drain field
Your drain field has patches of abnormally healthy-looking grass on it
There’s surface water leaking into the holding tank
You are requesting fewer than normal pump outs on your holding tank
For more information on how you can show your lake some love, visit LoveYourLake.ca. Love Your Lake is a shoreline naturalization program developed by the Canadian Wildlife Federation and Watersheds Canada.
Developed shorelines have a higher risk of erosion and often require protection of upland areas. The best way to stabilize your shoreline for long-term protection is by enhancing or creating a natural shoreline buffer consisting of native wildflowers, trees, shrubs, and grasses. If, however, your shoreline requires a stronger approach than plants alone, consider installing vegetated riprap instead of typical retaining walls or gabion baskets (Natural Edge, 2022). Riprap uses natural stone/rock placed on a gentle 3:1 angled slope to absorb wave energy on the shoreline (Natural Edge, 2022). To mitigate the issue of traditional riprap not providing sufficient wildlife and fish habitat within the riparian zone, rocks can be combined with native vegetation to provide greater erosion control and habitat preservation (Tron & Raymond, 2014).
Vegetated riprap is both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly for water bodies needing continuous and resistive bank protection (Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development [ESRD], 2011). Vegetated riprap is especially effective against high water, aggressive water flow, and ice movement (Otty Lake Association, 2017). Vegetated riprap offers the immediate and long-term protection afforded by traditional riprap as well as habitat benefits from the creation of a healthy riparian buffer (ESRD, 2011).
From an economic perspective, rocks are less expensive and more readily available than materials used in many other hardening techniques (ESRD, 2011). Since riprap consists of many small rocks, the overall structure is not compromised by the movement of a few rocks or shifts in the shoreline or bottom soil (Otty Lake Association, 2017). Therefore, riprap has the ability to self-adjust and, if needed, can be easily repaired by adding more rock (ESRD, 2011). The use of rough, angular-shaped rock is preferred over smooth, rounded stone because rough rocks can interlock and better resist overturning. Riprap design should consider the source of the rock in relation to sediment introduction as well as the size, type, and configuration of the rock with regard to its hydraulic relationship. Rock is an ecologically favourable material to use over other hardening materials such as concrete or steel because the rough substrate is available for invertebrates to colonize and can enhance aquatic habitat (ESRD, 2011).
When native vegetation is included in the riprap structure, the root systems lock the rocks in place preventing damage to the riprap and improving the riprap’s resiliency (Natural Edge, 2022). Additionally, deep-rooted vegetation, like trees and shrubs, can bind and stabilize the soil along your shoreline, reducing the risk of property loss caused by erosion (Natural Edge, 2020). Using their extensive root systems, these plants will act as barriers to reduce surface runoff, slow floodwaters, and filter pollutants and excess nutrients, thus improving water quality (Natural Edge, 2022). Plants also improve drainage of the slope by removing water from the soil through uptake and transpiration (ESRD, 2011).
In addition to shoreline protection, native vegetation is a vital part of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and improves the aesthetic value and natural appearance of the shoreline property (ESRD, 2011). Overhanging branches and vegetation also provide cover, shade to cool the water, organic debris, food sources like insects, an easy transition from land to water, and other crucial habitat features for fish, frogs, turtles, waterfowl, and other wildlife (Natural Edge, 2020). To soften existing riprap, plant native vegetation behind the riprap and above or between the rocks, moving rocks if necessary to create space (Otty Lake Association, 2017).
To study the effects of vegetation on riprap stability, an analysis was conducted on the vegetated riprap installation along the Columbia River riverbank in British Columbia in 2013 (Tron & Raymond, 2014). While investigating the root system development within the vegetated riprap, it was determined that the additional root cohesion was more effective in the deeper soil layer predominated by the soil matrix (Tron & Raymond, 2014). Additionally, the roots did not increase the cohesion in the upper soil layer, which contains a larger particle size, but rather acted as a network to tie the rocks of the riprap together (Tron & Raymond, 2014).
Vegetated riprap is a biotechnical stabilization technique that combines structural and vegetative elements together in an integrated manner (ESRD, 2011). The rough surfaces of the rocks help to minimize wave action while plantings between the rocks and behind the riprap facilitate the erosion control and create wildlife habitat (Natural Edge, 2022). If an engineer has advised you that creating a natural shoreline buffer is not a strong enough approach for your shoreline property, consider installing vegetated riprap for long-term shoreline protection against erosion. Ensure the qualified engineers or contractors installing your vegetated riprap take all necessary precautions to protect your shoreline and the waterbody during construction (Natural Edge, 2022). This includes the responsible use of heavy equipment to prevent interference with existing vegetation and habitat as well as proper sediment barriers to prevent water quality issues and damage to fish and wildlife populations (Natural Edge, 2022). Please note the need for permits for work in or near water and the governing body responsible for those permits varies from region to region. Be sure to check with your local municipality, conservation authority (if applicable), appropriate provincial ministry and/or appropriate federal department for the permits to do work in or around water.
This blog is part of a five-part series generously funded under the Great Lakes Protection Initiative – Areas of Concern (AOC) Program by Environment and Climate Change Canada. This three-year project will support important shoreline restoration in the St. Lawrence River AOC through the Natural Edge Program, and is being delivered by Watersheds Canada, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, River Institute, Great River Network, and Raisin Region Conservation Authority.
Algae occur naturally in ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams, growing in sunlight, warm temperatures, and the presence of nutrients (Watersheds Canada, 2016). Freshwater algae are unicellular microscopic plants that use photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight into oxygen and chemical energy. Although functionally similar, algae are an evolutionarily diverse group of organisms with different classifications (Lowe & LaLiberte, 2017).
Are all algae bad? No! Although algae are sometimes referred to as “pond scum”, they play fundamentally important roles in all freshwater ecosystems. Algae are responsible for most of the photosynthesis in sun-lit streams and therefore are at the interface of the biological community and the physical-chemical environment (Lowe & LaLiberte, 2017). As the primary producers of oxygen and energy in aquatic ecosystems, algae form the base of the food web (Chapman, 2013). In addition to its use as a food source for many invertebrates, larger types of algae can also provide shelter for fish and other aquatic species (Watersheds Canada, 2016).
Algae are also essential for humans because they are at the base of the aquatic food web — from which many of our food sources arise — and provide us with air to breathe. In fact, through photosynthesis algae account for nearly half of the oxygen production on earth (Chapman, 2013)! Algae can also be utilized as water quality indicators for environmental monitoring (Lowe & LaLiberte, 2017). For example, benthic algae have short life cycles that result in a rapid response to shifts in environmental conditions (Lowe & LaLiberte, 2017). More recently, the sustainable applications of algae, including removing water pollutants, consuming carbon dioxide, producing biofuel, and its use in the pharmaceutical and agriculture industries are being investigated (Roy et al., 2022).
So how did algae get such a bad rap? Well, some algae species, though still important, can actually be very dangerous. For example, blue-green algae (or cyanobacteria) resemble bacteria and have the ability to produce potent toxins which can be harmful to humans and animals (Codd et al., 2017). An abundance of cyanobacteria can negatively impact the ecosystem biodiversity, drinking water supply, and aesthetic value and recreational use of the affected body of water due to health and safety concerns (Codd et al., 2017).
The common phrase, “too much of anything is bad”, also applies to algae! In excess, algae can trigger an algal bloom which can disrupt the natural balance of an ecosystem. During midsummer to fall when the ideal growing conditions for algae are accelerated and there is a considerable amount of nutrients present, algae can grow at a significant rate resulting in algal blooms (Watersheds Canada, 2016). Algal blooms can form a layer of “scum” on the water surface producing a distinct smell and changing the colour and clarity of the water (Watersheds Canada, 2016).
Blue green algae in irrigation drain at Griffith, NSW. 1989.
Algal blooms flourish due to a complex relationship between the physiological adaptations of the species, the environmental conditions, and interactions with coexisting organisms (Glibert & Burford, 2017). Nutrient enrichment of water, specifically by nitrates and phosphates, accelerates algae growth leading to algal blooms that may alter the water quality (Egan, 2014). Algal blooms may have harmful effects such as oxygen depletion of the water, fish toxicity, and mechanical interference with filter feeding by bivalve molluscs and fish (Glibert & Burford, 2017). The rising increase in nutrient pollution is due to numerous factors including the increase in human population, increased use of fertilizers for agriculture, higher demand for meat production leading to more animal waste, and expanding aquaculture industries (Glibert & Burford, 2017). Additionally, increased nutrient discharge has resulted from increased habitation and landscape development along the shoreline (Egan, 2014). Sewage discharge and increased storm water runoff can also contribute to the accumulation of nutrients beyond the lake’s capacity to utilize the nutrients resulting in excess algae growth (Egan, 2014).
Remember not all algae are bad! Although accelerated algae growth can lead to harmful algal blooms, naturally occurring algae are essential for life. I wonder if we should rethink the nickname “pond scum” and appreciate all that algae does for us and our freshwater ecosystems!
References
Chapman, R. L. (2013). Algae: The world’s most important “plants”—an introduction. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 18, 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-010-9255-9
Codd, G. A., Meriluoto, J., & Metcalf, J. S. (2017). Introduction: Cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins, their human impact, and risk management. In J. Meriluoto, L. Spoof, & G. A. Codd (Eds.), Handbook of cyanobacterial monitoring and cyanotoxin analysis (pp. 1–8). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119068761.ch1
Egan, K. G. (2014). Shoreline modification impacts on lake ecology as a result of intensive cottage cluster development.
Glibert, P. M., & Burford, M. A. (2017). Globally changing nutrient loads and harmful algal blooms: Recent advances, new paradigms, and continuing challenges. Oceanography, 30(1), 58–69. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2017.110
Lowe, R. L., & LaLiberte, G. D. (2017). Benthic stream algae: Distribution and structure. In F. R. Hauer & G. A. Lamberti (Eds.), Methods in stream ecology (3rd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 193–221). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-416558-8.00011-1
Roy, A., Gogoi, N., Yasmin, F., & Farooq, M. (2022). The use of algae for environmental sustainability: Trends and future prospects. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19636-7
This blog is part of a five-part series generously funded under the Great Lakes Protection Initiative – Areas of Concern (AOC) Program by Environment and Climate Change Canada. This three-year project will support important shoreline restoration in the St. Lawrence River AOC through the Natural Edge Program, and is being delivered by Watersheds Canada, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, River Institute, Great River Network, and Raisin Region Conservation Authority.
Are you starting to think about your Christmas and holiday shopping? Want your gifts to make a local impact for your lakes, rivers, and shorelines? This year, we have four new symbolic adoptions available that help freshwater ecosystems and the species that call these areas home!
Symbolic adoptions start at $20 and all monies raised support on-the-ground freshwater stewardship work! Tax receipts are available on eligible purchases of $25+. Each symbolic adoption includes a 5″x7″ postcard featuring 1 of 13 different works of art done by a Canadian artist. Gifts also include a beautiful honour card for you to personalize and personally give as a gift to your friend, loved one, or co-worker (or yourself!).
“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The next best time is now.” Appropriately enough, the best time for Watersheds Canada to share this action-now-adage is this year as we are celebrating our 20th anniversary.
It’s humbling to reminisce about Watersheds Canada’s lake association roots that were planted around the turn of the millennial. The light of twenty birthday candles shines on the fact that we have never stopped working to help save our lakes, rivers and shores. Since Watersheds Canada was founded, over 100,000 native species have been planted. And, we agree that the next best time is now… to plant for our future.
Twenty years is a major milestone for a charitable organization. That’s why we are not going to take another trip around the sun without tooting our organization’s horn. Two decades of environmental action deserves to be recognized. From our beginnings as a lake association to a highly acclaimed national name with outstanding staff and programs, Watersheds Canada has matured into a true leader in the fight to protect freshwater. We remain dedicated to our mission while working to achieve sustainable funding.
No time to party.
Right “now” our hard-working staff and volunteers have little time for a birthday celebration. They are racing against mother nature’s clock to dig down and plant fast as we keep up with the demands on our Natural Edge program. We are taking on new fisheries restoration work, leading municipal election talks about freshwater protection, and delivering our highly acclaimed educational resources to students and waterfront property owners. We just helped another walleye population by removing a build-up of silt that obstructs their spawning area.
If we had the time and venue for a 20th birthday party, you would be on the top of our guest list. Watersheds Canada was born and raised on the support of caring environmental leaders like you. Thank you to our donors, partners, corporate sponsors, foundations, volunteers, Board of Directors (past and present) as well as our dedicated staff and interns. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention at least one name that professionally represents twenty years of Watersheds Canada success: Barbara King.
Barbara King’s leadership as the organization’s Executive Director in the past ten years brought Watersheds Canada from dream to reality. Barbara is now my predecessor and my colleague with the new title (but long standing role) of Director of Community and Partnerships. Barbara will continue to help our team open doors on new partners as well our great programs that reach hundreds of lakes and rivers in Canada.
How did you celebrate 20?
Take a moment now to think about your twenty-year-old former (or future) self. Turning 20-years-old is a big deal. Growing pains now shape growing gains. There’s energy and tenacity – a desire to bring your best to chart new waters and pursue bigger dreams. That kind of sophomore spirit, if you will, perhaps describes the future forward ambition of Watersheds Canada. We are ready to hit the road to expand our reach, we just need help to keep gas in the tank – a metaphor, we admit, to help frame the fact that, more than any other time in our twenty-year run, we need increased support through monthly or annual donations.
In our next 20 years…
Globally and locally, any discussion these days about the next twenty years of Watersheds Canada will highlight our long standing focus on lake protection. Watersheds Canada has clearly graduated to the highest of all environmental calls to action – climate change mitigation. We need to step up everything we have been doing to tackle climate change, especially where freshwater and land meet.
Climate change means more severe weather events which will mean more runoff and more erosion, and more demand for shoreland naturalization and our educational programs such as Love Your Lake. Species at risk means increased demand for fish and wildlife habitat restoration. Eurasian milfoil, erosion, and blue-green algae blooms are topics important to you and to Watersheds Canada. Likewise, shoreline development raises local concerns and highlights the need for Watersheds Canada’s Planning for our Shorelands program as it delivers critical resources and support to municipal elected officials. Indeed, we have some serious work ahead and we are proud to have your support.
Please join me in wishing Watersheds Canada a happy 20th birthday. In lieu of a gift, we simply ask all of our waterfront association leaders and freshwater supporters to help introduce others to the work of our organization. As well, if you can, please consider a commitment to Watersheds Canada’s monthly giving program. Your donation of $20 helps symbolize an incredible milestone as Watersheds Canada gets ready for another twenty years of protecting our freshwater.
July 5, 2022, Cornwall, Ontario – Shoreline habitat restorations are well underway across the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern, with local partners Watersheds Canada, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, River Institute, Great River Network, and Raisin Region Conservation Authority on track to restore 3-kilometres of shoreline habitat between 2021 and 2024.
Generously funded by the Great Lakes Protection Initiative – Areas of Concern (AOC) Program by Environment and Climate Change Canada, this three-year project will support important shoreline restoration in the St. Lawrence River AOC through the Natural Edge Program. Through collaboration with local partners and waterfront property owners, 12,500 native species of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers will be planted to restore 12,500-square metres of vital terrestrial and aquatic habitat along three kilometres of degraded shoreline.
One landowner who participated in the Natural Edge Program this spring was Curtis Lazore, a Wolf Clan member of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. Curtis has spent his entire life growing up on the St. Lawrence River, where he has seen many changes over the past few decades.
“The role of individual property owners is a responsibility to our natural world,” says Curtis. “All living matter needs a healthy land-water interface [the riparian zone] to survive. It is our individual responsibility, especially as people who inhabit around natural spaces, to contribute to the enhancement of the natural world. For myself as a First Nations individual, we inherit responsibility from our oral tradition that we need to give thanks, we need to enhance, and we need to do right by our nature and the Mother Earth. I try to live by the words of our ancestors and continue that contribution and awareness.”
It has been thirty-five years since the St. Lawrence River at Cornwall was first designated as an AOC in 1987. Over the decades, immense pressure from industry, contamination, and population growth has strained the health of the river and the wildlife that live there. This three-year project will work towards addressing contributing factors of poor water quality and major shoreline habitat loss experienced within the St. Lawrence River AOC.
Tanice Jock is a Project Aid with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne’s Environment Program and a Technician with Watersheds Canada’s Natural Edge team. She is connecting local landowners with the Natural Edge Program by organizing site visits and community planting days, such as the one that took place at Curtis’ property.
“The Natural Edge Program will address problems we have in Akwesasne like poor water quality and shoreline erosion from the wakes when boats go by,” says Tanice. “In the summer we have ‘dog days’ when the bacteria levels become high and it is dangerous for people to swim. The Natural Edge Program will work to protect shorelines and improve local water quality through the planting of native vegetation along shorelines.”
This Natural Edge project will also contribute to the actions of the Remedial Action Plan to restore the St. Lawrence River (Cornwall) Area of Concern. According to the St. Lawrence River Remedial Action Plan website, the status of an AOC is determined by “assessing the state of local environmental conditions against fourteen different beneficial use impairments, as identified in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement”. The delivery of the Natural Edge Program will directly address the legacy issues of ‘Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat’ and ‘Eutrophication or Undesirable Algae’ that have contributed to the AOC status for decades.
“The River Institute was interested in participating in this project because it is under the Area of Concern program which we coordinate”, says Georgia Bock, Remedial Action Plan Coordinator at the St. Lawrence River Institute. “This project was a great way to work with a number of partners on an important project and work towards fixing the issue of shoreline erosion.”
“The Great River Network focuses on remediating the St. Lawrence River and tackling problems along the river that we see as being detrimental,” says Mark Kaddie from the Great River Network. “The Network is comprised of over 50 organizations invested in the health of the great river and we draw on each other’s expertise to complete different projects. We were very interested in this project as it was a great way of progressing with our mandate to remediate the river.”
He adds, “It is in the best interest for property owners, along with boaters, anglers, and anyone who utilizes the river, to have a healthy river. If you want to use the resource you have to give back to the resource. A healthy shoreline will give you a healthy waterfront and a healthy river.”
Landowners with waterfront property in need of restoration along the St. Lawrence River on the Ontario portion of the Akwesasne Territory and along Lake St. Francis are eligible to participate in this project. If you are interested in learning more about the project or connecting with project staff for a confidential free site visit, please contact Tanice Jock at ne.stlawrenceriver.aoc@watersheds.ca
Eligible waterfront property landowners will receive a free site visit which provides advice and recommendations to improve shoreline health. If planting is recommended, a Shoreline Re-Naturalization Starter Kit can be purchased which includes the creation of a shoreline restoration plan for the property, native plants and materials, as well as education guides on how to maintain shoreline health. Each customized restoration plan will provide detailed descriptions of native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers suitable for planting based on site conditions and landowner preferences. To learn more about what is included in a kit and its cost, please visit naturaledge.watersheds.ca
About Watersheds Canada Watersheds Canada is a federally incorporated non-profit organization and registered Canadian charity committed to providing programs to communities across the country that work to engage and help shoreline owners enhance and protect the health of lakes and rivers.
About Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA) is the official governing agency of the northern portion of the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory. It is a community government, which is elected by the residents of the Mohawk Community of Akwesasne.
About Raisin Region Conservation Authority Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) is one of Ontario’s Conservation Authorities. RRCA guides the community in the protection, enhancement and restoration of our natural environment through programs that balance human, environmental and economic needs for a sustainable future.
About River Institute River Institute is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to research, education and community outreach on the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries. It is a non‐government organization established in 1994 as a unique community partnership among governments, educators, business and industry, and the Mohawks of Akwesasne.
About Great River Network The Great River Network is an environmental hub comprised of over 50 river-related organizations, agencies and volunteers who organize initiatives to improve the environment of the Upper St. Lawrence River.
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Media Contact
Chloe Lajoie Natural Edge Program Manager Watersheds Canada lajoie@watersheds.ca
Featured Image by Stephany Hildebrand, River Institute
