Our Water Quality (WQ) testing continued in 2022 and the results showed that although our Kennisis lakes are still in relatively good shape from a water quality perspective, the trend however, is showing higher nutrients over time which indicates a degradation in our water quality.
We still have higher than normal Total Phosphorus (TP) results in the east bay of Little Kennisis which could be from septic systems or perhaps fertilizers. TP values were lower in the spring and peaked back up in the fall.
These results represent a sober warning that we need to take immediate action to preserve our water quality on the Kennisis Lakes. As the representative from the MOECP reminded us, it’s entirely up to us to maintain the health of the water in our lakes – no one will do it for us.
For 2022, the KLCOA partnered with Woodlands and Waterways EcoWatch (WWEW a subsidiary of U-Links) to develop a pilot water quality monitoring program which is expected to expand to lakes across Haliburton County. In 2022, WWEW and Lake Association citizen scientists sampled water quality parameters from 35 sites on 24 lakes plus a reference lake in Haliburton Forest. This program represents a broadscale monitoring objective of having water quality data that is comparable across lakes within the County and with neighbouring regions
See the full 2022 KLCOA WQ report HERE!