Love Your Lake – Results

The Results Are In!

Individual Reports

Last summer, the entire shoreline of our Kennisis Lakes was assessed for development, vegetation and habitat as part of the Love Your Lake (LYL) Shoreline Assessment Program.  This information was used to create a unique and tailored shoreline property report for each property owner.  Your property report contains a summary of the features observed on your property, including voluntary recommended actions you can take to protect or restore your shoreline. The report also explains how these actions can positively contribute to the health of the Kennisis Lakes.  Your property report is confidential and only you have access to it.  The goal of the Love Your Lake Project is to educate and engage waterfront property owners to sustain health shorelines or make improvements to their shorelines. This will improve water quality and lead to a cleaner, healthier lake for future generations, our fishery and the wildlife around and in lakes.  If you own waterfront property on the Kennisis Lakes you will be receiving a letter from Watersheds Canada, Love Your Lake Program with your individual SURVEY CODE so that you can order your personalized, confidential property report electronically (free) or by mail ($20). The reports were mailed to property owners on April 10.

Lake Wide Results

The KLCOA does not have access to individual property reports; however, we have received a report with lake wide data for Kennisis, which provides a good benchmark for measuring future changes to shoreline health on our lakes.  The LYL assessment classified our shorelines in four categories; Natural, Regenerative, Ornamental and Degraded.

The lake wide results for Kennisis are as follows:
Love Your Lake Results April 2017

It is generally accepted that in order to maintain good water quality in cottage country lakes, 75% of the shoreline must be kept in a natural state for a minimum of 100 feet back from the shore.  If there is significantly less than 75%, water quality could seriously degrade over time.  The numbers for Kennisis show a total of both Natural & Regenerative to be 78% and this number should be compared to the 75 % target.

This is good news for Kennisis.  The CHA has found that 92% of our lakes in Haliburton did not make the 75% minimum. We are fortunate to be in the 8% that did make the grade. We now need to take action to maintain our healthy shorelines and improve those that aren’t so healthy.  No excuses, you now have the information you need to take the next steps.

Didn’t Receive Your LYL Report?

If you are a new property owner or have changed your mailing address, you may not have received your report. Just send an email to jimprince@sympatico.ca to get your report ordering instructions.

A hearty thanks to our many Kennisis volunteers for coordinating and executing the Love Your Lake Program. The program was sponsored and supported by the CHA (Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Associations – www.cohpoa.org) and operated by Watersheds Canada (www.loveyourlake.ca).

Now it’s up to each of us to order and read our property report and learn more about what we can do to protect the health of our wonderful Kennisis Lakes.

If you should have any questions please contact the KLCOA LYL Coordinator at jimprince@sympatico.ca.