How does lake testing work?
You may have seen KLPOA volunteers on the water doing testing and wondered “what are they doing?” … well, here’s the skinny on water testing.
Water testing is conducted monthly by KLPOA. Results are analyzed by FOCA's Lake Partner Program and shared on their website. If you're interested in the Kushog Lake results, visit https://foca.on.ca/lake-partner-program/ to set up an account and log in. 2021 results are available now.
Fleming College Fall ProgramWater quality monitoring is also done in partnership with Ecosystem Management Technology program students from Fleming College. This annual initiative collects trended data over time and runs for more than 2 months each fall.
It covers water chemistry (11 key measures are collected), zooplankton communities (plankton containing small animals and immature larger animals) and benthic macroinvertebrates (animals without a backbone).
The data describes two areas of concern: acidification (lowered pH levels) which could have an effect on lake trout, and the presence of an invasive species, the spiny water flea.
Citizen Science with Water Rangers
Did you know water testing can be done by anyone with testing kits available from Water Rangers? Water Rangers is a not for profit organization that advocates for community testing. They collect results from the public to add to their database and have developed great education resources that are science-based yet easy to understand.
KLPOA is committed to proactive water testing and water quality monitoring.
Avoiding ice heave damage
The boat is winterized and stored. Now it’s time to deal with the dock.
Floating docksDocks with legs must be removed but floating docks can stay in the water depending on your location. Water is nature’s most powerful force and when ice forms and shifts due to wind and currents damage can be done to your dock. Some years on Kushog Lake the ice goes out gently without any fuss and other years the ice may start to go out, the wind shifts, and the full force of the ice comes back to wreak havoc. This is especially true if your home or cottage is on the east side of the lake as most of the wind comes from the west, northwest and southwest. If your waterfront bears the brunt of ice movement in the spring, it’s best to take your dock out or shelter it in a protected bay or cove. If your dock is staying in the lake, secure it to something stable like a well rooted tree and make sure there is a marker on it to identify it to snowmobilers. Each spring, there seem to be docks floating around that need to be rescued so make sure you have taken every precaution to tie it up securely and add your name and phone number to it so you can be contacted in case it still gets away from you!
New to the lake?Talk to your neighbours and find out what they do to avoid damage to their docks.
Unsecured docks are a safety hazardLoose floating docks in the spring are a major safety hazard especially at night. Make sure wherever your dock is, it is well secured and can’t come loose in the spring.
Floating docksDocks with legs must be removed but floating docks can stay in the water depending on your location. Water is nature’s most powerful force and when ice forms and shifts due to wind and currents damage can be done to your dock. Some years on Kushog Lake the ice goes out gently without any fuss and other years the ice may start to go out, the wind shifts, and the full force of the ice comes back to wreak havoc. This is especially true if your home or cottage is on the east side of the lake as most of the wind comes from the west, northwest and southwest. If your waterfront bears the brunt of ice movement in the spring, it’s best to take your dock out or shelter it in a protected bay or cove. If your dock is staying in the lake, secure it to something stable like a well rooted tree and make sure there is a marker on it to identify it to snowmobilers. Each spring, there seem to be docks floating around that need to be rescued so make sure you have taken every precaution to tie it up securely and add your name and phone number to it so you can be contacted in case it still gets away from you!
New to the lake?Talk to your neighbours and find out what they do to avoid damage to their docks.
Unsecured docks are a safety hazardLoose floating docks in the spring are a major safety hazard especially at night. Make sure wherever your dock is, it is well secured and can’t come loose in the spring.
The Experts We Partner With
Get smart about lake health
KLPOA's InfoBits
Everything you need to know about the Kushog Lake environment - from invasive species to septic health to light pollution. If it's important, there's likely an InfoBit about it.
We're always adding to the library ... if there's a topic you're interested in, let us know.
What can I do as a home owner? Glad you asked.
Lake Links is an initiative of Watersheds Canada. Their education resources are top notch and science-based.
Want to see how you can protect the lake right from your very own waterfront?