Water quality is an ecosystem health indicator and the state of Georgian Bay is in serious decline.
David Bywater, conservation program manager for the Georgian Bay Biosphere delivered some alarming test results from his most recent State of the Bay report.
Bywater noted the decline in phosphorous levels in Georgian Bay. Phosphorus acts as food for microscopic plants and animals. The Biosphere has measured phosphorus levels in Georgian Bay and indicated its nutrient concentration is at a record low.
Bywater attributes the decline in phosphorus to human activity, mainly the transportation of zebra and quagga mussels through large shipping containers. Invasive species are spread through shipping boats when ballast water is released into the Great Lakes.
“In some ways, we need to alert members of parliament, MP’s and MPP’s about it. Some of these issues are such that it’s hard to have a meaningful impact at a local scale and it requires larger policy and management changes,” Bywater said.
He noted that the U.S. has made some policy changes through the Environmental Protection Agency by regulating discharge water from shipping containers to avoid the spread of contaminants and would like to see similar policies initiated in Ontario.
Another important policy change that is needed, Bywater noted, is to address the Asian carp which are close to getting into the Great Lakes from the Chicago waterway.
Bywater says that The US Army Corp of Engineers has made recommendations on changes to the Chicago waterway to prevent the spread of Asian carp.
Bywater says that if residents live near a body of water or are part of a cottage association, by participating in water quality testing you can help understand what normal phosphorus levels can be over the course of several years and provide a trend line as to whether phosphorus levels are increasing, decreasing or staying the same.
If locals wish to get involved in the protection of the Great Lakes, people can get involved in local water quality monitoring programs. The Lake Partner Program is Ontario’s volunteer-based, water-quality monitoring program that involves phosphorus monitoring once in the spring following water clarity tests on a weekly basis. The Lake Partner Program information can be found here.
