October 2021 Newsletter
Included in this issue:
Great Fall Weather - an update
Lake Turnover
Almaquin Lake and Watershed Associations meetings
Preventing & Handling Spills
Request for Feedback on our Newsletter
Great Fall Weather
While yesterday’s snow was a reminder that winter is just around the corner, we have actually had great weather this fall. Despite the rainy days, the warm weather has provided us with ample opportunity to get all those fall chores done.
Below is the temperature chart for the last 3 months. The average temperature for August was 67.7 F ( 19.8 C ), for September 56.1 F (13.4 C) and for October 51.2 F, 10.7 C). While we had a frost advisory for the night of September 28th it didn't materialize. It wasn't until October 19th that the temperature back here on Big Clam dipped below freezing. The first real hard frost happened on October 22-23 when it dropped to 27 F ( - 2.8 C) .We also got a light dusting of snow which didn't stay.
We did get a considerable amount of rain this fall. August was 3.1 “ ( 77.7 mm) whereas September gave us 6.5” (165.1 mm) and October 7.4 “ (187.9 mm) which brought our lake up to levels usually seen in the spring. Also included below is a bar chart of precipitation levels for August, September and October 2021.
Fall lake "Turnover"
I wanted to use our new DO (Dissolved Oxygen) & temperature sensor instrument to actually look at the process called Fall “turnover” in the water column initially in one lake and eventually on several lakes. Since I wasn't sure when and how quickly this would happen, I decided to try and capture the event on our local lake - Big Clam. The process is dependent on cooler weather and the amount of wind energy.
For those of you who missed the September article on the relationship between lake water, stratification and temperature here is a brief summary. During the summer the water column in our deeper lakes will usually stratify into an upper layer called the epilimnion where the temperature and dissolved oxygen content is quite uniform and a bottom layer called the hypolimnion that is often considerably colder and where the DO content is usually much lower. The middle section between the upper & lower layers is called the metalimnion and has the most rapidly changing temperature gradient. The top edge of the metalimnion is called the upper thermocline and is defined as the depth where the temperature decreases at a rate greater than 1 degree per meter.
On August 27 the upper thermocline was firmly in place around 3-3.5 meters and the water temperature in the epilimnion was 25.4 C , DO was 7.98 mg/L. When I next checked on September 30, the water temperature was 15.4 C, DO was 8.97 mg/L and the thermocline was deeper at 6.5 meters but the metalimnion and hypolimnion were still intact. On October 28 the thermocline and metalimnion had disappeared – water temperature at the surface was 11.5 C dropping slowly to 10.8 C around 8.5 - 9 meters. DO was 8.75 at the surface dropping to 8.13 at 8.5 m. Depth in this area of the lake was about 10 m so the complete water column was very uniform at this point. We have a small deep hole on big Clam that is close to 20m deep so I will try to check it before “freeze up” to see what temperatures and DO look like in the hole this time of year. I would also like to look at the DO several times over the winter once there is ice on the lake. Really quite interesting and I look forward to tracking this in other lakes as well.
Almaquin Lake & Watershed Associations
The creation of this group was spearheaded by the Near North Environmental Education Center (NNEEC) in Sundridge. The meetings have been chaired by Bob Attwell, a long standing member of the Lake Bernard Property Owners Association who is also on the board of NNEEC.
The goal of the initial meeting on April 8th 2021 was to bring together the various lake, property owner and environmental associations in the Almaquin area to discuss issues of environmental concern and priority that could be supported by NNEEC. We had 4 zoom meetings this summer – the initial Introduction Session, an excellent seminar on Phragmites in May, another seminar on recent studies on Cyanobacteria Blooms (BGA) in June and a wrap up session where we discussed areas of concern and possible solutions.
Reps from Eagle, Cecebe, Bernard, Deer, Clam, Sand , Grass & Loon, Lynx (M383) and Horn Lakes as well as KWEF and the MWLT were invited to the initial meeting. Any associations in the area that weren’t on their “radar” and thus were overlooked are encouraged to send a rep to future meetings. KWEF will try to attend all the meetings and provide updates to everyone that gets our newsletter.
At our last meeting in October we discussed how best to educate the recent influx of new cottagers and visitors on environmental best practices, the need to reach out to children and the younger generation to become involved and the work being done to combat the spread of phragmites. There is a considerable amount of knowledge and experience within the group that can be shared and we were encouraged to reach out to each other. Most areas are experiencing increased pressure for development often with attempts to bypass environmental best practices. Everyone thought the group could be beneficial and we agreed to continue meeting in 2022.
Preventing & Managing Spills
Last fall we encountered small patches of oil sheen along the edge of the lake among the lily pads and reeds. The wind and waves had spread it around so that it was impossible to tell where it originated. This pollution and the report of a leak from some construction equipment on another lake was the motivation for this particular article.
The most common cause of an oil spill or sheen on the water is a fuel spill while refuelling. Other causes are defective seals on drive units, and poorly maintained engines - especially 2 stroke engines which can leave up to 25% of their oil/gas mixture unburned to be exhausted into the water and air.
Even a spill as small as a cup of fuel on the water can spread over an area up to 1000 square meters.
You are required to report any spill you can't handle to the MECP Spills Action Centre (1-800-268-6060).
They will ask for details on the spill, materials, location and size.
Fuelling Tips
When possible fill portable and engine mounted fuel tanks on shore away from the water.
Know the capacity of your tank and monitor the fuel gauge if available while filling. Avoid topping up the tank or overfilling. Fill the tank slowly listening to the change in tone as the tank is just about full. Avoid excess fuel escaping through the vent hole or line.
Be prepared for spills - Wrap a fuel absorbent cloth around the nozzle before starting to fill the tank to catch any gas that might spill from the nozzle . Put an absorbent pad in the scupper beneath the filler pipe of onboard built in tanks to catch any fuel splashes or drips so that it can't run into the water. Put an absorbent pad or rag around the fuel vent to catch any overflow.
Boats & Motors
Consider upgrading your small outboard motor to a direct fuel injection two stroke engine or a modern four stroke that meets current emission standards.
Perform regular engine maintenance to prevent leaks from seals, gaskets & hoses and have regular engine tune ups performed.
Bilges can contain engine oil , fuel and other engine fluids - especially if your boat has an inboard engine. Turn off automatic bilge pumps and only use them when you are sure bilge water is uncontaminated. Consider installing an inline filter on your discharge line.
Cleaning Boats and ATVs
When washing boats and ATV's do it well away from lakes & streams on a permeable surface where the runoff will not flow into surface water or storm drains. A power washer is an excellent tool for this type of job. Use detergents only when absolutely necessary and then use ones that are phosphate free and non -petroleum based.
Construction and Repair Projects Near Lakes & Rivers
Make sure equipment is in good working order. Check it often to avoid leaks of fuel, oil etc. which could contaminate the ground and surface water .Use latex instead of oil based paints when feasible. Always paint or stain items away from lakes & streams and use drop cloths and tarps to catch drops or spills. It is good practice to have a cleanup bin stocked with extra rags, paper towels and some absorbent material like kitty litter or sawdust close by.
Even a small spill can immediately impact waterfowl and fish populations and longer term it will impact aquatic plants and animals including amphibians and invertebrates. It is easier and less expensive to prevent rather than cleanup a pollution problem!
We Need Feedback Please!
We started the KWEF Newsletter in September 2018. Our goal was to try to educate and encourage Kearney residents and visitors to care for our beautiful area, its lakes and streams and all of its inhabitants.
Do you read it? Do you find it informative and interesting? Do you forward it to others or have you encouraged them to subscribe? Is it too long or short? Any suggestions for different content?
It’s time for us to evaluate its future. We need to hear at least a “yes” or “no’ from each of you – additional comments on content, number & size of articles etc. is most welcome - let us know.