Welcome To The Envirohub Newsletter

THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING!

The District Municipality of Muskoka (District) has many environmentally-focused programs and projects. We created this newsletter to help Muskokans stay up to date on initiatives and upcoming events and learn how to get involved or provide input.

Newsletters will be issued a few times a year as projects progress. Thank you for subscribing, and have a great Spring and Summer ahead!

Did You Know?

For over 40 years, the District has sampled 80-85 lakes and bays annually for various parameters, including phosphorus, calcium, chloride, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Over 190 sites on 164 lakes across the District are sampled on a rotating basis, depending on the lake's development pressures and specific characteristics. This data set is one of Canada's best and longest-standing municipal water quality sets. It is used to inform development policy on long-term water quality trends to protect our aquatic ecosystems. Check out the Muskoka Water Strategy to learn more.

A New Leaf: Muskoka's Climate Strategy

The Muskoka Climate Change Adaptation Plan(MCCAP) is a component of the District's Climate Strategy. This corporate plan acts as a roadmap for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The District is

actively working on 51 actions within the MCCAP. Some of these completed actions include:

Assemble corporate and community greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories: These inventories show how much GHG emissions are emitted per year, which will inform reduction strategies. Next steps: begin to develop the GHG reduction strategies for both the community and the corporation later this Spring.

Assist Area Municipal Partners with developing a Regional Climate Adaptation Plan: The District launched the New Leaf Community Working Group (NLCWG) to assess local climate change impacts and the risks these impacts have to Muskoka’s built, natural, and economic systems. Next steps: Strategize how to address these risks.

Making Waves: Integrated Watershed Management

All 12 projects are now underway! All 12 technical projects are underway after completing the Request for Proposal process. Visit Engage Muskoka for details on the individual projects. Public input opportunities are coming this Spring. Subscribe to EngageMuskoka.ca to stay informed.

The Ripple Article Series: Diving deeper into integrated watershed management in Muskoka. Integrated Watershed Management is a complex topic. The Ripple Article Series dives into each of the 12 technical projects and discusses the purpose of the projects.

Community Round Table (CRT) is seeking volunteers. The CRT supports the District's 12 technical projects by providing a community perspective. For more information on the CRT, visit the Muskoka Watershed Council website.

Visit www.muskoka.on.ca/EnviroHub for more information on these projects, the Ripple Article Series, and more!

The Spring Freshet is here: Be Flood Ready

As you and your family enjoy the warmer weather Spring brings, it's important to be mindful of weather conditions. With a changing climate together with heavy rain and melting snow, high water levels are expected this time of year in Muskoka. In fact, by 2050, we can expect to see 10% more rain annually. To adapt to climate change impacts like more precipitation, check out the District's resources below.

If your area is at risk of flooding, be aware of the latest warnings and advisories issued by the District, your Area Municipality, and the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, and Natural Resources and Forestry.

The FREE Muskoka Voyent Alert App will notify you directly if emergencies, like flooding, happen. Download the app for free here and learn more at:www.muskoka.on.ca/flooding

Flood Resources:

Muskoka GeoHub has detailed floodplain maps and live water levels for Muskoka's major lakes.

Coming Soon: New GIS Tool: The District's Geographic Information System (GIS) team developed a dashboard showing Ontario Provincial Police helicopter flood footage from the 2019 flood. This tool is for flood awareness purposes and will be available in May. A Guide to Flood Prevention and Recovery will also be available at this time.

FAQ's on flooding in Muskoka: What is a freshet? What do I do if a Flood Warning is issued? What is a floodplain? Find answers to these common questions and more on the District's Flooding and floodplain Mapping webpage.

Let's Clean Muskoka Together!

Have you been looking for a way to contribute to a cleaner and healthier Muskoka?

Clean Muskoka Together is a year-round Muskoka-wide community litter clean-up program in partnership with our area municipal partners. This program provides all the tools you need to help keep Muskoka beautiful, including gloves, recycling bags and specially marked garbage bags.

Find more information about Clean MuskokaTogether, including how to participate, visit

www.muskoka.on.ca/CleanMuskokaTogether

Upcoming Events

Find the District's Watershed Team at the following community events:

Muskoka Lakes Association Water Quality Panel: May 10, 2022, at 5 PM

Learn about the results of the 2021 Muskoka Lakes Association Water Quality Report. District's Rebecca Willison, Watershed Planning Technician, will join this webinar to present topics about watershed health.

https://www.mla.on.ca/

Muskoka Earth Festival: May 28, 2022 - Bracebridge Fairgrounds

https://www.muskokaearthfestival.com/

Sustainable Education Event Days (SeedPod): May - September 2022 - Brackenrig Nursery

https://www.brackenrignursery.com/seedpod

Eco-Fest: June 4, 2022 - Huntsville Public School

https://hpsschoolcouncil.wixsite.com/hps-ecofest

Integrated Watershed Management Public Input Opportunities

As part of the Making Waves: Integrated Watershed Management Initiative, the District will be gathering public input on four projects this Spring. These projects include the Public Access Inventory, Water QualityIndicators, Erosion Survey, and Watershed Health Indicators. For more information on these projects, and to stay informed on when the consultation will occur, subscribe to the Engage Muskoka Project Page.

Community Round Table Meetings: Second Wednesday of each month at 4 PM via Zoom

Also as part of the Making Waves: Integrated Watershed Management Initiative, Muskoka WatershedCouncil launched the Community Round Table to ensure community interests are considered during the initial watershed management planning process. Visit www.muskokawatershed.org for more information, or contact [email protected]

Muskoka Watershed Council: Various Dates

Are you interested in being a Muskoka Watershed Council member? Join the next Muskoka Watershed Council meeting via zoom on May 27, 2022, at 1 PM. Meetings occur once per month and are open to the public. Learn more about Muskoka Watershed Council at www.muskokawatershed.org.

Muskoka Watershed Council Working Group: Various Dates

The bulk of the work for the Muskoka Watershed Council is carried out by the sub-committees through the Working Group. The next Working Group meeting is on June 2, 2022, at 2 PM via zoom. Active sub-committees include the Watershed HealthReport Card sub-committee, Algae sub-committee, Communications sub-committee, and the Strategic Plan sub-committee. Working Group meetings occur once per month and are open to the public.