Your Link to Muskoka's Water!

Resources by Topic
Where to find more information on
water-related topics

Algal Blooms

• Report a Bloom
  • Contact the MECP Public Pollution Reporting Hotline at 1-866-663-8477
• Resources
  • Muskoka Watershed Council - Algae Quick Guide
  • Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations - Algal Blooms
  • Severn Sound Environmental Association - All About Algae
  • Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks - Blue-green Algae
  • Watersheds Canada - Cyanobacteria Education Resource Toolkit
  • Love Your Lake - Algal Blooms
• Monitoring and Reporting
  • Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit - Current waterways affected by Blue-green algae
  • Muskoka Watershed Council - Algae Monitoring Program

Citizen Science

• Government of Canada - Citizen Science Portal
• Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Assocations - The Importance of Community Science
• Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Assocations - Lake Partner Program
• Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks - Water sampling and testing (inland lakes)
• Muskoka Watershed Council - Algae Monitoring Program
• Friends of the Muskoka Watershed - ASHMuskoka
• Friends of the Muskoka Watershed - SALTYMuskoka
• NatureWatch Programs
  • FrogWatch
  • PlantWatch
  • WormWatch
  • IceWatch
  • MilkweedWatch
• Invasive Species Centre - IsampleON
• Ontario Nature - Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas
• Birds Canada - Canadian Lakes Loon Survey
• Birds Canada - Project FeederWatch
• Toronto Zoo - Adopt A Pond
• Ministry of Natural Resources - Natural Heritage Information Centre (Species at Risk)
• Quebec Center for Biodiversity Science - Neighbourhood Bat Watch
• Wildlife Preservation Canada - Bumble Bee Watch
• University of Ottawa - eButterfly
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology - eBird Canada
• Insectarium – Montréal Space for Life - Mission Monarch
• Water Rangers
• Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network 
   

Erosion

• Resources
  • Watersheds Canada - How Native Plants Help with Erosion Control
  • Love Your Lake - Erosion
  • District of Muskoka - Shoreline Vegetative Buffers
  • Working Around Water Factsheet - Fish Habitat & Shoreline Stabilization
  • Extension Notes - Protecting Fish Habitat from Sediment
  • Kawartha Conservation - Erosion and Shoreline Protection
  • Solutions for Shoreline Erosion: A Basic Guide to Bioengineering
• Regulations
  • Fisheries Act - Chapter F-14, Section 34: Fish Habitat Protection and Pollution Prevention
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Projects Near Water
  • Ministry of Natural Resources - Maintain, repair or replace erosion control structures on shore lands
  • Love Your Lake - Permits and Approvals
• Reporting
  • District of Muskoka - Muskoka E-Rode Survey

Fishing

• Resources
  • Ministry of Natural Resources - Lake Fact Sheets
  • Ministry of Natural Resources - Fish Stocking
  • Ministry of Natural Resources - Learn to Fish Guide
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada - The Baitfish Primer
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada - The Fish Habitat Primer
  • Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks - Guide to Eating Ontario Fish
  • Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters - Fishing
  • Ministry of Natural Resources - Invasive Species Action Plan for Anglers
  • Invading Species Awareness Program - Resources for Boaters
• Regulations
  • Ministry of Natural Resources - Fishing
  • Ministry of Natural Resources - Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary
  • Ministry of Natural Resources - Fish ON-Line

Invasive Species

• Resources
  • Ministry of Natural Resources - Invasive Species in Ontario 
  • Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations - A Shoreline Owner's Guide to Invasive Species
  • Ontario Invasive Plant Council - Grow Me Instead Guides
  • Severn Sound Environmental Association - Invasive Species
  • Love Your Lake - The Good, the Bad and the Invasive
  • Watersheds Canada - Invasive Species
• Organizations
  • Invading Species Awareness Program
  • Invasive Species Centre 
  • Ontario Invasive Plant Council
  • Invasives Canada
• Monitoring and Reporting
  • Invasive Species Centre - IsampleON
  • Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations - IsampleON
  • Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS)
  • iNaturalist - Invasive Species in Ontario

Lake Associations

• If your association is in the Muskoka area and you have a website, let us know and we'll add a link below.

• Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations

Bass Lake Association Bella Rebecca Community Association Brandy Lake Association  Cognashene Cottagers' Association Echo Lake Association  Fairy Lake Association Fox Lake Association Georgian Bay Association Gibson Lake Cottage Association Gloucester Pool Cottagers' Association Go Home Lake Cottage Owners' Association Gull and Silver Lakes Residents' Association Honey Harbour Association Lake Joseph North Association Kahshe & Bass Lakes Association Lake of Bays Association  Leech Lake Cottagers' Association Leonard Lake Stakeholders Association Little Lake Joseph Association Loon & Turtle Lakes Cottage Association Mary Lake Association McKay Lake Community Association

Moon River Property Owners' Association Morrison Lake Ratepayers Association Muldrew Lakes Cottagers' Association Muskoka Lakes Association Muskoka Ratepayers' Association Oxbow Lake Cottagers' Association Oxtongue Lake Association Paint Lake Ratepayers' Association Peninsula Lake Association Pine Lake Ratepayers Association Ril Lake Association Lake Rosseau North Association Six Mile Lake Cottagers' Association Skeleton Lake Cottagers' Organization South Muskoka Lake Community Association Sparrow Lake Association Stewart Lake Association Tasso, Toad, Camp and Blue Lakes Association Three Mile Lake Association Twelve Mile Bay Cottage Association Lake Vernon Association Lake Waseosa Ratepayers' Association Wood Lake Cottagers' Association

• How to Form a Lake Association
  • Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations - Association Governance and Best Practices
  • North American Lake Management Society - How to Form a Successful Lake Association
  • Vermont Agency of Natural Resources - Starting and Running and Effective Lake Association
  • Maine Lakes - How to Start a Lake Association

Lake Planning

• Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Association - Lake Planning for Community Groups
• North American Lake Management Society - Lake Management Planning
• Rideau Valley Conservation Authority - Lake Planning
• Eastern Ontario Model Forest - Lake Planning 
   

Native Plants

• District of Muskoka - The Natural Edge
• Watersheds Canada - The Natural Edge
• Love Your Lake - Natural Shoreline
• Watersheds Canada Native Plant Database 
• Canadian Wildlife Federation Native Plant Encyclopedia
• Canadian Wildlife Federation Gardening for Wildlife 
• Ontario Invasive Plant Council - Grow Me Instead Guides
• Georgian Bay Biosphere - Planting for Pollinators Booklet
• Network of Nature
• North American Native Plant Society
• In Our Nature - Ontario Native Plant Resources, Guides and How-to's
• Nature Canada - Your Guide to Native Ontario Plants
   

Road Salt

• Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations - Salt Impacts
• Watersheds Canada - Salt Education Toolkit
• Ontario Salt Pollution Coalition
• Love Your Lake - Waterways Under A-Salt!
• Friends of the Muskoka Watershed - SALTYMuskoka Resources
• Smart About Salt
• Ministry of Transportation - How we clear Ontario’s highways in winter 
   

Shoreline Health

• Resources
  • District of Muskoka - Love Your Lake
  • Love Your Lake
  • Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations - Healthy Shorelines & Lake Stewardship
  • Watersheds Canada - Natural Shorelines Toolkit
  • Watersheds Canada - Planning for our Shorelands
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada - The Shore Primer
  • District of Muskoka - Shoreline Vegetative Buffers
  • Extension Notes - Preserving and Restoring Natural Shorelines
• Regulations
  • Ministry of Natural Resources - Crown land and shore land work permits
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Projects Near Water
  • Fisheries Act - Chapter F-14, Section 34: Fish Habitat Protection and Pollution Prevention
  • Ministry of Natural Resources - Remove aquatic native plants
  • Trent-Severn Waterway - In-water and shoreline works permits 
     

Water Levels

• Ministry of Natural Resources - Muskoka River Water Management Plan
• Checking Water Levels on Your Lake
• Trent-Severn Waterway - Water Management InfoNet
• District of Muskoka - Floodplain Mapping
• Muskoka GeoHub - Floodline and LiDAR Mapping
• Georgian Bay Forever - Water Levels
• Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Assocations - Water Levels (Highs & Lows)
• Ministry of Natural Resources - Managing Great Lakes water levels
• Ministry of Natural Resources - River & Stream Systems: Flooding Hazard Limit Technical Guide
• Ministry of Natural Resources - Protecting people and property: Ontario’s flooding strategy
• Ministry of Natural Resources - Surface Water Monitoring Centre
• Environment and Climate Change Canada - Water Quantity
• Canadian Coast Guard - Waterways Management 
   

Water Quality

• Resources
  • District of Muskoka - Lake Water Monitoring
  • Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Assocations - Lake Partner Program
  • Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks - Water sampling and testing (inland lakes)
  • DataStream - A Monitor's Guide to Water Quality
  • Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations - A Guide to Citizen Science at the Lake
  • Severn Sound Environmental Association - Descriptions of Water Quality Variables
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada - Freshwater Quality
  • World Wildlife Fund Canada - Freshwater
• Data
  • Lake System Health Data
  • Great Lakes DataStream
  • Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks - Water quality in local lakes 

Watershed Planning

• District of Muskoka - Making Waves: Integrated Watershed Management Projects
• Muskoka Watershed Council - Integrated Watershed Management
• Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks - Protecting the Muskoka River Watershed
• Conservation Ontario - Watershed Management in Ontario: Lessons Learned and Best Practices
• Conservation Ontario - Overview of Integrated Watershed Management in Ontario
• Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks - Watershed Planning in Ontario
• Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks - Subwatershed Planning Guide
• Ministry of Natural Resources - Ontario Watershed Information Tool (OWIT)
• Trent University - Institute for Watershed Science