Your Link to Muskoka's Water!

Muskoka Watershed Council

The Muskoka Watershed Council is a volunteer organization composed of representatives from a wide range of stakeholder groups. It was founded in October of 2001 as a joint initiative of the Muskoka Heritage Foundation and The District Municipality of Muskoka. In 2013, Friends of the Muskoka Watershed replaced MHF as the non-profit organization.

The Muskoka Watershed Council's goal is to preserve and enhance the air, water and terrestrial ecosystems of the watersheds in Muskoka for the environmental, health, economic, spiritual and intrinsic values they provide.

To achieve this goal, the following actions have been taken:

• Develop and implement education and public information programs that promote an understanding of the impact of human actions on the environment
• Encourage environmentally responsible lifestyles
• Promote sound land and water use planning that protects Muskoka's watersheds
• Promote activities and best practices that respect the natural environment, do not damage the resource base of Muskoka, and support a strong economy and healthy community structure
• Develop and implement programs to assess and monitor the health of Muskoka's watersheds

Indicators of Watershed Health and Watershed Report Cards

The Muskoka Watershed Council developed a set of environmental indicators that assess the overall health of a watershed. They are based on input from public consultation sessions and technical workshops. Each indicator reflects the concerns of the public and meets the standards of the Technical Advisory Committee.

These environmental indicators are being used to assess the health of the watersheds in Muskoka and form the basis of the Watershed Report Card. These indicators measure our water, air, land, and climate change.

Current Projects and Information

The Muskoka Watershed Council is always working to improve the health of Muskoka's watersheds. Click here to view some of the Council's current programs.

For more information, or to become involved with the Muskoka Watershed Council, please visit the Muskoka Watershed Council website. Their site also includes watershed information such as location and size, lakes and rivers, physiography and topography, climate, fisheries, wildlife, settlement and economy, tourism and recreation, demographics and land use.