There have been warmer-than-normal temperatures in the basin in March. Lake Michigan-Huron is now 2 inches lower than it was at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior & St Clair are down 1 & 0 inches, respectively, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, Erie & Ontario are up 1, 1 & 2 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are lower by 8, 2, 7, 7 & 8 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 3, 9, 12 & 2 inches, respectively, above their long-term March average and Lake Superior is 1 inch below. All the lakes remain well below their March record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Sup

It is with great sadness that we report that Wally King passed away peacefully on March 25 at the age of 90. Wally was a true and loyal friend to the preservation of the Georgian Bay environment and a tireless advocate for protecting our precious ecosystem. - As a long-time director and president of the Sans Souci & Copperhead Association and GBA, Wally inspired countless people to go the extra mile to do what they could for the Bay. Among his most notable and enduring achievements were his roles in reviving the Georgian Bay Association, which had ceased operations in the 1970s, and building it back up prior to the formation of the Township of the Archipelago and the Georgian Bay Land Trust, all of which have gone from strength to strength over the years. In his many travels througho

GBA representatives met with Brian Saunderson, MPP for Simcoe-Grey, to discuss how to reduce microplastic/microfibre pollution in the Great Lakes. This exploratory meeting should lead to the development of a strategy to build consensus across industry, academia, government and NGOs on how we can work together to get microfibre filters installed on new washing machine filters, and encourage their application on existing washing machines. - Eden Hataley, from the University of Toronto, presented a summary of the issue to show why action is needed. See the presentation here. -

GBA's Aquaculture committee has written again to the federal Department of Fisheries & Oceans (DFO) to ask that they review the industry’s expansion plans and compliance with the Great Lakes Water Quality/Canada-Ontario agreements. Open net pen fish farms are not permitted in the US Great Lakes states. - Read the letter, here: GBA Letter to DFO Minister - March 16, 2024 - Read more about the aquaculture issue here. -

A University of Windsor project, in partnership with the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), is raising sturgeon for release with the goal of rebuilding a healthy, self-sustaining lake sturgeon population in the Detroit River. The project is focused on naturalizing juvenile sturgeon to their environment so future generations can flourish in the wild. Raised in tanks on the Detroit River, researchers are studying young sturgeon in varied environments to see how different factors affect their growth. Upon eventual release, these young fish can then be monitored and tracked for decades to come due to their slow growth and long lifespans. Once incredibly abundant, the Great Lakes sturgeon population is currently listed as endangered. It is estimated that the current

There have been warmer than normal temperatures in the basin in March so far. Lake Michigan-Huron is now one inch above where it was at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, & Erie are down 1 & 0 inches, respectively, and Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair & Ontario are up 1, 2 & 2 inches, respectively. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are lower by 9, 1, 3, 4 & 6 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 3, 11, 12 & 2 inches,  respectively, above their long-term March average and Lake Superior is 1 inch below. All the lakes remain well below their March record highs. - In a month’s t

The warmer temperatures in the basin in February are continuing into March so far. Lake Michigan-Huron is lower than it was at this time last year. - From a month ago the water levels on Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron & Erie are down 2, 0, & 1 inches, respectively, and Lakes St Clair & Ontario are both up 1 inch. Lakes Superior, Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are lower by 8, 1, 2, 5 & 5 inches, respectively, than they were at this time last year. Lakes Michigan-Huron, St Clair, Erie & Ontario are 3, 11, 12 & 2 inches, respectively, above their long-term March average and Lake Superior is 1 inch below. All the lakes remain well below their March record highs. - In a month’s time Lakes Superior, Michigan-Hu

Boating from October through June offers a very different experience steeped in solitude and excellent fishing. It is a beautiful time to be on the water. But boating during this season also requires extra attention to detail and the ability to be self-sufficient given that there are fewer boaters around should you require assistance. Here are some helpful tips from the Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC) and the Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters to make off-season boating safer for you. Check the weather forecast. The weather can change quickly and storms can be more violent. Fog is also more common. Ensure that your boat and engine are in good working order. Ethanol-based fuel can allow water contamination in the tank. The use of a fuel additive prevents water in the f

As nominated by Heather Sargeant  My Phragbuster Hero About 5 or 6 years ago, at an event jointly put on by the Georgian Bay Association, Georgian Bay Forever, and featuring Dr. Gilbert, an ecologist with Phragmites expertise , I first learned about invasive Phragmites and the harm it can have on wetlands. I decided to investigate if Phragmites was a threat in Woods Bay (my favourite area of Georgian Bay), and that’s when my journey tackling this plant began.  I wasn’t sure if a plant across from the family cottage was indeed the invasive type, and so I was nervous and queasy about leading people to help me cut it.  What if it was the native plant, and I’d taken all these people out to cut down something benign? One of my neighbors told me there was a hero on Georgian

The Nature Conservancy of Canada is asking motorists to look out for vulnerable turtles on our roadways. Road surfaces provide an attractive source of warmth for these cold-blooded reptiles, particularly in the spring and early summer. During this time, turtles are mating and nesting; in late summer and early fall, newly hatched turtles are travelling from their nests to nearby wetlands. The Nature Conservatory of Canada has an informative video and tips for safely moving turtles. Watch the video and read the tips here.

Here are some things to think about around Fire Safety at the cottage: Make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are present and working. Have a list of local emergency numbers posted for all to see. Include all pertinent cottage location information.   Have the right fire extinguishers in the right places. Have an individual fire plan for evacuation. Make sure your plan has two escape routes. Respect local fire ratings. Have a fire pump and use it regularly to ensure it is in good working order. At the very least have a list of neighbours to call for assistance. Follow your association’s emergency plan if it exists. Make sure you have insurance. Make sure you understand what it covers and that it is adequate to rebuild and covers contents AND fire de

The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario has just released a useful guide on how to how we can all reduce our environmental footprints. Being a Guardian of the Bay also means doing what we can to reduce our individual consumption of carbon based fuels. - Here is a very good fact sheet and here is a full presentation on this topic. -

What’s your name and what’s your connection to Georgian Bay? Cory Kozmik, Anthony Laforge, Samantha Noganosh, Chevaun Toulouse. We are the Lands and Resource Department for Magnetawan First Nation, in Britt, Ontario. - Source: Magnetawan First Nation Our connection to the Bay is the dense biodiversity that it hosts and the role its ecology plays in our lives, including the environment. It is also where ancestors of the Anishinabek Nation walked and practiced each day what it means to live with the land in reciprocity. The connection to the land and water is sacred to the Anishinaabe culture, and held very close to the communities that inhabit the area. - Why is being a Guardian of the Bay important to you? We take great pride in being “Guardians” because it is our