We’re helping Kawartha Lake Stewards Association (KLSA) deliver the Watersheds Canada Natural Edge Shoreline Restoration Program by reaching out to potential program participants and planting volunteers. Eleven waterfront owners on Clear, Ston(e)y and White Lakes took advantage of this great program in 2024, making a total of 18 shorelines on our lakes planted with native species since 2021.  Funding is available for at least five properties this season, so if you’d like to participate, contact kim.ong@klsa.info right away.  

This popular educational event explains the benefits of natural shorelines, shows participants how to get started on their own restoration, and highlights the native shrubs and wildflowers suitable for shorelines. The tour will feature two sections of the Camp’s shoreline, restored through a joint Environment Council/Camp project in 2019 and 2020. Register in advance to attend this year's tour by emailing Lois Wallace via tina.warren@mac.com. Camp Kawartha is at 1010 Birchview Road on the southeast side of Clear Lake.

Environment Council is partnering with Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) to support healthy shorelines along Ston(e)y, Clear and White Lakes through a special initiative offered through their Partners in Conservation (PIC) Program. KLT’s PIC program works with private landowners to celebrate and support the care of nature on private lands. If you would like to have an ecological survey conducted on your waterfront property and receive a booklet that highlights the plants, birdlife and wildlife habitat found on your land, contact Environment Council at roslyn.moore@rogers.com or johnhuycke@icloud.com by June 15. Up to five property owners can participate in this special shoreline initiative each year.  Eligible properties must be five acres (two hectares) or more, with at least 150 metres of natural shoreline, or a group of adjacent properties that meet these requirements.

Work continues on our long-term Shoreline Conservation Initiative with surrounding Townships, and with our partner, the Peterborough County Shoreline Initiative committee. Since 2021, Environment Council has made or participated in seven presentations to local Townships, explaining the importance of protecting shorelands to protect lake water quality, and urging the Townships to enact and enforce shoreland conservation by-laws.    

 

Our latest presentation, to Douro-Dummer Township in November 2024, is yielding results. The Township passed a resolution directing staff to review existing shoreline protection by-laws in other jurisdictions, to prepare a report outlining their findings, to draft a by-law, and to bring the report and draft by-law back to Council for discussion. The report is expected to come before Council in June. In the meantime, Douro-Dummer has approved an updated Site Plan Control By-law, which can be applied to projects within 120 metres of a wetland, lake, or river or stream valley to help protect the natural vegetation and landscape.