1、Whats up with the water?Understanding water quality in MuskokaI acknowledge the District Municipality of Muskoka sits on land that has been inhabited by Indigenous Peoples from the beginning,including the traditional territories of the Ojibway,the Chippewa,the Algonquin and the OdawaShaun Watmough,s
2、watmoughtrentu.caOctober 4th,2024Take Home MessagesWHAT WE DO ON LAND CAN IMPACT LAKE WATER QUALITY EVEN IN MASSIVE LAKES.WATER QUALITY VARIES NATURALLY BECAUSE OF LAND USE CHARACTERISTICSCHANGES IN HUMAN ACTIVITIES CAN AFFECT WATER QUALITY.CLIMATE CHANGE CAN AFFECT WATER QUALITY.RECOVERY IN WATER Q
3、UALITY IS POSSIBLE THROUGH OUR ACTIVITIES.HELP IS NEEDED TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN SOME CASES.Lake Ontario is 18,960 km2(10,000 km2in Canada),with a drainage area of 60,030 km2,an elevation of 75 m,a mean depth of 86 m(max 244 m),length 311 km and width 85 kmLake Ontario1.What we do on land can im
4、pact lake water quality even in massive lakesSTATE OF THE GREAT LAKES 2022 TECHNICAL REPORTThe chemistry of this massive lake is changingLand use in southern Ontario is changingRow crops=more fertilizer and tile drainageTile water has greatly elevated NO3 concentrationsMore row crop/tile drainage=mo
5、re nitrate(but not TP)2.Water quality varies naturally because of land use characteristicsPhosphorous/Nitrogen:Phosphorus(P)is a nutrient that is necessary for life.Phosphorus is a naturally occurringnutrient and is also a common component ofartificial fertilizers.When too much phosphorus,or too muc
6、h of other nutrients like nitrogen,make their way into water ways,they can cause water quality problems.Dissolved Organic Carbon(DOC):DOC is a basic nutrient,supporting growth of microorganisms and plays an important role in the global carbon cycle.It also plays a role in lake thermal regulation and