The drought takes its toll on Muskoka

Wilted plants, brown trees, low water levels... get used to it. Experts say the recent drought is a sign of things to come.

THE MUSOKAN — With weeks of no rainfall in Muskoka, wells were running dry, gardens wilting and boat props hitting rocks with greater frequency. The evidence that Muskoka was experiencing the worst drought in decades is more than just anecdotal.
According to Environment Canada, who monitors precipitation, rainfall in the region for July was about 20 per cent of what the region normally gets in the month. To make matters worse, it’s also been hotter than average
David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said the last few weeks have been exceptionally dry for the region even when compared to the rest of Ontario.
“If we really look at the last two weeks of June and then July, we’re talking about unbelievably, maybe unprecedented precipitation totals that are clearly way down. When we look at the period going into the summer, we’re seeing precipitation totals in Muskoka that are just barely half of what they normally would be,” Phillips said.
There doesn’t seem to be any rain relief in sight either. August is expected to be warmer than normal while precipitation, which is harder to predict, is forecasted to be average at best.
That’s bad news for everything from farms to bears to homeowners who will all likely experience some sort of fallout from the prolonged drought.
It’s become so severe that the lack of rain has interfered with activities that tend to draw tourists to the region. The fire rating is currently extreme, which means no camp fires and no fireworks.
“When you have the kinds of bans that prevent you from roasting weenies it is not a good situation,” said Phillips. “It’s beyond an urban versus rural thing. We all need the moisture, and certainly you almost need a monsoon to make up the difference of what we have seen in the last several months. When we look ahead, it’s not necessarily encouraging.”
The dry weather has already led to one notable act of destruction in the region. The brush fire that raged through Milford Bay on July 24 burned through six hectares of land and caused the evacuation of roughly 50 homes.
Believed, but not confirmed, to be the result of a careless hiker, both the fire’s cause and the way it grew are directly tied to the dry conditions.
Richard Hayes, Muskoka Lakes fire chief, said firefighters had to spend several days working at the site after the initial burn due to the drought.
“Because it’s so dry, the fire was burning very deeply, and it can stay underground. If you go up north, or even around here, the fire can start from say a lightning bolt and then stay underground. It can snow, then go through a whole winter, then pop back up and start a fire,” Hayes said.
It took days of digging up hot spots and soaking the area with water before firefighters were confident that another flare-up in the area was unlikely. There hasn’t been another significant brush fire in Muskoka since the Milford Bay fire, but the drought means the next big one could come at any time.
“The dryer the conditions, the more likely a fire is to occur, and the more quickly the fire will spread,” said Hayes.
Dry and dead trees are particularly susceptible to burning. When driving around Muskoka you may have noticed that many of the trees on the side of the road are looking very wilted with brown leaves and drooping branches. The good news is, in almost every case, the trees are not dead; however, in their current state, they are almost as susceptible to burning as one that is dead.
When trees are deprived of water for a prolonged period of time they tend to go into a dormant stage to preserve water. Trees on the sides of roads, which tend to be in shallow soil, are particularly prone to this state, but most will return to their more lively appearance once it starts raining.
Trees in a dormant state are not good for local wildlife. Insects, particularly caterpillars, feed on the leaves of trees. When plants don’t do well, insects tend to be hit hard.
Al Sinclair, a naturalist here in Muskoka, said there has been a noticeable decline in the quantity of insects in the region.
“The lack of insects I think is due to the drought,” said Sinclair. “All the ponds are drying up. Streams are drying up. The rivers and lakes are OK because it takes a long time for them to go down, but your small ponds and streams are drying up and that’s where most insects originate.”
A decline in the insect population is troubling for just about every animal in Muskoka. As a key link in the food chain, insects are crucial to the survival of just about every creature that calls the region home.
The drought seems to have had a more direct effect on the larger animals of the forest as well. The recent spate of bear sightings by residents could indicate a shortage of the bear’s natural food.
“We’re looking at a low berry crop, especially the wild raspberries and blueberries, which may effect the bear population. Maybe they’ll be looking for food,” said Sinclair. “The theory is that the lack of wild food is what brings them into town, and I think, from what I’m seeing out here, the wild berry crop is down quite a bit. This could definitely lead to more bear problems.”
The full effect of the drought will be difficult to assess until it’s all over, but, in all likelihood, this won’t be the last drought Muskoka will experience in the next few years. A recent study published in the journal of Nature Geoscience had a group of 10 scientists projecting that droughts, like the one we’re experiencing, will become commonplace in the 21st century.
David Phillips said while it’s difficult to determine what the weather will do in the future, the drought is consistent with what climatologists believe will be more commonplace going forward.
“It’s almost as if normal weather doesn’t occur any more,” Phillips said. “Everything is based on normal weather. We plant seeds, plan holidays, trees grow in normal weather. What we’re getting is more challenges because we seem to be getting more extremes. It’s not something you can forecast.”

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