MUSKOKA - What’s your favourite water body in Muskoka? March 18 to 24 marks Canada Water Week and is an ideal opportunity for you to reflect on your favourite body of water in Muskoka.
Let the world know why you love your water body by signing a declaration, snapping a photo or creating a video and submitting it to ilovemylake.ca. Your video may also be featured on the Muskoka Watershed Council website.
Held annually the third week of March to coincide with World Water Day on March 22, Canada Water Week is a celebration of water and there are few places in world where water is more important to the economy, lifestyle and identity than in Muskoka.
Celebrate Canada Water Week by learning about some of the water-related initiatives in Muskoka.
• Visit the Muskoka Water Web (muskokawaterweb.ca) for everything you want to know about water in Muskoka. Access shoreline stewardship information, water quality data, and fisheries fact sheets all in one place.
• How does Muskoka’s water measure up in the Muskoka Watershed Report Card? Check out the Muskoka Watershed Council website (muskokawatershed.org) to find out.
• What water-related research is happening in Muskoka? Learn about several projects being undertaken with funding from the Canadian Water Network at muskokawaterweb.ca/lake-data/cwn.
• What is source water and how is it being protected in Muskoka? Learn about Source Water Protection at www.muskoka.on.ca and ourwatershed.ca.
• How does the District of Muskoka treat wastewater to reduce the impacts to Muskoka’s waterways? Find out at www.muskoka.on.ca.
• Did you know that many local lake associations have programs in place to maintain water quality and promote stewardship? Contact your association to learn more.
• Get involved in “citizen science” programs and help monitor the health of your water. Learn about many of the available programs at the 2013 Muskoka Stewardship Conference April 27 in Bracebridge. Visit muskokawatershed.org for more information.
• Learn about how water levels are managed under the Muskoka River Water Management Plan, available at muskokawaterweb.ca.
• Calculate your water footprint and learn how to conserve water at waterfootprint.org.
Did you know?
• The average water footprint for Canada is 2,333 m3/year per capita (global average is 1,385 m3/year per capita).
• Letting your faucet run for five minutes uses as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours.
• Ninety per cent of our water use is hidden in the production of the food we eat, clothes we wear and the products we use every day.
• Muskoka contains over 680 lakes greater than eight hectares in size.
• Approximately 18 per cent of Muskoka’s area is water.
• Muskoka has nine drinking water systems and eight sewage treatment systems.
• The District of Muskoka’s Lake System Health Monitoring Program samples 193 sites on 164 lakes.
Water is important to Muskoka and to you.
Please take a moment during Canada Water Week to remind yourself why.