by Jane Pangilinan, Digital Engagement Technician
Lakes are an amazing feature of nature. They provide water, habitat, and enjoyment to humans and animals alike. It is critical to take care of the lake and nature surrounding us. If we are considerate of our lakes, we can better enjoy what they have to offer.
What do we value in our lake communities? Is it the scenic waters, the ability to swim in a clean lake, or something else? Love Your Lake, a program co-delivered by Watersheds Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation, has sought to discover that answer, as well as equip shoreline property owners and waterfront groups with the knowledge and resources they need to protect their lake, river, tributary, or wetland.
Moot Lake, Ontario (Christine Andrews).
Love Your Lake is a shoreline evaluation and stewardship program. It starts with partnering with a local waterfront association who requests the voluntary and non-regulatory program to be delivered on their freshwater body. Each property owner receives a confidential report filled with custom recommendations about the voluntary actions they can take to help create healthy shorelines for healthy lakes. Example actions can be planting native plants to support shoreline protection, or curving a pathway to reduce overland runoff and erosion. Love Your Lake staff provide all the instruction and educational materials needed to inform the right action for protecting each waterfront property.
Since 2013, Love Your Lake has assessed the health of lakes through a comprehensive shoreline assessment. After assessment, property owners and waterfront associations are encouraged to take action through voluntary stewardship. This can look like creating wildlife habitat, mitigating flood impacts, reducing erosion, or other recommendations given by trained Love Your Lake staff.
Stewardship acts are easier to make when we feel a connection to the lake. Before property owners take part in the program, it is important to take the values survey. This survey is designed to help connect property owners to what they value about the lake. It is also meant to inspire action that reflects these values. Anyone in Canada can complete the values survey, even if their waterbody has not participated in Love Your Lake. Let us know what you value about Canada’s lakes and rivers by filling in the survey today.
Over the years, Love Your Lake has gathered over 3,000 surveys from participants across Canada. Results of the survey show that the elements that affect people’s personal enjoyment of the lake the most are water quality, swimming, and scenery. The top issues facing Canadian lakes according to participants were water quality and water levels.
Do you feel connected to your local lake? To connect with the program, access free resources, and nominate your lake to participate in the program, please visit loveyourlake.ca. To read more about the values survey results, check out this report.