Healthy Lake Huron partnership aims for clean, safe beaches
Area organizations and government agencies cooperate to ensure people can fully enjoy the beautiful sandy beaches and sparkling blue water on Lake Huron's southeast shore.
The Healthy Lake Huron - Clean Waters, Clean Beaches initiative focuses on reducing beach closures and the growth of nuisance algae along the Lake Huron shoreline from north of Sarnia to Tobermory.
The partnership includes county governments, health units, conservation authorities, local environmental groups, industry and universities, four Ontario ministries (Agriculture, Environment, Municipal Affairs and Natural Resources), Environment Canada and other federal agencies.
These partners are collaborating to ensure resources are targeted at priority areas and support the efforts of communities and groups that volunteer their time on local water quality improvement projects.
Five watersheds are identified as priority areas for action: Lambton Shores around Ipperwash Beach, Main and North Bayfield, the North Shore (Garvey/Glenn Drain) near Port Albert, and Pine River, south of Kincardine around Point Clark.
Actions completed or under development for each area include developing and implementing farm stewardship plans, reducing creek bank erosion during storms, and improving septic systems. The plans will also identify requirements for scientific monitoring and targets to measure progress. For more information, visit the Healthy Lake Huron website.
The Healthy Lake Huron initiative is funded in part by the Ontario government under the Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem.
Visit the Ministry of the Environment's Great Lakes web page to learn more about what Ontario is doing to restore and protect this precious resource.
