What Ontario is Doing to Protect Lake of the Woods
The Ontario government is working with our many partners and the public to protect and restore the quality of Lake of the Woods for the long term. We are:
- Working with international partners
- Promoting compliance
- Building scientific knowledge
- Making progress
Working with international partners
Ontario has entered into partnerships to conduct research, share information and monitor the Lake of the Woods watershed with the groups below. Please note that the following links will take you away from our site and onto those of our partners*:
*The Ministry of the Environment is not responsible for and does not necessarily endorse the information on websites that are linked to from this site.
Promoting compliance
In addition to regular inspections, Ministry of the Environment staff are inspecting communal sewage facilities in the Lake of the Woods watershed to ensure they comply with provincial legislation.
Environmental Officers continue to enforce Ontario's Environmental Protection Act and Ontario Water Resources Act and respond to pollution incidents, spills and public complaints to protect against further decline in water quality.
Building scientific knowledge
Through Ontario's Lake Partner Program, local volunteers are checking water quality at more than 100 collection stations in the Lake of the Woods watershed. These water samples are used to monitor and assess nutrient levels in the lake.
Ontario recognizes that the Rainy River is a major contributor of both water and nutrients to Lake of the Woods. By collecting and analyzing water samples from Canadian rivers and streams that flow into the Lake of the Woods watershed and the Rainy River throughout 2009 and 2010, we are filling gaps in current knowledge about the watershed.
With academic and international partners, we are conducting a study to determine where and how phosphorus is entering and leaving the watershed, which will guide plans for the future.
Making progress
Ontario is a co-organizer of the annual, international Lake of the Woods Water Quality Forum, which is an opportunity for scientists conducting research on the Lake of the Woods and Rainy River watershed to share findings, plan and coordinate activities.
The Ministry of the Environment co-authored The State of the Basin Report for Lake of the Woods, which provides a comprehensive look at available information on the watershed and potential future threats.
The ministry also supports the recent letters of reference for the Lake of the Woods and Rainy River Watershed that the Canadian and American governments sent to the International Joint Commission. Ontario will provide input in the review of binational management of waters within this watershed and suggest which issues should be addressed collectively within any recommended managerial framework.
