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Conservation Plan Summary

Summary of the Dog and Cranberry Lakes Conservation Plan

The Dog and Cranberry Lakes Association is a not for profit organization made up of property owners around the two lakes. The purpose of the Association is to support efforts and undertake research that will conserve and improve the environment. Our major focus is water quality, especially algae, invasive aquatic plants, land use planning, shoreland health, and preserving nature.

To accomplish this we need a plan. The purpose of the plan is to identify the issues we want to deal with and how we intend to work on them. The Association is producing the plan because it represents the interests of all the users of the lakes, be they property owners, trailer park tenants, fishermen, and other visitors. With a plan we will be able to make progress to conserve the environment for generations to come.

Through a comprehensive State of the Lakes Report, produced last year, we have identified 7 issues that need action. For each we have a goal that we would like to reach and a set of actions to achieve that goal. The following is a brief summary of each.

Partnerships
As a volunteer organization, our resources and ability to undertake research and action are limited. Our goal is to establish and maintain partnerships with Cataraqui Conservation, the two municipalities, federal and provincial governments and agencies and other conservation organizations so that we can benefit from their expertise. To accomplish this we intend to involve these organizations as we implement the plan.

Climate Change
Climate change will affect the local climate, water quality, aquatic vegetation, invasive species and water levels. Our goal is to raise awareness of the effects of climate change on our lakes and immediate environment and what we all could do to minimize its effects. To achieve this we intend to make the Dog and Cranberry Lakes community familiar with measures that will mitigate the effects of climate change so that they may then take action to reduce the impact of their activities.

Water
Dog and Cranberry Lakes turn green each year because of the high levels of nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) in the water and lake bottom. This affects our use and enjoyment of the lakes. This is a very complex issue and a solution is not guaranteed. Our goal is to maintain and improve the water quality of Dog and Cranberry Lakes. To achieve this goal, the plan proposes a long term programme of water sampling, monitoring and scientific research to identify the sources of nutrients, encourage property owners to plant native vegetation along their shoreline, and work with local farmers to reduce nutrients from their fields.

Nature
Dog and Cranberry Lakes and the surrounding land have a diversity of wildlife, fish, wetlands and mature woodlands that should be protected. Our goal is the conservation and wise use of this rich natural heritage for future generations. To achieve this goal we intend to carry out research and inventory of natural features and wildlife, encourage shoreland naturalization projects, promote citizen science projects, support efforts to prevent the spread of invasive species, and promote land conservation efforts.

Land Use and Development
Dog Lake has a significant amount of shoreland development, less so on Cranberry Lake. While opportunities for additional development are limited, there is a need to ensure that it occurs in a sensitive manner. Our goal is that land use and development occurs in a manner that conserves the natural, historic and scenic character of Dog and Cranberry Lakes. To achieve that goal the Association will participate in the land use and development review process where appropriate, and foster and promote the conservation of the scenic character of the two lakes

First Nations
The Mississauga and Algonquins have a long association with our area. This needs to be recognized and valued. Our goal is to raise awareness of this association. We will accomplish this through research and a publication. Heritage structures There are a few structures of historic interest that contribute to the historic character of the lakes. Our goal is that structures of historic interest are conserved. To achieve this the Association will support efforts to conserve structures of historic interest.

Final Word
We hope that this summary provides you with a picture of how the Association intends to foster efforts to conserve our environment for future generations. The full text of the plan can be found on the Dog and Cranberry Lakes website here. We would like to hear from you. Please send us an email to [email protected] and tell us what you like about our plan, or dont like and if anything is missing. If you would like to meet with us to discuss what’s on your mind, we are hosting an open house on August 3rd at the Gilmour Point Beach pavilion from 9 am till noon.