District of Muskoka Recreational Water Quality Model Review

DISTRICT OF MUSKOKA RECREATIONAL WATER QUALITY MODEL REVIEW TOWNSHIP OF MUSKOKA LAKES JUNE 16, 2016 RECREATIONAL WATER QUALITY MODEL REVIEW PRESENTATION FLOW • INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT • MODEL REVIEW: KEY FINDINGS • PLANNING IMPLICATIONS • NEXT STEPS • DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS THE PROJECT: RECREATIONAL WATER QUALITY MODEL REVIEW KEY FINDINGS 1. MODEL IS NOT SUPPORTED ON AN INDIVIDUAL LAKE BASIS 2. ALL LAKES WARRANT PROTECTION, WITH MULTIPLE STRESSORS CONSIDERED 3. MOVE TOWARD RELIANCE ON MEASURED CHANGES AND OBSERVED WATER QUALITY - PHOSPHORUS IS STILL A GOOD INDICATOR 4. SEVEN “TRANSITIONAL” LAKES WARRANT ADDITIONAL STUDY “Phosphorus is the window into our lakes” RECREATIONAL WATER QUALITY MODEL REVIEW PLANNING IMPLICATIONS 5 MUSKOKA WATER QUALITY POLICIES Lake Classification Policy Requirement Implementation Over Threshold Lot Level Study High Sensitivity Lot Level Study SITE PLAN Moderate Sensitivity Site Plan Required Approach Current Policy Low Sensitivity Site Plan Recommended BMPs Standard Categories Implementation Vegetated Buffers X Shoreline Naturalization X Standard Protection Site Plan Required Soil Protection X On‐Site Stormwater Control X Transitional Lakes (7) Enhanced Protection Limit Impervious Surfaces X Enhanced Septic Setback (30m) X Lake Level Study Enhanced Lot Size X Direction Securities and Compliance Monitoring X • Simplified and consistent Proposed Policy • Leading-edge and defensible • Based on observable indicators • 20% of lakes impacted INTERIM COMMENTING • EXISTING POLICIES ARE OPEN TO CHALLENGE • ALSO CHALLENGES WITH ADOPTING A FORMAL INTERIM APPROACH • INTERIM COMMENTS ON DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS NEED TO: • PROTECT TRANSITIONAL LAKES • BE REASONABLE AND DEFENSIBLE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL OTHER LAKES • CONSIDER SITE SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES • IMPORTANCE OF PRE-CONSULTATION 7 RECREATIONAL WATER QUALITY MODEL REVIEW NEXT STEPS 8 PROCESS OVERVIEW We are Possible here appeal Background Adoption by Draft Public Final Council and and Interim Policies Consultation Policies Approval by Implementation Approach MMAH Consultation with: Approximately • Area Municipalities One Year • Lake Associations • MOECC • Muskoka Watershed Council • Community Groups • Public CLOSING THOUGHTS …Comes With Change… Opportunity ● Evolving story, ● Muskoka as a science is advancing leader ● All lakes deserve ● Aligns with vision to protection protect a valued asset ● Some change but ● Stronger not drastic partnerships ● 20% of lakes may ● Improved efficiency be affected and all lakes protected DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MUSKOKA LAKES? 11 TO: Chair and Members Planning and Economic Development Committee FROM: Christy Doyle Director of Environmental and Watershed Programs and Summer Valentine Director of Planning DATE: April 21, 2016 SUBJECT: District of Muskoka’s Recreational Water Quality Model Review REPORT NO: PED-5-2016-2 ____________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION THAT Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Limited (HESL)’s “Revised Water Quality Model and Lake System Health Program” Final Report (April 2016), BE ACCEPTED; AND THAT the Official Plan Amendment process to address the recommendations found within HESL’s aforementioned Final Report BE INITIATED; AND THAT an Interim Approach as outlined in Report No. PED-5-2016-2 BE IMPLEMENTED effective immediately; AND THAT Area Municipalities BE REQUESTED to implement this Interim Approach. ORIGIN The District of Muskoka undertakes a comprehensive review of its Recreational Water Quality Model every ten years to update the science, confirm the calibration of the model, review policy implementation, and address emerging water quality issues. In January 2016, Hutchinson Environmental Sciences Limited (HESL) submitted its draft final technical report on the District’s Recreational Water Quality Model. Staff reviewed the District’s existing water quality policy in consideration of HESL’s findings. HESL’s Final Report was submitted in April 2016. Page 1 ANALYSIS Background and Context Water is an essential part of Muskoka’s natural environment and a critical resource, especially for people who live, work and play within the District of Muskoka’s watershed. In the face of the changing climate, and the pressures of growth and development, continued strong action is needed to protect, maintain and, where possible, enhance the health of Muskoka’s watershed for the present and future generations. In Muskoka, water quality is managed across all levels of government and with the assistance of many interested community organizations and individuals. Several departments within the District of Muskoka, together with its partner agencies including the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), the Area Municipalities, Muskoka Watershed Council and various community organizations, and individuals, all have a role to play in ensuring that Muskoka’s waters remain clean and healthy. The District is widely recognized as a leader in the protection of recreational water quality. For decades, District Council has maintained its lake water quality monitoring program and implemented associated leading edge policy into its Official Plans for the protection of Muskoka’s watershed. Through these efforts, District Council has recognized the importance of water quality to Muskoka’s residents and visitors, and the importance of water-based recreation to the overall economy. District Council’s leadership includes the ongoing use of a Recreational Water Quality Model and the District has a history of generally managing the health of the lakes in Muskoka for nutrient input, particularly phosphorus. In January 2003, Muskoka District Council approved the Muskoka Water Strategy. The Water Strategy is a framework of integrated strategic initiatives to protect Muskoka’s water. In 2005, Council adopted the Lake System Health Program, which is intended to guide and minimize the impact of human development on water resources, preserve the environmental health and quality of life in Muskoka and also protect the future of Muskoka as a premier recreational region. The Recreational Water Quality Model, associated planning policies, and monitoring of Muskoka’s recreational water quality are key components of the Lake System Health Program. From a planning perspective, the past decade or so has been an important one for managing shoreline development in Muskoka. Many local practices, including Lake of Bays’ development permitting system and generally strengthened shoreline land-use planning policies in all Area Municipalities, have contributed to stabilized phosphorus levels across Muskoka’s lakes, which, in turn, is a testament that planning policy is protecting recreational water quality. However, in recognition of evolving science and changing behaviours, Council has periodically reviewed and strengthened its Recreational Water Quality Model and its associated policies and approaches to include a more holistic approach to watershed and lake management. 2016 Review: District Recreational Water Quality Model HESL was retained by the District in 2010 to review and update its Recreational Water Quality Model. While the project and HESL’s Final Report, “Revised Water Quality Model and Lake System Health Program” (April 2016) has been completed within the District’s approved project budget, Page 2 considerable time has been taken to ensure that the best available science, significant analysis, and associated implementation techniques can be addressed through this review. In its Final Report, HESL finds that planning policy based on the Recreational Water Quality Model and with a narrow focus on phosphorus is no longer warranted for several reasons, including: • the accuracy of the existing model, with results not effectively predicting measured phosphorus levels on a lake specific basis; • the evidence that phosphorus concentrations are not increasing in any of Muskoka’s lakes; • recent Ontario Municipal Board decisions favouring phosphorus abatement technologies for septic systems; and • the emergence of multiple environmental stressors that also significantly impact lake health. Based on these conclusions, HESL recommends that: 1. All lakes be afforded a high degree of protection by a requirement for a minimum set of “Standard” Best Management Practices (BMPs) for all new development or redevelopment of shoreline lots. 2. The monitoring records for all lakes be reviewed annually and results compared against the following three management “flags”: a. total Phosphorus (TP) being greater than 20 micrograms/litre; b. an increasing trend in TP; and/or c. documented presence of a blue-green algal bloom. 3. Those lakes flagged by these above-noted factors are referred to as Transitional Lakes and should be subject to: a. enhanced BMPs for new development or redevelopment of shoreline lots as a precaution against phosphorus loading; b. a detailed “causation study” to determine the role of shoreline development as a precaution against phosphorus loading, which would include targeted use of the District Water Quality Model but with detailed review of input data, land use patterns and hydrology in the immediate watershed and settlement history, implementation of the District’s “Limits to Growth” assessment, assessment of Dissolved Organic Carbon and its role in phosphorus enrichment and remedial actions if warranted; and c. a “pause” on new lot creation and development of a Remedial Plan if the causation

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