https://oodmag.com/funding-to-reduce-simcoe-phosphorous/
Four multi-year projects aiming to reduce the amount of phosphorus entering Lake Simcoe are getting more than $1.3 million in provincial funding.
This year, most of the projects being funded are led by Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) and local partners, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks stated in a Nov. 9 media release.
One of them includes water sampling and analysis to monitor phosphorus and other nutrients flowing into Lake Simcoe. This information will be used to help determine which future actions can be taken to improve the lake’s overall health, officials stated.
Another project includes a study of the chemicals and metals in Lake Simcoe water and sediment. This research can help identify new threats to the watershed as well as ways to protect it in the future.
Restoration funded
Creating wetlands and ponds, restoring streams, building channels, and planting grasses to better manage stormwater in Innisfil, Newmarket, and Oro-Medonte are also being funded, officials stated. These projects will help landowners and municipalities lower the amount of pollution going into Lake Simcoe from urban areas.
“We are grateful for the Ontario government’s investment in this important research and on-the-ground projects,” LSRCA Chief Administrative Officer Rob Baldwin stated. “Over the years, we have witnessed substantial progress in the efforts to protect Lake Simcoe, and the work continues. This investment reflects the dedication to the ecological health of the lake and the prosperity of the communities that depend on it.”
Toronto Metropolitan University has also received funding to conduct water quality research that will help tackle barriers to improving water quality from the Holland Marsh.
Over the last four years, the government has invested more than $3.3 million in 19 multi-year projects in the Lake Simcoe watershed to enhance stormwater management and help reduce phosphorus pollution.
Learn more about Lake Simcoe protection efforts here.