HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1997-10-01, Page 7L cknew Send
Battling to clean up Lake Iluron
SOL -VE is a new alliance
Cale Cowan
A new alliance has.
emerged in the battle to
• clean up Lake Huron,
armed with a method :of..
determining ° exactly what
is causing the inflated E --
coli levels.
Since the issue of lake
pollution exploded :.this
summer, the finger -point-
ging has been non-stop,
mostly pitting home own-.•
ers with septic tanks
against hog producers who
spread manure.
Till's new effort may
solve that issue once and
for all. .
Saddled with- the rather
unwieldy acronym. SOL-
VE (Save Our Lake --
Value Environment), the
group is bound together by
the Ausable I: ayfield
Conservation Authority.
Also represented is The
Huron's Edge -- headed
by St. Joseph's Joe
Gleason • - • the Maitland
Valley . Conservation
Authority and local busi-
nesses and municipalities.
Other groups like the.
Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture, .Food and
Rural Affairs, Ministry of
Energy and Environment,
hog producers, the Ontario.
Federation of Agriculture,
local heath units andcot-
tager associations have
also been approached.
The group will organize
and oversee a standard
process that involves the
collection of samples from
seven beaches along Lake
Huron -- Port Albert;
Goderich, Bayfield, St.
Joseph, Grand Bend, Port
Franks and.Ipperwash.
-Samples will •be
analysed by Garry
Palmateer; • . • of
EnviroMicrobial Services
Inc, in London and for-
merly with the 1v1OEE.
Testing began Sept. • 23
and will continuefor six
weeks with the first test.
results available at the end
of November, allowing
time for review and inter-
pretation by group mem-
bers. ..
A press release from the c,
ABCA identifies that asso-
ciation and Joe Gleason's
Huron's Edge as the insti-
gators in this round of test -
ing
esting while they are looking
for additional: partners to
help with funding to con-
tinue the testing into next
spring and summer.
ARCA general manager
Tom Prout said the project
. is a `public spirited' initia-
tive" aimed at achieving
one thing cleaning up
the lake.
• The test method is
•see 'endedbiotic' page 9
Poop :water quality stems
from nrult ale source: M
'The issue of water qual-
ity is currently being hotly
debated throughout Huron
and Bruce counties..
Although much of the
attention has focused on
bacterial contamination,
particularly, a -coli . levels,
research shows that 'there
is TIO single cause of water,
pollution: Instead, poor
water:.. quality is an.
extremely complex prob-
lem that stems•from multi
Ole 'sources. • .
The Maitland Valley°
Conservation Authority
('MVCA) „in ,.conjunction
with the Ontario Ministry
of Environment and
Energy has been monitor-
ing the quality of water in
'area streams: and rivers for
over 30 years:: These mon-'
itoring studies have 'been'
conducted with .federal,
•provincial and municipal
funding;
Study results have
identifieda variety of pol-
lution sources including;
runoff . from manure stor-
ages and manure handling
techniques, sub -standard
septic systems, milkhouse
waste water; sewage treat-
ment plants, urban. runoff
(fertilizers,' storm water
etc.,) livestock access to
water courses and agricul-
ture fertilizers. The 'rela-
tive •contbution of these,
sources is .nor yet known
although their impact does
fluctuate during the year
and varies between sub -
basins in the Maitland and
Nine Mile watershed.
The MVCA, and 'other
agencies working on water.
quality issues, have noted
that none of these .sources
of contamination inherent
ly cause ;pollution. The
critical .factors in water
pollution . are the. manage-
ment practices being' used
by rural; and urban' resi-
dents. In essence, ;environ-
mental management. prac-
tices .determine ' pollution
conditions.
Staff at the MVCA also
report, that the . ability of
the environment to handle
nutrients has declined.
el, Wedtaesday, October ]l, 2997 — Page 7
De most pswerfrr met s
pictere if Ike seiner-" •
4w any onsite
IiinineiMMONNIMEMEMIIIIIMENIMME
FRI. - THURS. OCT. 03-09
FRI. & SAT. 7 & 9:15 PAA Sy,
SUN. - THURS. 3 PM [Ill
LONG DISTANCE? CALL 1-800-265-3438 FOR TOLL FREE MOVIE INFO
According to . Rick
Steele, `Resource Planner
:with the MVCA. the com-
ponents of ,•. watersheds
ecosystem that bind or use
nutrients have been
reduced.-"The,existence of
file drains leading. straight
oto . •watercourses, the
removal ..of stream bank
.,vegetation and the .reduc-
•see , '"results', page.`9
• Oct 3 & .4 at 7 pin f�..
lite BestRc ntantzC edy.fif lie Year
DISC NBWs:Sow Naar* .•
JULIA' ta5.8•RT'S
MY BEST jpRIENLys.
This African pigmyhedgehog was probably, the most unusual pet at the
Lucknow Fall .Fair. It's .a member of the Bridges family. (Livingston
photo)
55th Wedding Anniversary
In Celebration of
Ira & Elizabeth
Dickie's -
55th WeddingAnniversary
and.
Elizabeth's 85th
Birthday
A Come and Go Tea uri1f
be held Sat., Oct 11.
from 24 p.m. in their
honour; at the
South Kinloss
'Presbyterian Church.
Please come and help
.celebrate.
Best Wishes Only
Please
Den;Wylds, son of Steve
and Brenda Wylds, RR#7
'Lucknow, • graduated
September 5/97 in.
Toronto with first class
honours as an
Electronics .Engineering
Technician. Din, was
granted a scholarship for
lois outstandir;g,
achievement which he is
using to continue on as
an',Electronics
E n g i' ne a r.i n g`
Te c'hnologi.st.
Congratulations and Best`
Wishes.
Love Family and Friends
Saturday,
October 4t1
Lucknow Village
Market
Parking Lot- ..
10:30 AIVF-2:00 PM
Proceeds to Lucknow
Central Public School
Grade 8 Classes Ottawa.
trip. °