Hilary Vaillancourt, the MPOA Lake Steward, will be publishing regular reports on the health of our lake. You can contact Hilary via email: communications@lakemazinaw.ca
July 2022
Click this link for the report July 2022 Lake Steward Report
June 2022
Shoreline Planting Project: In partnership with the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA), the MPOA is pleased to inform all participants of the following plant pick up information:
Date: June 11th, 2022
Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm
Location: 1372 South Mazinaw Heights Road.
(If coming by boat, it is the first cottage to the south of Bon Echo Provincial Park, on the west side of the lake.)
Alternate Pick Ups: If participants can’t make it on June 11th, please make arrangements with friends or neighbours for the pick up and care of your plants. Or, you can pick up your plants at the MVCA office during the week at 10970 Hwy. 7, Carleton Place, ON K7C 3P1, between the hours of 8:30 AM-12:00 PM.
Further plant notes:
- All plants will be bare root stock (between 24”-36” tall with no soil on roots, packaged in bags) or in 1-gallon pots (between 24”-36” tall in pots filled with soil).
- Bare root stock should be planted as soon as possible, and kept cool in a shady area until planted. Potted stock should be planted within two weeks, and the soil kept moist.
- A few species (chokecherry, nannyberry, and highbush cranberry) were unavailable. They have been replaced with smooth arrowwood and black chokeberry, which participants can chose between. Summaries of the plant species are found at the links below.
Replacement Species Info for Black Chokeberry and Smooth Arrowwood
LDD Moth Lures: Also available at the plant pickup, the MPOA have secured LDD moth lures for a discounted price of $5. Lures do not require pre-order, if you are interested in purchasing lures, bring cash to the plant pickup location listed above.
May 2022
Derecho
A powerful storm struck Mazinaw on Saturday afternoon, May 21st . This email includes:
- General information on the storm
- How to request help photographing your property if you can’t in person (and have no local contacts)
- Tips for insurance claims
Details on the Storm
The storm caused extensive damage, particularly in the north end. If you have not obtained information about the state of your property, please consider visiting shortly, or reach out to your local contacts to have someone assess for damage.
In general, power outages are widespread and expected to continue for weeks, there is no land access on the water side north end, and there is large debris in the lake itself. Use extreme caution when boating. Smart’s is currently closed, (there was minor damage to some boat tops), and Brown’s is open, with minimal damage to boats or docks.
Specifically if you are a cottager in the north end, particularly from Barber’s Bay north to Hungry Bay, the damage is very severe. Large swaths of the forest including the trails have been obliterated and:
- ALL properties in that area have storm damage
- MOST have at least 1 tree on a structure (deck, dock, cottage, shed)
- SOME have so many trees down they are difficult to navigate on foot
- NONE are accessible by land
In summary, this storm was far worse on an aggregate scale than the July 1 storm last year. It had winds like a tornado, and left broad damage similar to a hurricane (in the north end). It was technically a ‘derecho’, and certain areas such as Uxbridge, Ontario and the north end of Lake Mazinaw were hit particularly hard. You are strongly advised to assess your cottage for damage as soon as possible and come prepared to make emergency repairs.
How to Request Help
If you can’t get to your cottage on short notice and have no local contacts who can check your property, there are a couple ways to get information from other cottagers:
- Join the Mazinaw Property Owners Association (MPOA) Facebook page. Information is shared between members regularly, requests for photos can be made, and it’s a boost to see the community come together at a time like this. There is also an exciting video of the storm itself, complete with language appropriate for the situation (cursing).
- If you don’t have a free Facebook account, you must create one.
- Remember to answer the questions about where on the lake your property is, and agree to the group rules. (We are trying to keep businesses from joining just to hawk services.)
- We hope you can arrange photos of your property privately. But if you have no local contacts who can check for you, and if asking on the Facebook group is not an option, fill out this form to make a request. Your property info will be shared for you on the MPOA Facebook group asking for a volunteer photographer, and your contact info will then be shared privately with the responding volunteer. The MPOA is not making assessments on your behalf, but is facilitating a private exchange between yourself and a volunteer outside the MPOA.
Request Pictures of Lake Mazinaw Property
Tips for Insurance Claims
Here are some general tips for dealing with a property damage insurance claim:
- Photograph everything before cleaning up and making repairs.
- Keep receipts from purchases of repair/replacement items.
- Start an inventory list of what needs to be repaired or replaced. It can be difficult to remember everything later.
- Take steps to prevent further damage. Most policies require homeowners to safeguard and mitigate loss.
Thank you for reading this long email. Boat cautiously, work safely, get to know someone good with a chainsaw. May the weather co-operate for us as we work hard on cleanup, and then enjoy the rest of the summer!
Joanne McRae, Director of Communications, MPOA
The Natural Edge - Shoreline Naturalization Program
- Did you know Watershed Canada offers free site visits to create a custom shoreline planting plan suited to your shoreline and aesthetics? Plants go in the ground in the Spring or Fall. They work with sponsors to subsidize the costs! Their plans are designed to need minimal maintenance. Over the next few years, you’ll see your shoreline transform! Link here: Watersheds Shoreline
LDD Moths
- The MPOA is not involved in any spraying programs for LDD moths. If you decide to contract aerial spraying, please advise your neighbours of the date and time of spraying so that they can take cover.
- Here is a helpful Webinar presentation, dated Feb 2022 on 2021 LDD impacts & 2022 forecast, by Dan Rowlinson, Provincial Forest Health Monitoring, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, at the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA) AGM & Spring Seminar: FOCA LDD Moths
- The province of Ontario posts information here and makes available a protocol document (5 pages) with steps to conduct an egg mass survey to estimate the population of the moths on your own property.
Invasive Species
- Download the new guidance for watercraft users from the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry: Link here: Invasive Species & Watercraft
- Here is a webinar on Invasive Species & New Boat Regulations in Ontario, effective January 1, 2022 that regulate the movement of any watercraft from one waterbody to another by requiring specific draining and cleaning protocols to prevent the spread of invasive species. Link to webinar slides here: Webinar Invasive Species
- Reminder that effective Jan 2022, the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (MNDMNRF) announced that Ontario has established four Bait Management Zones (BMZs) to protect our lakes and rivers from invasive species and fish diseases. Baitfish or leeches (whether live or dead) must not be transported into or out of a BMZ. For the map and more info, visit: www.ontario.ca/bait
Septic Systems
- The Ontario Onsite Wastewater Association (OOWA) has released a new video for homeowners, addressing the basics of how a septic system functions, as well as best management practices. Please share this great resource: OOWA Youtube
- FOCA and Make-Way Environmental Technologies held a “Lunch and Learn” about septic systems for homeowners, including an overview of the types of systems permitted in Ontario, and creative solutions for difficult sites; and included a discussion of rainwater harvesting solutions. Link to webinar (thanks to the event sponsor Make-Way Environmental Technologies, certified installers of the Enviro-Septic system): FOCA Septic Systems Video
Lake Partner Program – Sampling Results & Assistance
- The Lake Partner Program’s province-wide sampling results from 2020 areavailable for download, which covers Phosphorous, Calcium, Chloride results; and average Secchi depth (water transparency). Link here: FOCA Sampling Assistance