A One-Stop Shop for all Things Lake Huron: The 2022-2026 Lake Huron Lakewide Action and Management Plan

Are you interested in Lake Huron and its water quality? Do you want to know what is happening to protect this beautiful and unique ecosystem and what you can do to help? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may want to check out the 2022-2026 Draft Lake Huron Lakewide Action and Management Plan. The draft plan is open for public comment until May 13^th, 2023!

What are Lakewide Action and Management Plans?

Lakewide Action and Management Plans—known more commonly as LAMPs—are ecosystem-based strategies focused on protecting and restoring the water quality of the five Great Lakes. Every five years the binational Lake Huron Partnership, led by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, prepares a plan for Lake Huron. These plans are prepared in consultation with state and provincial governments, tribal governments, First Nations, Métis, municipal governments, and watershed management agencies.

LAMPs are produced under Annex 2 of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, but also support the development and implementation of conservation and restoration strategies under the nine other Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement annexes. The role of the Lake Huron LAMP is “to assess ecosystem conditions, identify environmental threats, set priorities for research and monitoring, and identify actions to be take by governments and the public to meet the objectives of the [Great Lakes Water Quality] Agreement”. As such, those interested in the Lake Huron ecosystem, its water quality, and how to protect it, are the target audience for the 2022-2026 Draft Lake Huron LAMP.

To get a sense of the environmental condition of Lake Huron and to identify areas where action may be needed, the LAMP uses ecosystem indicators to report on status and trends. The status and trends reported in the draft 2022-2026 Lake Huron LAMP originate from the 2022 State of the Great Lakes report, published by ECCC and the U.S. EPA. Check out our previous blog post on the release of the 2022 State of the Great Lakes report: Fresh off the Press! The Latest State of the Great Lakes Report is now available.

What Does the 2022-2026 Lake Huron LAMP Have to Say?

There is a lot going on in Lake Huron! To tackle the sheer vastness of this lake, the LAMP groups conservation and restoration actions into five different categories:

1. Chemical contaminant pollution
2. Nutrient and bacterial pollution
3. Loss of habitat and species
4. Invasive species
5. Other threats (plastics, oil transportation risks, and cumulative impacts to the nearshore)

Below are a few examples of actions from the 2022-2026 Draft Lake Huron LAMP relevant to Georgian Bay and the biosphere region. For the most in-depth information on trends in Lake Huron, the different conservation and restoration projects underway, and the actions the Lake Huron Partnership agencies are undertaking over the next five years, refer to the 2022-2026 Draft Lake Huron LAMP.

As the examples here are from the draft LAMP, they may be subject to changes after the closing of the public comment period. Once finalized, the 2022-2026 Lake Huron LAMP will be made available on binational.net. 

NUTRIENT AND BACTERIAL POLLUTION

Lake Huron Partnership actions:

• Conduct open water nutrient and lower food web surveys in the open waters of Lake Huron and continue investigating how the food web responds to nutrient input and cycling changes.
• Continue understanding lake-wide processes that move nutrients between the nearshore and offshore, with consideration of the influence of invasive species (e.g., dreissenid mussels).

Actions you can take:

• Say no to lawn fertilizers with phosphorous.
• Choose phosphate-free dishwashing detergents, soaps, and cleaners (especially when out on the water).
• Inspect and pump out your septic system every 3 to 5 years, or as otherwise required.
• Be a citizen scientist and report potential blue-green algal blooms to 1-866-MOE-TIPS (663-8477) or participate in Bloomwatch.

LOSS OF HABITAT AND SPECIES

Lake Huron Partnership actions:

• Through the assessment of streams, estuaries, spawning reefs, and shoals, determine significance, stressors, and limitations to spawning and migration. Through consultation establish priorities such as the assessment of Eastern Georgian Bay estuaries and the implementation of subsequent protection and restoration actions.
• Walleye are a popular fish among anglers throughout the biosphere. As such, the Lake Huron Partnership agencies will work to continue implementing a Walleye Management Plan in the Ontario waters of Lake Huron. This will include tracking the effectiveness of harvest regulations throughout the lake.
• Restore and protect manoomin (wild rice) habitat in priority areas including, but not limited to, Eastern Georgian Bay.

Actions you can take:

• Plant native species on your property! Check out the Georgian Bay Biosphere’s Native Plant Fundraiser open until May 26^th, 2023.
• Leave your shoreline alone! Maintain natural vegetation along your waterfront and resist the urge to “tidy up” your beach or bank. All that natural vegetation and debris is excellent habitat for native species! 
• Avoid disrupting vegetation by staying on constructed beaches and waterfront paths.
• Volunteer at a shoreline clean up event!

INVASIVE SPECIES

Lake Huron Partnership actions:

• Improve the understanding of the role and contribution invasive species have on Lake Huron’s food web including between benthic (lakebed) and pelagic (open water) zones, and nearshore and offshores environments.
• Maintain and enhance early detection and rapid release programs to monitor for new invaders in Lake Huron and prevent the establishment of self-sustaining populations.
• Control the size and movement of the sea lamprey populations in the St. Mary’s River using selective lampricides, existing barriers, and new barriers where appropriate.
• Undertake outreach and education on aquatic invasive species prevention, prioritizing discussions with recreational boaters and increased signage at lake access sites.

Actions you can take:

• Prevent the spread of invasive species by cleaning the treads of your boat, vehicle, and trailer before travelling to a new area.
• Don’t forget to drain and clean your boat when transferring between water bodies.
• Leave the goldfish at home! Don’t release aquarium fish and plants, live bait, or other non-native animals into the wild.
• Do not move firewood! Buy local firewood when needed to avoid the spread of forest pests.

The public comment period closes on May 13^th, 2023.