Spiel

Up and down ice fishing coming to an end soon; Georgina Slow season due to weather: operators Mar 13, 2008 John Slykhuis / yorkregion.com An up and down ice fishing season that reflected the yo-yo winter temperatures comes to an end Saturday at midnight when all huts have to be off the lake. The season also closes for lake trout, whitefish and walleye, but continues uninterrupted for perch. “What can you do?” Pefferlaw Ice Hut owner Jerry Kurcharchuk said. “It would have been better if the weather had been consistent, but it wasn’t. We started off Jan. 3 and had a good week and then the mild weather hit and a lot of guys pulled in their huts.” He will remove his huts all week. The cold weather did come back, but not in time to salvage the season, with many urban ice anglers under the impression the ice wasn’t safe anywhere, even though there were many areas with good ice, Mr. Kucharchuk said. There was a decrease in anglers during the Lake Simcoe Ice Fishing Contest. Numbers were cut in half with only about 1,600 anglers vying for major prizes, but the Canadian Ice Fishing Championship the week before that, which attracts more knowledgeable ice fishers, wasn’t affected. There was one death in this year’s ice fishing season with a Toronto angler drowning. The body of Ilia Vaxman, 60, was found near Roches Point Jan. 10. Rick Arsenault of Simcoe Fishing Adventures had good weekend bookings. In fact, he was fully booked last weekend, but business was down about 20 per cent during the week. He also blamed the weather. “The mild spells and the rain, that didn’t help,” he said. “There also weren’t as many Americans coming up I guess because of the dollar and gas prices.” While his huts will be off Saturday, he will continue with portable huts for anglers targeting perch as long as the ice is safe. “Pretty poor,” was the response from Dave’s Fish Huts in Virginia Beach for this year’s season. The year turned out to be OK once colder temperatures arrived, Scot Davidson of Bonnie Boats in Jackson’s Point said. They were fully booked weekends, but during the week it was slow, he added. Despite the heavy snow, snowmobile clubs were stuck with limited trail access because of water in low-lying areas. Areas of Lake Simcoe are also unsafe for snowmobiling and the upcoming milder weather will make travel on parts of the lake and on rivers extremely dangerous.

Water tests raise concern about Muskoka's Lake Joseph Mar 05, 2008 Jacqueline Lawrence / muskokan.com An alarming rise in the phosphorus levels in Lake Joseph has local scientists scratching their heads, and calling on the community to work together to protect the health of one Muskoka’s largest and most beloved water bodies. The high nutrient levels have reportedly been on the radar of staff at the District Municipality of Muskoka for some time. As part of its Lake System Health program, the municipality examines phosphorus concentrations in all lakes across Muskoka in order to determine lake health. Testing phosphorus concentrations is a common measuring tool also used by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) to determine water quality. The higher the phosphorus levels, the greater the threat of aquatic growth such as algae blooms. According to Judi Brouse, Muskoka’s director of watershed programs, recent tests of Lake Joseph show average phosphorus concentrations in the lake have almost doubled since the late 1990s. Average phosphorus concentrations, which are measured in parts per billion (ug/L) are now estimated at 5.5 ug/L in Lake Joseph, up from the relatively low level of 3.3 ug/L measured previously. While the water quality in Lake Joseph is still considered good, Neil Hutchinson, senior aquatic scientist for environmental consulting group Gartner Lee Limited, said the higher reading is equivalent to constructing 2,400 new cottages on the lake. “It’s a concern,” Brouse told Muskoka district councillors at their Feb. 27 meeting. Last year’s reading alone, she said, showed a measurement of 9.1 ug/L, dangerously close to the MOE’s water quality benchmark for phosphorus of 10 ug/L. “It’s almost impossible to go . . . to 9.1 (ug/L) without someone dumping a whole bunch of phosphorus in the lake.” Both Brouse and Hutch­ison said it is unclear what is causing the recent readings. Phosphorus concentrations can increase due to both man-made and natural causes, such as waterfront development, atmospheric changes, run-off and changes to area wetlands. All these factors are taken into account when measuring phosphorus concentrations with Muskoka’s current water quality model. Hutchison, who helped create the model, said it may be time to rethink this formula. “The problem is not related to how much development is there,” said Hutchison, explaining that development on Lake Joseph has not increased enough to account for the new numbers. “The problem is related to how well the model functions.” Hutchison recommended reassessing Muskoka’s water quality model over the next several years. Regardless of the cause, the phosphorus readings for Lake Joseph are being called a “red flag” by residents, who say more has to be done to prevent further deterioration of the water quality in the lake. “It’s a real worry for all of us,” said Muskoka Lakes Mayor Susan Pryke. Pryke and Seguin Township Mayor David Conn met with Ontario Minister of the Environment John Gerretsen last week to discuss the situation. The pair reportedly asked the ministry to improve its standard of lake monitoring so municipalities such as Muskoka don’t have to wait until water quality deteriorates before taking action. According to Hutchison and others, the MOE’s benchmark of 10 ug/L for phosphorus concentrations in lakes is high. The ministry, they say, needs to lower the benchmark and monitor Lake Joseph out of its London office to ensure all its data is consolidated. Currently, the MOE monitors water quality in Lake Joseph from two separate offices. According to Brouse, in addition to the above, a series of other steps will be initiated to protect the lake. The district, in conjunction with the Dorset Environmental Science Centre and the Township of Seguin will enhance its annual monitoring program for Lake Joseph so water testing is conducted biweekly from May to August. Shoreline surveys, to determine what uses are taking place along the lakefront, will also be conducted, as will a limits to growth assessment, to put in place new constraints on development. Both Muskoka Lakes and Seguin townships, which border the lake, have also agreed to undertake comprehensive septic re-inspection programs, as well as proceed with tree-cutting and site alteration bylaws to enhance vegetative buffers along the shoreline. Ratepayer associations such as the Muskoka Lakes Association are also being encouraged to continue stewardship programs that educate the public about protecting water quality.

Northern fish farmers hope to net some budget bucks March 13, 2008 / northernlife.ca Manitoulin and Northern Ontario fish farmers are thrilled over Ottawa's five-year, $70-million investment for the ongoing development of a sustainable Canadian aquaculture industry. The Northern Ontario Aquaculture Association (NOAA) says federal finance minister Jim Flaherty's budget announcement demonstrates the importance the industry holds as an economic driver in rural Canada. "Not only are we producing a healthy product that is naturally rich in Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids," says NOAA executive director Karen Tracey, "we are now poised to make even greater economic contributions to Ontario's economy." The association says in 2007, Northern Ontario-farmed rainbow trout generated $51 million in economic contributions. Tracey expects the federal commitment signals a streamlining of the regulatory coordination between federal and provincial agencies governing aquaculture.

The lake goes down and... US Army Engineers predict rise in L. Huron because of big snowfall March 13, 2008 Jim Moodie / manitoulin.ca LAKE HURON-Finally a bit of good news on the water levels front: the wallop of white stuff that hit various corners of the Great Lakes in recent weeks should bring a much-needed infusion of wet stuff come spring. Levels are expected to rise this summer as a result of the snowy deluge, the Detroit Free Press reported on the weekend. And while snowbound residents of southern cities have been complaining about the inconvenience, for boaters and lakeside businesses, this is a welcome turn of events indeed. Last fall, projections were exceedingly dire regarding lake levels. Lake Superior hit record lows in August and September, and as this year began, both Huron and Michigan were hovering near all-time lows. New record lows were anticipated by spring. Then came the snowstorms, one after another, much to the surprise of those who were bracing for an ongoing drought and even higher docks come spring. "We didn't expect this dramatic turnaround," said Scott Thieme, chief hydrologist of the Detroit office of the Army Corps of Engineers, in an interview with the Free Press. "It's a much better picture than it was six months ago. We're just amazed at the weather we've had." Scientists now say that the recent heavy storms, which have pulled in moisture from as far away as the Gulf of Mexico, should go a long way towards slaking the basin's thirst. The type of snow that recently hammered Great Lakes communities is heavy, dense and full of water, according to meteorologists, and owes to a La Nina weather pattern originating in the Pacific. It's not the usual lake-effect precipitation that recycles moisture within the system, sucking up water from the lakes and dropping it back down as snow. It's, in a nutshell, bonus stuff. This imported H20 also bodes well for parched streams, rivers and inland lakes, many of which are also experiencing extremely low levels. If prognostications pan out, the upper Great Lakes could be six to 12 inches higher this summer than they were last summer, according to the Free Press. Manitoulin hasn't experienced the massive dumps of snow experienced elsewhere across the watershed, but parts of the Michigan shore-and Michigan is connected to us-are reporting their snowiest Februarys ever. Water is already rising on Huron-Michigan compared to a month ago, Environment Canada notes in its monthly Level News bulletin. While the level of Superior "fell a bit more than average during February," levels on Lakes Michigan-Huron "experienced a small, but welcome, increase," rising by three centimetres. Historically, the lakes decline by an average of one centimetre over the course of this month. Still, the lakes have a lot of climbing left to do before a typical level is attained. As Environment Canada points out, "the level of Lakes Michigan-Huron remained 53 centimetres below average at the beginning of March and 13 centimetres lower than it was one year ago."

All stakeholders in protecting water basin Canadian and American science and governance came together Wednesday to celebrate a new working relationship that was launched with this year’s State of the Basin Report at the Lake of the Woods Water Quality Forum. Thursday March 13, 2008 Jon Thompson / Miner and News Canadian and American science and governance came together Wednesday to celebrate a new working relationship that was launched with this year’s State of the Basin Report at the Lake of the Woods Water Quality Forum. “The water doesn’t respect national boundaries. We all share the water,” said Todd Sellers, the executive director of the Lake of the Woods Sustainability Foundation. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Minister Brad Moore’s presence at the meeting was reassuring for Sellers, who is encouraged by the cooperation south of the border. Five years ago under a need for information sharing and policy congruence, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of the Environment in Kenora threw in with what was brought to fruition in a 95-delegate conference in International Falls, Minnesota. Evidence from the American side contributes heavily to the Canadian database, with environmental assessment of the iron industry laden south of the lake. How those, non-industrial human elements impact throughout the populated regions, and other natural pollutants affect the remainder of the lake and how to maintain water quality through co-operation are the central questions as the research moves forward. As of 2010, Lake of the Woods is expected to fall under an impaired water listing in the United States, but Canadian authorities are not taking any similar measures. The path to co-operation has been blazed before. The International Joint Commission first began working on the Rainy River in the 1910s and the two countries agreed to a study on the river in 1965. That recommendation was followed up by an international pollution reduction strategy, a clean up of the river and ultimately the better water quality that now results in a vibrant fishing industry. “The challenge with Lake of the Woods is that it’s a long way from Toronto and Ottawa and although it’s a tremendously important lake to the province of Ontario with the second largest walleye fishery, the challenge is visibility. Is it a day-to-day concern in Southern Ontario? I think it’s starting to be. I think that Manitoba is starting to realize it’s an important lake for Manitobans, almost half Lake Winnipeg’s water comes down from the Winnipeg River.” The next step is putting a framework together at a policy level that will ensure an enduring process. Sellers said policy officials from senior agencies are beginning to climb on board, adding that Kenora Mayor Len Compton and Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls Mayor Bill Thompson are signatories to support for the research. He added Kenoraites could contribute by informing their representatives in Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill of the importance of the social and environmental health of the Lake of the Woods as a political priority. “What I would really ask people to do is make their voice part of the community of voices calling for co-operative actions with the United States that the lake is sustained as the jewel of the North that underpins communities of the North.” Joan Richardson, director of the Lake of the Woods Property Owners Association, was making the political personal. With the support of private donors and a membership of 4,000, the group has been able to fund research as well as reach lake residents on the dock level. She believed that encouraging environmental personal consumption choices was the route to developing a mass movement of responsibility. “We’ve done our homework, all stakeholders are in this,” she said, emphasizing her support for discovering natural and human-induced point sources of pollution with collaborative research through the foundation. “We’ve visited every municipality and most of the First Nations in the area and if they’re not signed on, they’re aware of us. Everyone around the basin is supportive.” She foresaw government coming on board when the scientific evidence was sound and local people felt integrated in and integral to the process.

GRCA plays waiting game Ray Martin / cambridgetimes.ca Mar 13, 2008 Staff at the Grand River Conservation Authority are keeping an eye on the weather and their fingers crossed as a result of the recent record snowfalls. "All we can do is wait," said Dave Schultz, GRCA communications co-ordinator. Yesterday, authority staff completed an intermediate snow survey that found 16.7 inches of snow on the ground in Cambridge and it has 4.7 inches of water. Last year, by comparison there was just 1.7 inches of snow on the ground on March 15. "That's four times as much as the long-term average," Schultz said. In other parts of the watershed, the water content of the snow is twice the long-term average. "At Corbetton, where we take measurements for the watershed north of the Shand Dam, which takes in Central Wellington and Dufferin counties, the water content is 6.8 inches and last year it was 3.4 inches," he said. This week temperatures are expected to rise above freezing during the day, but Schultz said authority staff aren't overly concerned. "We will have warm temperatures during the day, but things will cool off overnight," he said. "And there is no warming spell in the forecast now, but that can change." The authority's water resources staff also say there is capacity within the snow to absorb some rain. "People will see the snow shrink over the next few days and there will be some melting on the pavement, but that's not a big concern for us," Schultz said. However, should temperatures rise high enough, the melting could cause enough runoff to swell water levels in streams and ditches. "We'd like parents to keep this in mind and keep their children away from the water," Schultz said. Current conditions are not unlike those that led to the 1974 flood. The ground beneath the snow is frozen solid and it cannot absorb melting snow. "It would be just like pavement," Schultz explained. "Everything would run off it and into the river." Ideally, GRCA officials are hoping for warm days and cold nights this spring, which would produce a gradual snow melt and controlled runoff. What has GRCA officials concerned is that this year, for the first time in memory, there has been widespread snowfalls across the watershed instead of the concentrations in the traditional snowbelt areas.

Chilly nights keep floodwaters at bay Mar 13, 2008 Laurie Watt / simcoe.com Warmer days and cold nights are not only getting the maple syrup flowing – but they’re stopping the banks of rivers from overflowing. The chances of a flood are low, as the forecast for the next two weeks calls for overnight lows below freezing, said Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority water resources technologist Brian Smith. “We’re not too concerned yet. We do have a lot of snow and a lot of water within that snow. Snow density is more important (than volume). There’s a lot of water out there,” he said, adding the NVCA will be measuring snow Monday to get a sense of amount of water runoff that is stored in the snowbanks. “The forecasts are (calling for) below-freezing temperatures at night. That would be perfect. The snow would go slowly. (But) If we have warm days and nights for a continued period, like we did in January, everything runs off and if that’s mixed with rain, that increases the potential for flooding.” The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority is reporting higher than usual water levels for the lake this spring, due to the January thaw. The lake is already one foot (0.3 metres) above normal, and that’s expected to grow as the spring melt occurs. Friday, melt was expected to add to that, but the LSRCA agreed the colder forecast will stabilize the snow pack. Simcoe County’s emergency planning manager Cathy Clark noted Lake Simcoe is one inch below its capacity, but that the Trent-Severn Waterway Commission has the gates at Washago wide open to lower the lake’s level and send water into Georgian Bay. “It is a concerted effort,” she said of the LSRCA-waterway commission work. “It’s definitely at the forefront of my file.” Clark is also working with lower-tier municipalities to ensure they have plans in place, should a sudden warm spell, along with rain, hit the area.

....Glad you're okay Cliff. Might be wise to see a Dr. though and follow that up in a few weeks just to be safe.

Drug disposal advocated for lake's sake March 10, 2008 DON BEHM / jsonline.com Pain relievers, antibiotics and other prescription drugs, caffeine and a chemical created inside the bodies of smokers are among the chemicals found in recent tests of Milwaukee's sewage and water from the city's harbor and Lake Michigan. Buy a link hereTests in 2007 of lake water collected more than a mile offshore found detectable amounts of prescription medications, as well as carbadox - an antibiotic and growth-promoting drug added to swine feed - caffeine and cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine, said Lon Couillard, water quality manager for the Milwaukee Water Works. The prescription drugs found in lake water included the pain reliever diclofenac, the antibiotic oleandomycin and gemfibrozil, a cholesterol medication. Chemicals in the water are destroyed by ozone mixed with the lake water at the beginning of the drinking water treatment process, and consumers are not exposed to them, said Water Works Superintendent Carrie Lewis. There were two exceptions last year, and only one of the compounds is a pharmaceutical. Tests of treated drinking water in the plants found 2 parts per trillion of cotinine and 0.5 parts per trillion of lincomysin, an antibiotic. Lincomysin was not detected in lake water coming into the two treatment plants, however, Lewis said. Neither chemical was found in separate tests of water flowing through pipes to homes and businesses in the regional distribution system. "Milwaukee tap water is clear of pharmaceuticals," Lewis said. The Water Works voluntarily tests water twice a year for 73 pharmaceuticals, though none of the tests is required by federal or state regulators. Rebecca Klaper, an assistant scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Great Lakes WATER Institute, tested for pharmaceuticals in the sewage piped to the Jones Island plant and the treated wastewater pouring into the harbor. Among the substances she found entering and exiting the treatment plant are the antibiotic tetracycline, the common pain reliever acetaminophen, and carbamazepine, a drug used to control epileptic seizures. Even after dilution of the treated wastewater in the harbor, Klaper found the antibiotic in the open water. Several years ago, researchers started finding male fish carrying eggs and displaying other female characteristics. All lived downstream of municipal sewage treatment plants, said Gerald Ankley, a research toxicologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Duluth, Minn. This feminization of male fish has been linked to detectable levels of synthetic hormones from birth control and other prescription drugs, Ankley said. The local studies add to a growing body of evidence nationwide of pharmaceutical drugs and other chemicals accumulating in surface waters, prompting warnings of possible damage to the health and reproduction of fish, said Kevin Shafer, executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. "That's exactly why we're holding a medicine collection day again this year," Shafer said. "We know sewage treatment plants are not designed to remove all of these compounds. We are taking steps to remove unused medications before they reach Lake Michigan." Preventing release This year, for the first time, Ozaukee, Washington and Racine counties will join Milwaukee County in collecting unused and unwanted prescription drugs, over the counter and pet medications on April 19. For information, go to the district's Web site, www.mmsd.com. The one-day medicine collections can accept prescription drugs that are controlled substances. Those pharmaceuticals will be taken by local law enforcement officers. Illegal drugs will not be accepted. The number of such collections is increasing each year in Wisconsin, said Steve Brachman, a waste reduction specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Waukesha County is planning a "mail back" prescription return program scheduled to begin in April, Brachman said. Shafer's message to metropolitan Milwaukee residents is "never flush or pour unused medicine down the drain." Much of the pharmaceuticals and personal care products flowing into the nation's sewage treatment plants has passed through consumers, is then excreted and flushed away, said Susan Glassmeyer, a research chemist with EPA's Office of Research and Development in Cincinnati. Even so, Glassmeyer supports collection programs as an effective way of preventing the unnecessary release of additional chemicals to the environment. "Collections take a piece out of this problem," Glassmeyer said.

....Be thankful that you at least have the option of not reading them.

....Great looking dog Chris. Hope you're bringing him up to Lakair.

....All those fancy toys you have and yet you still shovel?

Help needed for building walleye spawning bed March 5, 2008 / North Star, Parry Sound Help needed for building walleye spawning bed, should you choose to get involved, the MCA (McKellar Conservation Association), in conjunction with MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources) and Transport Canada (Marine), will be creating another walleye spawning bed on a shoal on Lake Manitouwabing. Thirty-three tons of washed river rock with approximate diameters of four to eight inches (10 to 16 cm.), - that’s two tandem truck loads - will be dumped on the road closest to the intended site on Jones Bay. The rock will be hand loaded onto sleighs to be ferried via snowmobiles to a shoal, which has been cordoned off and that is 60 by 60 feet (18 by 18 metres). For safety's sake, buoyed metal rods supporting caution tapes, signage and blazing and reflective tape will be erected. The buoys are attached so that after the ice melts the rig can be retrieved from the lake. The rock will be hand placed on the ice in a 40-by-50-foot (12 -by -15-metre) rectangle where, during melt off, it will settle on top of the shoal awaiting the spring spawning activities. (An error had been made in a previous article as to the diameter of the rock and is now corrected.) Come join us. In fact, also enjoy hot refreshments and barbecued sausage at our lunch break. Let us know of your intention to help us so that ample lunch supplies are made available. Should you be able to spend part of the day with us, that is not a problem. Many hands make light work. Here is a list to consider of what you might include with your helpful attitude and the willingness to "walk the walk": a life jacket or survival suit (should you intend on being on the ice); heavy work gloves plus an extra as they will get wet; spade type shovels and/or hard rake; and snow mobiles with sleds. To get to the work site, take Burnetts Road off the Hurdville road between Centre Road and Hurdville, to a right on Stormy Point Road. Go approximately .5 kilometres until you once again turn right on Wendy’s Lane. At the end, approximately 1 kilometre, is the turnaround and the work site. Should you have questions contact us at [email protected] or 389-1786.

Feds give $25,000 for harbour repairs Chris Fell / meafordexpress.com Mar 05, 2008 For a potential pre-election spending goodie, the federal government's announcement Friday afternoon at Meaford Harbour was decidedly low-key. Local MP Larry Miller was in town to announce $62,000 in harbour funding for the Municipality of Meaford, Lion's Head and Tobermory. Meaford will receive $25,000 for dock repairs, rock removal and electrical servicing upgrades at the popular town tourist spot. Miller made the announcement on behalf of Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. "He sends his regrets. He is going to get up here this year and wants to tour all the facilities in this area. He lives in a small town with a small harbour and knows what it takes to maintain them," said Miller. Meaford Mayor Wally Reif was present at the announcement and thanked Miller for the government's help. "We thank our landlord for contributing to the ongoing costs of the harbour. It's tough for a small municipality, but it's very important to us. The harbour is our biggest attraction," said Reif. Meaford Habour Master Mike Molloy was at the announcement and said the municipality would be ready to proceed with the work the funding is slated to pay for as soon as the ice melts. Molloy said the money will help pay for various upgrades and improvements at the harbour. Miller also took time at the get together to announce that the Conservative government in Ottawa has set aside money in the budget to begin the process of divesting itself of the harbours it owns across the country. The Municipality of Meaford currently operates and leases the harbour from the government. "It's still the goal of the government to divest harbours to the local municipalities. We now have money in the budget to do that," said Miller. "It's not enough to go right across the country, but it's a start," he said. Mayor Reif told Miller that Meaford is interested in securing ownership of its harbour depending on the circumstances. Reif noted that natives have made land claims concerning shoreline properties. The Mayor said the Municipality of Meaford wouldn't want to take ownership of the harbour until it was certain the native land claims were worked out to everybody's satisfaction.

Low water levels caused by St. Clair leak says speaker Low water levers in Georgian Bay/Lake Huron are being caused by increased water flows through the St. Clair River. Chris Fell / meafordexpress.com Mar 05, 2008 Roy Schatz was the guest speaker at the Meaford and District Chamber of Commerce's Annual General meeting last Thursday night. Schatz is the founding President of the Georgian Bay Foundation, an organization that has conducted research, funded studies, and lobbied Canadian and U.S. government officials in an effort to get the powers that be to address the declining water levels of the Upper Great Lakes. Schatz spoke to a large audience at the arena about low water levels in the upper Great Lakes. A prevailing theory explaining why water levels have dropped so low involved the dredging of the St. Clair River to create a deeper basin for ship traffic. "Too much of our water is flowing every minute of every day out the St. Clair River," Schatz explained during his speech. "That flow is no longer what Mother Nature designed; it has been artificially increased to much more than what flows in from Lake Superior and other sources, with the result that areas such as Georgian Bay are incurring permanent loss of water. Bear in mind that only one per cent or so of the water of the Great Lakes is renewed each year; nearly 99 per cent is glacial deposit from the last ice age, and if it is allowed to flow elsewhere, it's gone, gone, gone," he said. Dredging of the St. Clair River began in 1885. It was dredged several times over the years. In addition, a large natural sand bar was removed on the U.S. side in order to enlarge the channel in the 1960s. "Even a C+ science student can tell you that water loaded down with sand doesn't flow as fast as water with almost no sand in it. That faster flow has scoured the now soft riverbed, which has little natural gravel left, and made the river deeper," he said. Various studies have concluded that the low water levels have been caused by the St. Clair River situation. Remedial measures to correct the problem have been suggested by the scientific community. However, at this point, the International Joint Commission has not acted on the recommendations contained in their own studies. Schatz provided the audience with charts showing the periodic highs and lows of Great Lakes water levels since the 1860s. Current levels have dipped below the crisis low-level mark of 176.01 metres several times over the past few years. Schatz said it's time for governments to act or risk damage to the Lakes that cannot be reversed. "If Georgian Bay continues to recede, you know that the local economy will go into a recession. But if the water levels crisis is solved, there is no limit to the future prosperity of this beautiful part of Ontario," he said. Schatz said it is very important for citizens to talk about the issue with friends, relatives, neighbours and especially government representatives at the federal and provincial levels.

....No favours allowed! Only cause it's you.

Hope I'm not reading to much into this Jamie? Anyhow it's a beauty boat guy's I've seen her once when it was brand spanking new, little over a year ago. Give us the specs Jamie.

Sportsman show set for April 4-6 March 4, 2008 / thesudburystar.com Spring is on its way!!! Feel the Heat!! – AT THE ANNUAL SUDBURY SPORTSMAN SHOW – April 4th to April 6th , 2008. – at the Garson Arena and Community Center. Its back ! and its our biggest Sportsman Show Ever in Sudbury! " We have secured the largest venue ( in space ) in Sudbury at the Garson Arena and Community Center, with the community hall this gives us the needed extra space for this show. The venue is excellent just off Falconbridge road in Garson which is minutes from almost anywhere in Sudbury and region." States Darren Ceccarelli, the shows producer. "This year we have not only expanded the exhibitor line, with tons more displays, but have recruited new products that have never been seen in Sudbury or in fact in parts of Canada before. We have a large display of boats and motors, resorts and lodges, fishing tackle, ATV’s, motorcycles, tours, docks, boat licensing, outdoor equipment, travel trailers, canoes, scuba equipment as well as all the regular and special items you can expect to find in a Sportsman Show. This year we will be featuring many new products and displays such as the Canadian Forces Display, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, air compressors and tools, fly-in fishing, log homes, ATV and motorcycle courses, Argos and much more! We will also be bringing back the antique motor display with new additions ( see attached email) This is just a sampling of the many new additions to this years show which will also include dog show. This show will also feature dog retrieving ( hunting dogs) also an agility, rally obedience and formal obedience demos from the Sudbury Kennel Club. Demo times will be Friday at 6 and 8 pm, Saturday , 10:20 -12:30 -2:30 -4 and Sunday 11am – 1pm -3pm. This is also the best time to buy a Boat or ATV – because we have all of the leading dealers from Sudbury and Northern Ontario represented at the show – you can shop and compare and it helps you make the buying decision that much easier and quicker. This will be the best Sportsman Show that Sudbury has ever seen we have also recruited new marinas with new boat lines including Sandy Cove Marine, Starlite Marine, Boaters Choice and Sudbury’s leading boat dealers. There will be something for the entire family at this years Sportsman Show which takes place on Friday, April 4th, and Saturday, April 5th and Sunday, April 6th, 2008 at the Garson Arena and Community Centre just off Falconbridge Road, in Garson. The show hours will be Friday, 5pm to 9pm, Saturday 10 am to 5pm and Sunday, 10 am to 4pm. Admission will be $5 for adults for a weekend pass and children 12 and under are free.

....Rats, if'n I hadn't been working I know you would have taken me. Nice job on the fishies.

....Beauties!

Lake Erie finally frozen over, Ice fishing takes off Jeff Helsdon / tillsonburgnews.com Wednesday March 05, 2008 It’s nearly the end of February and Lake Erie is only now completely frozen over. According to Canadian Ice Service data, the lake froze over last week. In an average winter, Lake Erie is ice covered by the first week of February. "In the last 10 years since global warming has kicked in, it’s been a little later, if at all," said Lionel Hache, senior ice forecaster with the Canadian Ice Service. Ice in that typical winter would have covered the lake for the entire month of February and then started to melt in March. Hache said temperatures are forecast to be cool the next couple of weeks so the ice will stick around. As it isn’t as thick as normal, Hache said there would be a rapid decline in lake ice by mid-March. Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson explained the shallow depth of the lake is the reason Erie typically ices over. The intensity of the lake-effect snow can be reduced with the cold water covered by ice. Lake-effect snow is caused when cold air picks up moisture, heat and energy when passing over cold water. Then, when the air moves on shore, any snow in the air mass is dumped. "A lot depends on what the winds are doing at a low level, whether it’s one or two bands or a broader band," Coulson said. He explained the Tillsonburg area could receive lake-effect snow with southwest winds, but not to the same extent as Fort Erie and Port Colborne. A southwest wind can follow the entire path of the lake before hitting land at the east end of the lake, resulting in greater snowfall. The strength of the wind also makes a difference. Weaker winds tend to dump the snow shortly after hitting shore. Stronger winds can carry flurries further inland. For instance, Coulson said a strong wind could even carry snow from Lake Huron to this area. Colder temperatures and more ice are what ice anglers on Long Point Bay have been hoping for. Jim Granger of Granger’s Ice Fishing in St. Williams depends on solid ice on Long Point Bay for his business. The past weekend was only the second weekend he has been able to operate. "We drilled spots today where there’s 13 inches of ice out there," he said Monday morning. The past weekend was a busy one on the bay. Granger estimated as many as 500 people were out trying to catch a perch dinner. The traffic didn’t do much for the fishing though. "It was slow on the weekend just due to there being so much traffic that it spooks the fish," he said. Fishing during the week, however, was good. Granger said each hut was averaging 30 fish, with some catching more and others less. "The good fishermen will catch fish," he said. "I had huts that rented out and re-rented last week." In addition to the perch, a lot of pike are caught. One caught last week in one of Granger’s huts was 35 inches in length. "A lot of people are not getting them through the hole they’re so big," he said. Those yearning for an early spring and ice break-up soon shouldn’t get their hopes up too high. Coulson said predictions are for temperatures to be slightly below normal heading into March. Typical daytime highs at the end of February are usually just above the freezing mark, with nighttime lows dipping down to -7* Celsius.

.....I'm with you Lew, got a watch would have taken a rod and reel. Mind you I had 27 years in before I got my 25 year watch....lol I'm in my 29th year now and it would seem that a one job career these days is rare. Congratulations Chris. Oh and I'm sure Carol's going to love the ring Chris.

....Under properties it says it's a "strangefish" and I agree with that.

Congrtaulations ....Into my seventh week, cold turkey! Nothing to it, I do it regularly.

Mudcat Festival fishing for a cool $100,000 KAREN BEST / dunnvillechronicle.com March 5, 2008 A new portable stage can be useful for a number of Dunnville events but will make its debut at this year's Mudcat Festival if grant dreams come true. Event coordinator Carolyn Chymko is eagerly anticipating a positive response to her application for a share of the $30 million Celebrate Ontario 2008 program. She envisioned musical acts performing in a professionally-designed portable stage with permanent lighting and suitable electrical wiring. "This is huge. Everyone can benefit from a stage," she said thinking of the Dunnville fair and other community events. Chymko applied for the maximum amount, $100,000, in the hopes of purchasing the stage and a novelty people mover - possibly shaped like a boat or barge. Decorated with a mudcat, the mover will travel the streets during the festival. It begins in three months. Launched in December by the provincial government, the Celebrate Ontario program was established to enhance festivals and events to draw in more tourists. Haldimand County volunteer coordinator Heather Flaherty said only events of more than three days qualify for funding. She notified organizers of the Jarvis Cornfest, Caledonia fair and Mudcat Festival about the grant. "Carolyn jumped on it," said Flaherty who received no responses from the other two events. "I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that we're getting it," said Chymko. An announcement is expected in the week of March 24.