Untitled - Haliburton County Community Cooperative Inc

3.0 Fish Habitats and ShorelinesHealthy shorelines are vital to maintaining the overall health of lakes and other bodies of water.Shorelines help filter pollutants, protect against erosion and provide habitat for fish and other forms ofwildlife. Shorelines are some of the most ecologically productive places on Earth. They support plants,microorganisms, insects, amphibians, birds, mammals and fish. The first 10‐15 metres of land thatsurround lakes and rivers is responsible for 90% of lake life which are born, raised and fed in these areas(MLA-Muskoka Lakes Association,2011). In addition, these areas are up to 500% more diverse thanother areas upland from lakes and rivers. There are many major environmental concerns which havebeen addressed by concerned environmentalists regarding watersheds. Foremost, water quality hasbecome a pressing issue as recreational property buyers continue to develop cottages along popularlakes and rivers in Ontario (Parks Canada (B), 2009). The result of high population densities andconstruction/development is an alteration of natural shorelines and a higher rate of disturbance of thelakebed and water. Shoreline health is directly affiliated with the quality of water in a given lake orstream. The more disturbances a shoreline experiences, the more the water will be contaminated andnatural systems affected. When plants and root systems are removed, particulate matter (soil,vegetation, and other aggregate) is eroded into the water causing siltation. Siltation is a major concernin many of Ontario’s waterways due to its negative effect on spawning, and the visual implicationsassociated with cloudy water. Since the health of a shoreline determines the quality of the water, it isessential that both are protected and kept as natural as possible. The various land use practicesoccurring in Canada are having an impact on water quantity and quality, fish and wildlife populations,and are raising resource sustainability issues. Watersheds are "riparian areas", which are strips of landwith special vegetation that is commonly found alongside standing and moving water bodies (Fisheriesand Oceans Canada, 2010).The issue associated with shorelines in cottage regions is people generally do not find the18