About

We are all working together – governments, local public health, local conservation, landowners, and community groups

Since 2011 a team of dedicated environmental professionals has worked together to coordinate actions to protect and improve overall water quality along the southeast shores of Lake Huron.

The Healthy Lake Huron – Clean Water, Clean Beaches partnership is a concerted effort to address shoreline water quality concerns such as nuisance algae and bacterial issues and to promote safe and clean beaches from Sarnia to Tobermory.

Water quality concerns along the Lake Huron shoreline have been ongoing for many years. This situation is caused by a combination of nutrient and bacterial pollution from sources such as poorly functioning private septic systems, municipal wastewater, runoff from farm fields and other rural and urban properties, and natural sources such as waterfowl. Canada and Ontario, in partnership with local municipal governments, local public health, conservation authorities, and other local organizations, are working to develop and implement recommendations for actions to deal with these concerns.

Through Healthy Lake Huron, all partners are focusing on actions that are aimed at lowering the amount of phosphorus and reducing incidences of high levels of bacteria (such as E. coli) entering the water.

In order to get this work started six key watersheds have been identified as priorities for immediate action (see list below).

Over the past five years a great deal of effort has gone into the implementation of watershed management plans developed for each of the six priority sites, including targeted actions such as tree planting or other erosion control projects. Long-term monitoring in each of these watersheds has also been underway since the project was initiated and the results from this monitoring are beginning to show a reduction in pollutants coming from these watersheds. Some of the work being done in each of these watersheds, that is making a positive change, can be seen by clicking on the links below.

The six priority areas:

• Pine River
• Garvey-Glenn (Garvey Creek and Glenn Drain)
• Bayfield North (Including Gully Creek)
• Main Bayfield
• Lambton Shores (Tributaries in Lambton County)
• Bruce Peninsula

Work continues under the Healthy Lake Huron partnership both in the priority watersheds, and throughout the region running between Sarnia and Tobermory.

For the latest news about Healthy Lake Huron please visit our news page.