Off shore waters of Georgian Bay rarely experience excessive nutrient concentrations however, small embayments such as Honey Harbour, North and South Bay have experienced oxygen depletion, increased total phosphorus, a decrease in water clarity and the presence of filamentous attached algae. Low water levels in southern Georgian Bay along with temperature and hydrologic changes represent additional water quality and aquatic habitat management challenges.To address these issues the Government of Canada initiated the Lake Simcoe / South-eastern Georgian Bay Clean-Up Fund. The Fund supports various projects to improve conditions and supports science efforts to advance understanding of these conditions. Here we present water quality and physical data to investigate the causes and consequences of oxygen depletion and characterize phosphorus. Samples were collected monthly 2013 to 2016 during the ice free season from 9 stations in North and South Bay, 10 tributaries and 9 stations in Tadenac Bay, an unimpacted embayment. Winter sampling occurred in 2015 and 2016 at select stations.
Supplemental Information
The coast of South-Eastern Georgian Bay has numerous bays and inlets. This area is an important resource for drinking water, recreation and fish habitat. While offshore water quality of Georgian Bay is not impaired, nearshore embayments and inlets, in some instances, have been reported to experience water quality degradation. Concerns include excess nutrients, increased frequency of cyanobacteria blooms and hypoxia. The Lake Simcoe Clean-up Fund was expanded in 2012 to include the South East shore of Georgian Bay. This mandate allowed for researchers to assess water quality and nuisance and toxic algal blooms within a geographical scope from the Nottawassaga Valley Watershed to the coast of Georgian Bay between Port Severn and the French River. The program was completed in 2017.
For more information please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/water-overview/comprehensive-approach-clean/lake-simcoe-georgian-bay/clean-up-fund-brochure.html