This webpage is hosted by FOCA, on behalf of our member group. Please connect with them using the links below.
NOTE: the top header and bottom footer of this page contain links that will take you to additional pages on the FOCA website.
Welcome to the webpage of FLPOA -
the Farren Lake Property Owners Association
Objectives of Incorporation of FLPOA:
To do everything possible to preserve and improve the water quality, and maintain and restore the shoreline of Farren Lake.
To keep Farren Lake clean and beautiful for present and future generations.
To encourage and educate Corporation members as stewards of the waters and lands of Farren Lake.
To make representation to the appropriate authority when the action of a person or persons threatens the water or environment of Farren Lake.
Farren Lake and FLPOA:
Located nine miles south of Maberly, Ontario, Farren Lake is part of the Tay River Watershed that eventually flows into Lower Rideau Lake. The lake is fed by a creek from O’Brien Lake to the east, underground springs, snow melt, and rain. Water levels are controlled by a dam at its underground outlet that leads to the Tay River. There is no access to the lake from any other lake.
All access to the lake for boats with motors is private. Because Farren Lake is less than three kilometres long and is also narrow, it is not really conducive to large fast speed boats. Residents receive frequent reminders that Ontario adopted speed limits of 10 km/h within 30 m (98’5”) of the shore on all waters within its boundaries. There is one unmaintained public access point down a steep unmaintained bank for small watercraft such as canoes. However, there is no cleaning station at the public access point.
As of January 1, 2022, Ontario has regulated watercraft (boats) and watercraft equipment as a carrier of invasive species under the Invasive Species Act. Rules classify boats, fishing boats, canoes and kayaks as potential carriers of harmful aquatic plants, algae and animals. Therefore, it is necessary to “clean, drain and dry” your watercraft before any watercraft that has travelled over land may be launched on Farren Lake.
The shore of Farren Lake is rocky and steep in places resulting from the gouging of a glacier in the last ice age. A wide variety of trees surround its shores with maples, oaks and conifers predominating. Ninety per cent of all lake and river life depends on a healthy shoreline to survive. This “ribbon of life” plays a crucial role in filtering out pollutants, reducing erosion and easing flood risks. Most properties have maintained a ribbon of life either by maintaining the natural vegetation or by using programs offered by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) to restore shorelines with native plants.
Achievements of FLPOA:
The Farren Lake Property Owners Association has the objectives above as the primary focus for their activities. Water quality monitoring is done through the RVCA and through FOCA’s Lake Partner Program. Septic system inspections became mandatory in Tay Valley Township largely through the demands of FLPOA.
FLPOA has been a leader in the development of Lake Management Plans in our township. A major project of the association was the development of the Farren Lake State of the Lake Report, 2009, and the Farren Lake Stewardship Action Plan, 2012. Through these efforts, a bylaw was passed by Tay Valley Township limiting development on Farren Lake in 2019. Control of development has been a concern of the association that has not always met with success in its dealings with government bodies. These documents have shown the way for lake stewardship for decades to come but continued vigilance is required.
From 2021 to 2024, FLPOA has worked with Watersheds Canada on a fish habitat restoration project. This project placed 54 brush bundles at strategic points in the lake to replace any damage that changes to shorelines by development has cost.
The Association is always looking for volunteers to help meet objectives and goals such as improving fish habitat.
Read more about our Achievements here (Download PDF, 4 pages)
Bylaws of FLPOA:
Download a copy of the Bylaws (PDF, 23 pages)
The bylaws were rewritten and approved at the annual general meeting of the association on June 1, 2024.
Brush Bundles are anchored piles or root balls and branches that can provide fish with a food source, as well as shaded areas to rest, spawn and escape predators. These fish will carry out some of the most important aspects of their life in and around these new features, such as spawning and feeding, which will help rehabilitate and sustain populations of native species in and around their lake.
Photo credit: Paul Seidl, FLPOA
The Origin of the Farren Lake Property Owner’s Association:
How FLPOA Began: The Dam Thing That Was Our Foundation (download PDF, 2 pages)
This essay appeared as an article in the Fall 2024 issue of the Farren Lake Property Owners Association newsletter.
Membership in the Association:
According to the bylaws, “a Voting Member shall be a person, corporation or other legal entity, who is a registered owner of property on Farren Lake and who has paid such membership fees as required by the Corporation and who has applied and been accepted for Voting membership in the Corporation. There shall be one (1) Voting membership only per property.”
Yearly membership is $30.
Non-voting Associate Membership is $10.
Membership is not tax deductible.
Join or renew today.
CONTACT US at farrenlakesecretary@gmail.com to be emailed a membership form and for how to pay membership fees by e-transfer or by cheque. Be sure to include your lane name and property number in your email.
For Your Convenience and Information (download PDF, 1 page) – Included here are some website links and phone numbers that may be necessary and others that may be helpful.
As a member of FOCA, all FLCOA members get the Benefits outlined here: https://foca.on.ca/member-services/benefits/