Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 2422 | 2016 lake StewardS newSletter FOCa & the lake Partner Program Over the past 20 years, the Ontario Lake Partner Program (LPP) has grown into one of the largest volunteer water quality monitoring programs in the world. With over 800 lake sites and more than 600 volunteers, there is always plenty of work to be accomplished. In order for the LPP to grow and enhance its capabilities in monitoring lake water quality, an Assistant Lake Stewardship Coordinator position was created through a partnership with FOCA. Christie Davies is the FOCA Assistant Lake Stewardship Coordinator. Christie works from the Dorset Environmental Science Centre (DESC), which is the home base for the LPP. Christie is responsible for assisting the LPP Coordinator with the day-to-day tasks associated with the program, playing a vital role in the LPP by increasing program efficiency and helping to develop new program materials. A typical day for Christie consists of corresponding with devoted LPP volunteers, organizing sampling equipment, submitting samples to the DESC Chemistry Laboratory, updating the LPP database, and providing technical assistance to LPP volunteers, science partners and a co-op student who spends some of her time helping with the LPP. Christie also assists with program fact sheets, summaries, presentations, and helps to prepare for events such as the Children’s Water Festival. In addition to these daily tasks that happen throughout the year, Christie is responsible for a very important component of the Lake Partner Program: the annual sampling kit mail out. This involves assembling the LPP kits that are used by program volunteers to collect water clarity, Total Phosphorus and calcium concentrations on Ontario’s inland lakes. Before those LPP sampling kits arrive in the mail, lots of effort has gone into creating the kits. Christie loves hearing from volunteers and is available to help answer your questions about the Lake Partner Program, so please don’t hesitate to give her a call at 705-766-1790. A typical year looks like this OCtOBER-nOVEMBER: The volunteer sampling list is created, and the sampling equipment and paper communications to be included in the LPP kits are compiled. dECEMBER-FEBRuARy: 800 LPP water sampling kits are assembled. MARCH: Kits are mailed to volunteers. MAy: LPP volunteers head to their lakes to take their first water samples of the year, which are then returned to DESC by mail.* The kits are unpacked and sorted in the lab and kept cold in the refrigerator until the chemistry lab is ready to analyze the samples. *Interesting Note: On May 26th, 2016, there were 136 returned kits waiting for pickup by DESC at the local Dorset post office! This is a record number of kits received on one day. JunE-AuGust: Time to take inventory of the remaining LPP supplies and start the process of ordering, assembling and cleaning reusable equipment for the following year’s mail out. During these months, water samples continue to arrive at DESC. Residential & Commercial Septic Systems Homes, Campgrounds, Cottages, Resorts • ideal for small lots, bedrock, clay soils, high water table • low maintenance, low energy • seasonal or year-round use • light-weight model for remote sites Rockwood, ON • Toll Free 1-866-366-4329 info@waterloo-biofilter.com www.waterloo-biofilter.com 20 Year Filter Medium Warranty! Christie davies arranges a rack of total Phosphorus water samples to be submitted to the deSC Chemistry lab. For more, including FOCA’s LPP sampling video, visit: https://foca.on.ca/lake-partner-program-sampling-assistance/