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LIving on The Lake
Our Septic Re-inspection Report We are pleased to report that 12 properties on Horseshoe lake that were revisited in the summer of 2009. The major had issues with grey water discharges or privies too close to the lake.
Keeping Our Lake Clean The Lake Partner Program is a province-wide, volunteer-based, water-quality monitoring program. Volunteers collect total phosphorus samples and make monthly water clarity observations on their lakes. This information will allow the early detection of changes in the nutrient status and/or the water clarity of the lake due to the impacts of shoreline development, climate change and other stresses. Fletch & Judy Keating manage the lake partner testing program. This report has been updated to include the 2008 results. For those who want more information, the full report is available to download. Go to http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/water/lake_partner/index.htm or you can have it sent to you by calling 1 800 470 8322 or 705 766 1294. Email lakepartner@ene.gov.on.ca Phosphorus
Measurements Total phosphorus concentrations are commonly used to interpret the nutrient status of lakes in Ontario because phosphorus is the element that controls the growth of algae. Increases in phosphorus will decrease water clarity by stimulating algal growth. Algal blooms will affect the aesthetics of the lake and can cause bacterial problems in the water. A TP level under 10 is best! Lakes with less than 10/ug/L TP are categorized as oligotrophic – these are dilute, unproductive lakes that rarely experience nuisance algal blooms. This is where we want to be! Lakes with TP between 10 and 20 ug/L are termed mesotrophic and are in the middle. Lakes with TP over 20 ug/L are classed as eutrophic and may exhibit persistent algal blooms. 
In 2007, our phosophorus levels continued to be recorded at less than 10/yg/L, with the exception of the 2nd reading in front of Elysee Island.
Increases in phosphorus may decrease water clarity by stimulating algal growth. Light penetration in the lake can be controlled by DOC or by non-biological turbidity. Water clarity can also be altered by invading species such as zebra mussels. It is always best to use total phosphorus to evaluate the nutrient status of the lake. In 2007 our numbers were higher than the previous year but fall within the ranges we’ve seen before: a good reminder that we all need to do our part in making sure our water stays clean. 
Welcome to our Lake! This renter's guide was written by our friend Keith Page, at the request of lake residents. If you rent out your cottage, it's your responsiblility to educate your renters! We understand you are staying at one of our lake’s cottages. This likely means that you, too, have discovered how wonderful it is to get away from it all. Over the years the families on our lake have gradually learned to live together in reasonable peace and tranquility. You should know, however, that we have not always been that peaceful. For some of us, the dream of being free of rules and regulations has led us into trouble. We have had to learn the hard way that, as wonderful as it was to be free of restrictions, there was more to recovering the innocence of childhood than simply behaving like children. As a freedom-loving community we have agreed to move toward accepting a few basic rules and regulations. We would like to share them with you and invite you to honour them, not because we want to cut across your fun, but for the safety of yourselves as well as the safety of our community. In the long run, they are little more than common-sense guidelines around a few issues that concern us all -- the kind of common sense you would want us to show toward you as well. Regarding Fire. If there is any basic fear we all share on the lake, it is the fear of having someone’s innocent backyard cookout or tossed-away cigarette become a forest fire that, in a hot dry summer, could wipe us all out. We have had to discover the hard way that fire is a two-sided friend. There are rules and regulations in our township regarding burning. And lest you think we are casual about this, we have to tell you that we had four fires last year that were just caught in the nick of time. To get the details of the fire regulations, ask at the Marina, the campground, Terrawoods and the Heron, or ask the people from whom you rented. Basically, the regulation is that you may not burn without a permit and that the burning time is one hour before sunset until one hour after sunrise. Regarding The Use Of Our Lake As Your Bathtub. We will not take a bath in YOUR drinking water if you will not do it in ours! We are proud of the continued purity of our lake. Some still use it as drinking water, though this is not recommended. Soaping up on the shoreline then rinsing off by jumping into the lake is a wonderful experience, true! But if we see you doing it, we will not think well of you! Regarding Late Night Partying. You may not be able to see your neighbouring cottage through the trees, but be aware that skinny-dipping has been known to take place in our lake. You might want to think about that! On the other hand, you may find that your cottage has magnificent floodlights that can shine out far into the dark. Turn them off before you go skinny-dipping! In fact, be aware that bright light can be blinding to boats out on the lake, and that leaving them on might lead some of your neighbours to think you should have stayed in the city if you like light so much. While you may not be visible to your neighbours, you can be sure you will be audible, especially if the wind dies in the evening and your party begins to liven up. You WILL be clearly audible right across the lake. And some of us will not appreciate your classical music booming out at us after 11:00 P.M. and keeping us awake! To say nothing of overhearing your lubricated attempts to score points with one another. We prefer to catch our comedy on TV – it’s more entertaining! So turn your sound down and watch what you say! You will be forgiven if you and your party have a bit too much to drink. We have been known to do likewise. We will also help remove you from the wreckage of your boat if you should misjudge your speed or the location of the shoreline while under the influence. We will not forgive you if you make us part of your wreckage! Drinking a cold beer in your boat as you cruise the shoreline is such a natural thing to do. We understand that. But it is against the law! And it can be so dangerous. Don’t do it! For your sake and ours. Regarding Boating Behaviour. Most of us enjoy sitting on our docks with friends. Occasionally we watch a really skillful water skier flash by. We admire (or scoff at) some of the boats as they pass by. We hear the laughter of our neighbours’ kids as they play in their pedal boats. There is little to upset us. But you need to know, a few things do! When someone drives by in a heavy power boat, too close to our dock, we may suddenly find ourselves washed right out of our chairs. Not only are we soaking wet, but the cleats tying our boats to the dock may have been ripped out of the wood, our boats may be damaged and our tempers toward you are not going to be good! Not quite as irritating, but annoying just the same, is having a fishing boat think that the biggest fish in the whole lake is just five feet off the end of our dock. And they are going to catch it if they have to sit there all day. If a long cast can put your lure on our dock, or into the canvas of our boat, you are too darn close! Please, give our swimming spaces a bit of privacy. On the other hand, if we, or our children, should happen to take the canoe, the pedal boat or the sailboard out into more open water, we become very vulnerable. You will put us at real risk if you do not take our vulnerability into account. What may be a spirit of fun in you, as you drive your motorboat too close to us, could drown some of our inexperienced children. Respect the vulnerability of the smaller craft on the water if you have a larger boat. It is against the law to tow someone behind your boat without a spotter. You know that. But your child wants one more ride before you go home, and there is no one but you handy. So you tell yourself, “I will be very careful!” But you may not be too familiar with our lake. You may not know that at the “Hen and Chicks” all boat traffic must hug a narrow strip of water close to the shore, or wreck on the hidden rocks in the middle. While you are being careful of the oncoming traffic (which you can’t see until you get there) your child on the tube behind you is swinging out wide. Oncoming boats may be forced to go between you and your child, cutting right across your towrope. The moral of this story is: Don’t tow without a spotter! But more than that, ask at the marina of your choice where the danger spots are on the lake. There are several of them. And the later in the summer, the more hidden rocks there will be! Regarding Manners In General. If you are enjoying our lake, then we are brothers and sisters under the skin. It is not a heavy rule or regulation to ask that you treat us with the kind of good manners and respect that members of a secret brotherhood or sisterhood will give each other. We are glad you are here with us. We may even become friends. We hope you will come back. Have a wonderful summer! At your service, Horseshoe Lake Association
Fire Season Extends
from April 1 to Oct. 31 Seguin Burning Regulations (for printing)
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