Everything You Should Know About the Shores of Your Lake
Planning to by a lakefront cottage?
Planning to sell your cottage?
Over the past year the Executive Committee has continued its work on the water quality of our lakes and public security.
As you know, my mandate as President will be ending this summer and the Association is currently looking for someone to head the Association. During the past four years, I have had the opportunity to work on some very interesting issues: the water quality of our lakes, clear cutting, recycling, public security, the Municipal emergency preparedness plan and the Municipality's urban development plan. The work has been very enriching for not only the Association but for myself as well! If you are interested, feel free to present your nomination during the elections.
This year the Annual General Meeting will be held at 10:00 am on Sunday, July 11, 1999 at the beach on Lac Bataille (in case of rain, the meeting will be held on July 18). An update on the activities of your Executive Committee will be presented at that time.
The Association continues to be very active to ensure your quality of life.
Help us to continue our volunteer work by paying your Association membership
fee -- now $35.00 -- and by attending the Annual General Meeting on July
11th.
France Joncas
Everything You Should Know About the Shores of Your
Lake
France Joncas
The shoreline marks the transition from water-life to that of land. Like the shallows, the first ten to fifteen meters of shoreline -- depending on the slope -- is also essential to the survival of the lake.
Shorelines curb erosion
Erosion ranks with pollution as one of the most important causes of the lake degradation. As water currents and waves continuously wash away material from the shoreline, the water becomes muddied and silts up. However, where natural conditions still exist, erosion by waves and currents is greatly reduced because of the dense network of the fine and profuse root systems of the shoreline vegetation. As sediments are washed down by rainwater run-off, the sediments are trapped by natural vegetation before reaching the water. The natural plant cover provides a very effective barrier against soil erosion. To avoid erosion and reduce the level of silting in lakes, it is essential that the shoreline vegetation be conserved in a natural state.
Shorelines prevent over-fertilisation
The natural barrier that shoreline vegetation provides against soil erosion has a double effect in that it also prevents over-fertilisation of the waters. The sediments, which would otherwise be carried into the water by rainwater run-off, are generally very rich in nutrients, which in turn nurture the growth of algae and aquatic plants. Thanks to the natural vegetal cover, these nutrients are recycled on the spot by the shoreline plants -- which use them for their own growth -- before reaching the water. To curb the over-fertilisation of the water, shoreline vegetation must be conserved in its natural state.
Shorelines prevent the warming of shallow waters
Warm waters increases the growth of algae and assists the proliferation of aquatic plants. In polluted -- or over-fertilised -- waters, growth rates of the aquatic vegetation are accelerated to a spectacular degree as the water temperature rises. The shoreline plants cast shadows over the shallow waters, helping to cool them. Even under direct sunlight, the shadows help to slow down the growth of algae and aquatic plants.
Shorelines protect the ecological balance
Lakes are much more than just water. The woodland border, shores, shallows, and even the lake bed, are teeming with an incredible number of organisms which, with the water, constitute an ecological entity. The continual and vital interaction of all its inter-related parts are essential to maintaining the balance of any ecosystem.
Such interaction is particularly vital and marked between the shore and shallows. For example, fish find a significant portion of their nourishment in the insects that are blown onto the water from the shoreline vegetation. Birds feed on these insects too, but some species also eat fish. At all levels, and in a multitude of ways, the continual interaction maintains the ecological balance of lakes ... which is maintained through protection of the shoreline vegetation.
Shorelines protect the natural beauty of the landscape
It is so often forgotten that scenic beauty is also part of the natural heritage of our lakes. Shoreline vegetation does not only contribute to the health of lakes, it also protects the woodland beauty. Degradation of the shoreline creates scars and contributes to over-fertilisation.
Shoreline vegetation plays an essential role in protecting the beauty and by conserving the natural environment of our lakes. Is it not the shoreline that first meets the eye?
Planning to buy a lakefront cottage?
That's nice... but
make sure that your dream doesn't turn into a nightmare!
Tony
LeSauteur, FAPEL
A cottage is more than a residence. It is your space in nature. Consequently, you do not set out to buy a cottage in the same way that you would buy a house. Of course you must check the structure of the cottage -- just as you would for a house in the city -- but you must also check the water quality of the lake, the environment, and the septic sewage system. Many people have had their dreams turn into a nightmare because they failed to ask the right questions.
Five questions that you should ask before buying a cottage
1. Is the septic sewage system in accordance with Municipal
regulations?
On the shores of a lake, waste water purification is done through soil filtration by means of an individual sewage disposal system. Since 1981, the installation of these systems comes under the "Regulation Respecting Waste Water Disposal Systems for Isolated Dwellings". This regulation was adopted by the Ministry of Environment but the responsibility for its implementation was given to the municipalities. If you are thinking of buying a cottage, you should first of all consult the municipal inspector. The inspector might be able to tell you the state of the cottage's sewage disposal system.
Take a good look at the lot
The lot and its soil
should be of prime concern. The lot should never be submerged, the soil should
be permeable and the slope should not exceed 30%. The best lots are the ones
with a slope of less than 10%. As far as the lot size is concerned, 4,000
square meters is the present minimum size recommended. This should be your
guide. However, do not be surprised if most of the older cottages have smaller
lots. The smaller the lot, the more careful you must be.
A last word of advice: beware of dream promoters, in particular those offering an ecological paradise "approved by the government". Chances are it may not be the paradise you envisioned!
2. What about the water quality of the lake?
This question has two parts to it. First, the question of contamination, that is the presence of bacteria in the water. Swimming is forbidden when the water is contaminated. How will you know whether the water is contaminated in front of the cottage that you would like to buy? The safest way is to bring a sample of water to a laboratory for analysis. The owner may have some recent results to show you or the family might share their own personal experiences.
Over-fertilisation of lake water
This is the second
part of the question. Everything that decomposes in the lake, whether it is
human waste or organic matter, enriches the water and promotes excessive
growth of aquatic plants. Be careful!
You must not forget that aquatic
plants are an essential component of a healthy lake and you should not be
alarmed by their mere presence. The excessive growth of aquatic plants is not,
however, the only symptom of over-fertilisation. Algae blooms in shallow water
along the shoreline are also a sign of over-fertilisation. It can literally
transform the water into a green pea soup with sticky and hairy masses
floating on the surface of the lake. You should take a good look at the lake
during the latter part of the summer to determine if the lake is subject to
algae blooms.
Do not buy during the winter season
Taking into consideration what is written above, it is risky to buy a cottage during the winter months unless you know the lake very well. Many imprudent buyers have had unpleasant surprises with the arrival of summer.
3. Has the natural environment been damaged?
You will be able to assess this yourself by using the following guide.
The environment of the lake is healthy if:
4. Is there a Lake Association?
It is thanks to the watchful eye of the lake associations that municipalities adopt regulations to protect the lakes against pollution and destruction. The presence of a dynamic lake association gives hope for the future of lakes. Do not hesitate to contact the directors of the association before buying a cottage.
5. Is the well water contaminated?
It is also important to check the water quality of the well to see if it is contaminated before buying a cottage. Insist on seeing the results of the latest analysis. If you have doubts or if the most recent analysis dates too far back, a new analysis should be done. The municipal inspector should be able to help you with this.
Planning to sell your cottage?
Tony
LeSauteur, FAPEL
The sad moment of selling your cottage has come. Things can become tricky if your potential buyer must borrow from a bank or financial institution.
Educate your realtor on the statutes and regulatory requirements for septic installations
Your cottage is for sale? You have a buyer? Everything is going well? Be careful! You may have some hurdles to cross if your potential buyer has to borrow money from a financial institution. The majority of banks and Caisses populaires request a copy of the permit issued for the individual sewage disposal system before approving a loan. This can be a serious problem if your cottage and septic system were built prior to August 12, 1981. Why? Because of a regulatory oversight, permits were not issued before that date. Consequently: no permit, no loan for your buyer. The result: your cottage may be greatly devalued which could cost you thousands of dollars.
What to do?
The "Regulation Respecting Waste Water Disposal Systems for Isolated Dwellings" was adopted by the Ministry of Environment Quebec on August 12, 1981. Its objective was to ensure adequate environmental protection for future septic installations, as well as protect older installations on the condition that the system does not pollute.
It is obvious that a municipal inspector cannot provide you with copy of a permit for your septic system if it was built before August 12, 1981. It is also just as evident that financial institutions are absolutely wrong in refusing a loan for that reason.
If your septic installation was built prior to August 12, 1981, it can still be deemed legal -- even without a permit -- but it must comply with the Regulation, i.e. that the system does not pollute nor cause a nuisance. The municipal inspector can send a formal letter attesting that your system conforms to the Regulation, and in turn, the bank must accept it.
Be wise!
Ensure that your realtor is well versed on the statutes respecting older septic installations.
Say NO to Septic Tank Additives
Tony
LeSauteur, FAPEL
A wide variety of products are regularly advertised as having the ability to remove the sediments accumulated at the bottom of septic tanks (bacteria, enzymes, yeast, etc.). In Canada and the U.S., there are approximately 1,200 such products on the market... and this does not include the homemade potions that have always been part of the folklore: cats' carcasses, ground beef, chicken and even crocodile's heads. Some people believe that these wonderful additives will eliminate the need to pump out their septic tank.
Let's set things straight
In Quebec, no product, no matter how magical, will exempt you from having your septic installation pumped out. The Regulations require that septic systems must be pumped every four years for cottages and every two years for permanent residences. Whether additives are used or not, pumping is obligatory.
Another reason to say NO to additives
These products do not improve the efficiency of a well designed and well kept septic system. There are enough bacteria in your own fecal matter to ensure the proper functioning of your septic tank. And what's more? it's free!
English Spinsters Give Us a Lesson in
Ecology
Tony LeSauteur, FAPEL
Pollution is not the only factor in the destruction of nature. Rooting
out natural shrubbery, cutting down trees and back filling shallow waters are
all contributing factors in the alteration of ecosystems. The physical and
biological environment of lakes is being damaged when any of those factors are
present.
Most ordinary people have difficulty conceiving that there is an interdependence among the different living organisms and between those organisms and their respective habitats. In the introduction of his book, entitled, Précis d'Écologie, R. Dajoz of the "Musée national d'histoire naturelle de France" gives an anecdotal example of the complexity of the interaction found among plants, animals and their habitats and human beings.
Dajoz first reminds us that, in The Origin of Species, Darwin wrote that the bumblebee was the only bee capable of pollinating the red clover because the others were unable to reach the nectar. Dajoz goes on to say that the number of bumblebees is largely affected by the presence of field mice, who destroy the red clover while building their nests. In turn, the population of field mice is dependent on the cats, for which they are a delight. We can then say that cats are a key element in the survival of the red clover. Dajoz cites Haeckel, who says that, "the red clover is used to feed beef cattle and the sailors mainly eat beef. Therefore cats contribute to ensure that England has a powerful navy". Dajoz ends his delightful presentation by citing another author, Thomas Huxley, according to whom, "the English spinsters, because of their overwhelming love of cats, would be at the origin of the powerful English navy". There is, therefore, interdependence among the red clover, the bumblebees, the field mice, the cats, the cattle, the sailors and the old English spinsters. Who would have thought of that!
In a lake, the links between plant and animal life are woven interdependently, even among the plants and animals themselves. Also inseparable, and just as crucial, is the link between humans and the lake. We must not continue to ignore this precarious relationship?
© Association Perkins-sur-le-lac