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Ontario Environment Dept.'s Proposed Policy on Total Phosphorus (TP)

click for Ontario Government Excerpts from "Proposal for a Policy to Standardize MOE Response to Lakeshore Development Proposals", Water Resources Branch, Limnology Section, Ontario Ministry of the Environment November 1, 1990

Soil & Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax (SWCSMH)

July 26, 2006      Lake Carrying Capacities Homepage


Contents:


Proportional Phosphorus Increase

This is the approach favoured by an committee of regional representatives discussing the problems associated with setting policy for lakeshore development. This approach would involve two new ideas. First, it would require consideration of development on lakes upstream and downstream from the candidate lake in a watershed so that phosphorus export was considered as a source. Second, this approach would involve the calculation of the original, pre-development phosphorus concentration in each lake using the lakeshore Capacity Study Trophic Status Model, and allow development to increase phosphorus concentration by a fixed percentage from that baseline.

We feel that an increase of 50% would allow reasonable levels of development with little impact on water clarity or dissolved oxygen regimes. For example, if a lake originally had 4 µg/L phosphorus, development would be allowed to increase that to 6 µg/L. A lake which originally had 8 µg/L would be permitted to increase to 12 µg/L.

There would be three exceptions:

  1. an upper limit of 20 µg/L would be imposed to avoid nuisance algae occurrence,
  2. the maintenance of two-thirds of the original lake trout habitat would be required for lake trout lakes.
  3. a minimum oxygen concentration of 2 mg/l in lakes with naturally oxic hypolimnia would be required 2m from the bottom of the hypolimnion to avoid phosphorus additions from anoxic sediments.

A problem with this approach is the increased complexity arising out of the need to allocate development on a whole watershed basis instead of one lake at a time. However, failure to consider effects of development on a whole watershed basis (will often result in unacceptable water quality effects) and may require expensive remedial measures if detrimental impacts follow.

We feel that the benefits from the approach will outweigh any drawbacks. This approach would maintain a diversity of water clarities across the province's lakes, and maintain more oligotrophic lakes in an oligotrophic state. It would permit reasonable levels of development on lakes which have large capacities, and on lakes with naturally low water clarity. It provides a framework whereby proposed new development can be placed in a context of stresses already occurring on the lake, and takes into account nutrient loads from lakes and developments upstream of the target lake.


Other Planning Considerations

In the case of lakeshore development, the mandates of the Ministries of Municipal Affairs, Natural Resources, and Environment show considerable overlap. Implementing a policy based only on trophic status considerations will not provide adequate protection to all desirable attributes of recreational lakes and may not be possible without considering the input of other stakeholders in the planning process. Since much of the lakeshore planning considerations have traditionally been within the mandate of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, a dialogue with that Ministry should be opened to include a number of topics related to lakeshore development.

Some of these include:

-- the development of a watershed-oriented assessment framework, so that downstream effects of development proposals can be evaluated. This may involve more than one municipality.

-- implementation of the wildlife component of the Lakeshore Capacity Study so that trophic status is not the only consideration for approving development; evaluation, and modification if necessary, of the Lakeshore Capacity Study fisheries component.

-- a standardized number of lots which would require a plan of subdivision rather than a severance.

-- the incorporation of lake capacity considerations in the development of Official Plans at both the District/County and at the Municipal level. These considerations should be backed up with amendments to both the official zoning and appropriate by-law structure. Of additional concern is the determination of the density of resort units on a property after commercial zoning has been designated.

-- a delineation of the circumstances under which zoning variances could be considered on a lake at or near capacity.

-- a requirement for municipalities to organize record keeping in such a manner that development information for specific water bodies is readily retrievable.

-- a process whereby individual severances be subjected to review when a lake is at or near capacity.

-- provisions in the development of site plans to incorporate features which would minimize the impact of development on water quality and nearshore fish habitat. These could include minimum setbacks from the shoreline, requirement for treed vegetative shoreline strips, restrictions on the application of fertilizers on golf courses near lakes, and surge ponds or other stormwater management systems on large developments.


Related References

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