We are Lake Erie Day

[Dave]

Something we should all be aware of since Erie is a big part of our fishing lives...

 

These governments committed to reducing nutrient pollution entering the western basin of Lake Erie by 40 per cent by 2025 — which is next year. Yet, no updates have been provided and every summer the algal blooms return, pushing that target further out of reach.

 

https://www.thespec.com/opinion/contributors/wearelakeerie-day-reminds-governments-to-follow-through-on-promises-to-save-lake-erie/article_a7fe12e5-2dbd-5bf2-a7be-660b63f22423.html

[smerchly]

Farm runoff seems to be the main culprit causing the algae. The Ontario government wanted to build more housing on farm lands since the population is growing. I see a lot of new housing being built everywhere including the Lake Erie area. Can our sewage systems handle the extra effluent from the new subdivisions, condos and malls ?

We are fortunate to have the largest fresh water lakes on the planet and we must make plans to keep our water safe before increasing the population.

So my question is .... What is better for our lands , housing or farms ?   

[Dave]

The answer might be more conscious farming with fertilizers reduced in phosphorus.. Farming run off effects all waterways of southern Ontario..Including our big rivers like the Grand, Saugeen so forth.

 

Speaking of the effects of housing.The thunder bay area (crystal beach) of Lake Erie used to have bullrushes and other aquatic plants on the edge of the lake.Yes, thats how old I am LOL.An almost tiny wetland ecosystem on the shoreline of Erie.Once the new properties were developed to the shoreline with no buffer zone on the edge of the lake.These plants all disappeared a long with the unique ecosystem they held...This is happening every where a long all the Southern Great Lakes..Once they develop those super condos at Prudholmmes that will be another part of the Lake Ontario natural shoreline gone.. When they were first advertised, the bill board read, LUXURY LIVING BESIDE A NATURE SETTING 🙄 

[smerchly]

Yes Dave , lakefront property has a special appeal to those who have the money to live there. 

Speaking of bull rushes , I  know many places (one just about 300 meters from here) that had "cat tails" growing in the ditches and now they have been replaced with those 8 ft. grasses that are overtaking our lake fronts and anywhere with water (swamps). I don't know where they came from but with world free trade we will have more to deal with like the invasive species and bugs like monkeypox 

We need to have some government people who know what is best for this situation.

[dave524]

Actually Erie is many times better than it was in the late 60/70's

[Dave]

8 minutes ago, dave524 said:

Actually Erie is many times better than it was in the late 60/70's

Thats very true and hopefully we can prevent going backwards.

[smerchly]

When I fished Port Dalhousie and Martindale in the 50's the water was like a sewer, with raw sewage and stink everywhere. Much of the blackwater came from paper mills at the old canal from the Merriton-Thorold area via "root Beer river at downtown St. Catharines .Yet we caught many species of fish in the sewer . We had good runs of silver bass and big smelts. My neighbours enjoyed catching the large eels and channel cats.  And yes the carp also seemed to enjoy the putrid water too .

[Fish Farmer]

We must stop the population growth and stop building.

Were pushing ourselves away from the dinner table.

No madder what sewer systems they build, they can't keep up, it ends up in our drinking water.

But by the looks were to late. I live in Hamilton and just in one year the city has turned into a Geto, tent city.

Lately I've been driving up town to the hospitals and it's scary, some people walking the streets look like zombies.

Traffic is like Toronto now, at times it comes to a gridlock. 

[smerchly]

When I bought this house there was a stone road with deep ditches on both sides , a 10 acre field in my back yard and 10+ acres of grapes right across the road . It is all housing now and our street is a speedway for anyone who enjoys driving a fast car with a super loud exhaust, and we can't do anything to stop them. All of the new housing has short streets and new 40km signs as you enter the area. As you exit that area a  sign says "40km Ends Here" so peddle to the metal folks....another brilliant Ford idea.

When we go the get some fruit and veggies at the big super stores we will find much of the product comes from the USA or South Africa ect. Maybe the USA has more respect for their farms as they do with their parks. There's a LOT more money (taxes) for the government to pave farmlands which adds more strain to our sewage plants. And as FF said our highways like the QEW need to add two more lanes each way and they are going to build another skyway at the Homer Bridge. 

I have no idea what the US side of the Great Lakes is doing to control waste going into the lakes .....

 

[toaster]

The golden horseshoe is becoming an absolute overpopulated garbage pit.  When I retire hopefully in 8 years the for sale sign on my lawn can't go up soon enough.

[smerchly]

32 minutes ago, toaster said:

The golden horseshoe is becoming an absolute overpopulated garbage pit.  When I retire hopefully in 8 years the for sale sign on my lawn can't go up soon enough.

I have been retired for 31 years. We had a nice trailer at Quinte about a km. east of Deseronto. We enjoyed going to Napanee to shop and get treated water ect. I wish we had made the move to sell the house and move to Napanee then. Some nice places were available at Long Reach about 20 years ago but we made the long drives to the trailer.

During my last fishing trip to Gibson there was too much garbage for me to pick up so I grabbed a bunch of fishing line on my way out. The trash wasn't all from anglers , some people come to enjoy the scenery ect. and toss their trash anywhere.....totally expected from trashy people, and more of this expected as populations grow here.

[Dave]

1 hour ago, toaster said:

The golden horseshoe is becoming an absolute overpopulated garbage pit.  When I retire hopefully in 8 years the for sale sign on my lawn can't go up soon enough.

 

Sadly true, but there is still some world class fishing opportunities available if you know how...I've had a great year locally myself.There has been some tough days but very few no fish days...

[kevin]

I think the PFAS/PFOS issues in Lake Erie are of even more concern.  And it's in the fish.

[Dave]

2 hours ago, kevin said:

I think the PFAS/PFOS issues in Lake Erie are of even more concern.  And it's in the fish.

I've just recently become aware of PFAS's and I would have to agree with you...Bad day on Erie today but what do you expect on the second day of a cold front..

It was 12C when i got there.Only managed to poke one bass..You know its a bad day when the Sheephead dont bite and the Bass swim away when you drop the bait in..Did see some huge Bass in the shallows thou...