Activities – January 2009

NEWS FOR YOU 

Your Stewardship Council has completed the second year of our sampling project. We expanded the sampling sites from 12 to 14 as the 2007 results showed two areas of the river that needed a more detailed analysis. The 2008 results are expected shortly and will be posted on our website and sent via mail to all members in our year end membership packages.

The 2009 program will add an additional 2 sites from the upper French which will be taken by the folks of the Upper French River Cottagers Association. These additions will mean 16 sampling points for the 2009 season. After year end 2009 we will have sufficient and broad enough data to reduce sample points to a few very targeted areas of the river and to provide a technical report of our findings. Sampling and research work to-date shows that our concerns about nutrient loading, specifically phosphates are warranted.

We are continuing our work towards becoming a not for profit corporation and plan to update our members during our 2009 membership meeting. We plan to hold a public meeting immediately following our members meeting so that we can update the general public on all our activities and future plans. This meeting is currently scheduled for July of 2009.

Your Stewardship Council is pleased to advise we have joined the Ontario Federation of Cottagers Association

FOCA is a large and very active group of about 500 cottage associations and, most importantly to us, also has about 300 water stewardship groups as members

We now have access to this membership to share findings and best practices as we work together to improve the quality of water in the French River watershed

FOCA is well recognized as a professional organization representing the thousands of property owners in Ontario’s vacation areas and has a strong voice at all levels of government.

Please see some information about management of your septic system elsewhere in this edition

As always, we need members!!!  If you have not joined us yet – be heard and stay informed!!