The Aylesford Initiative
In 1994 a multi-stakeholder group, spear-headed by municipal staff, formed to address longstanding concerns about environmental impacts from residential development on Kings County lakes. This group comprised representatives from all three levels of government as well as local community groups, (e.g. Aylesford Lake Property Owners Society, Lake George Property Owners Society) and the development community. The group's objective was to implement a tool which could be used to determine the extent of development that could exist around a given Kings County lake while maintaining its water quality at acceptable levels. This tool was to be used by the Municipality in a planning context.
Municipal Council adopted a phosphorus loading model in 1997 which predicts changes in water quality as a function of shoreline residential development, watershed geology, and individual lake dynamics. Municipal staff are now in a position to consider development proposals within the context of pre-determined water quality objectives set for county lakes in the Municipal Planning Strategy.
Council implemented the Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program to validate and calibrate the model, as well as to facilitate awareness and stewardship initiatives in the county. The Kings County Wildlife Federation and The Acadia Center for Estuarine Research (notably Dr. M. Brylinsky) have provided local involvement in developing and coordinating this volunteer monitoring effort.
The Nova Scotia Department of the Environment has contributed funding and technical support for all aspects of this initiative since its inception, including the monitoring efforts. Similar support has been provided to other community groups involved in volunteer monitoring activities; e.g. Bluenose Atlantic Coastal Action Program, Soil & Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax, Shubenacadie Watershed Environmental Protection Society, and Shubenacadie Grand Lake Watershed Advisory Board.
The Program today
The Kings County Lake Monitoring Program continues the efforts that began back in 1997. Monthly water sample collection starts in May and runs through to October. Volunteers collect samples from Hardwood Lake, Loon Lake, Lake George, Aylesford Lake, Gaspereau Lake, Murphy Lake, Little River Lake, Black River Lake, Lumsden Pond, Tupper Lake and Sunken Lake. New volunteers are always welcome to help out with sampling on any of the lakes, and other lakes may be considered in subsequent years. The aim of the Kings County Lake Monitoring Program is to maintain the water quality in our watersheds so that residents and visitors may enjoy them in the future.
Goals
- to address citizen's concerns regarding lakeshore development impacts to Kings County lakes by working with lake associations and municipal, provincial and federal departments
- to put a planning tool in place to aid decision making
- to develop a phosphorus loading model capable of predicting changes in water quality as a result of shoreline residential development
- to consider municipal planning and approval activities in the context of predetermined water quality objectives for Kings County lakes
- to implement a volunteer lake monitoring program to provide feedback to validate the model and facilitate awareness and stewardship initiatives in Kings County
Acknowledgements
- Our Volunteers
- Acadia Centre for Estuarine Research, in particular Mike Brylinsky, for conducting training workshops for volunteer monitors and data analysis
- The Province of Nova Scotia and Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service, for ongoing technical support for the monitoring effort
- Community groups: Lake George Property Owners Society, Black River Lake Association, Kings County Wildlife Federation, Bluenose Atlantic Coastal Action Program, Shubenacadie Watershed Environmental Protection Society, SGLWAB