Online auction to support environmental project

Jan 13, 2021

The Dog and Cranberry Lake Association is participating in an environmental project that will identify the causes of the overgrowth of weeds and blue-green algae blooms in local lakes, and help develop a strategy to manage and work towards reducing them. 

This project is being coordinated by the Land Between, and is supported by Parks Canada, Watersheds Canada, Cataraqui Regional Conservation Authority, Queen’s University, and the Beatty Water Research staff. These organisations are all making significant financial/in-kind contributions of staff time, specialized equipment and grant money.

The beautiful nature of our lakes is a delicate balance of biodiversity that is disrupted when excessive amounts of nutrients, primarily nitrogen, are introduced to the water. They encourage plant growth of all kinds, including alien species such as the eurasian water-milfoil. They turn our lakes green and promote toxic blue-green algae blooms,” said Teresa Reeve of the Dog and Cranberry Lake Association.

Three interconnected lakes are being included in the study. Dog Lake, Cranberry Lake, and Colonel By Lake. The lakes are located near Battersea in the southeastern corner of South Frontenac, and are part of the Rideau Canal waterway.

They also form the very south eastern edge of the Frontenac Spur of the Canadian Shield. Like Bobs Lake, further to the northwest, Cranberry Lake was given its current form in the 19th century through the construction of a dam.

The cost of the research and action plan is $46,000, of which the Dog Lake Association needs to contribute $6,000.

“We are raising the funds using many different avenues one of which is a mini auction of donated items on our website January 17th and 18th” said Reeve.

The auction, which can be found at doglakeassociation.ca/p/Auction-Items includes items by Elinor Rush, Manuel Stevens, and others.