Ashfield-Colborne Lakefront Association ... 2010-08-13
About ACLA Lakeshore concerns Township and County Other resources Sponsored events Contact us
About ACLA Lakeshore concerns Township and County Other resources Sponsored events Contact us
2010-07-10: MVCA Shoreline Working Group 100-year erosion line maps
2010-07-04: Bluff conservation and vegetation management
2010-07-04: Septic tank inspection and trouble-shooting guide
2010-05-31: donating to the Geoff Walker Memorial Fund
2010-05-22: summary of 2010-05-15 ACLA Communications Coordinators meeting
2009-05-12: ACW 2010 seasonal lakefront property-tax analysis
2010-05-06: ABMV Source Water Protection assessment reports
2010-04-24: MVCA Watershed Report Cards
2009-09-20: Lakeshore Environmental Strategy -- working to end agricultural-runoff problems
If you have suggestions for additional information that you think would be useful in the context of ACLA's mission, please let us know!
ACLA is a not-for-profit "umbrella" organization representing the lakefront areas between Amberley and Goderich in Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Township, Huron County, Ontario. ACLA's mission is to coordinate advocacy on common concerns of the lakefront community. The top three values that membership in ACLA provides to the lakefront community are:
ACLA's programs are funded by annual contributions from the participating lakefront associations, with some assistance from individuals, the Township, and other sources.
Representation in ACLA is voluntary. Each participating lakefront association provides a "Communications Coordinator" and a designated backup, and the Steering Committee provides overall coordination.
ACLA Communication Coordinator meetings are held at least once a year, and ACW Council members are invited to attend: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000 (ALA-to-ACLA transition)
Steering Committee planning meetings: 2007
Member concerns: 2002 survey results
Newsletters: 2002-10, 2002-07, 2001-08, 2001-06, 2000-10
Most of ACW's lakefront seasonal properties are subject to Ontario's regulations for development within the 100-year erosion line of the Lake Huron shore and bluff. See MVCA Shoreline Policies 2007 for details.
Pollution that affects the lakeshore community is an on-going concern. DNA analysis of tests done by ACLA in 2003 showed that the E.coli source is animal, not human. The results of ACLA's annual stream-testing program since then show that the dominant cause is untreated run-off from agricultural activities. This was clarified in a UoGuelph/MOE DNA-analysis research report published in 2009, conducted in 2005/2006 around 18 Mile River, which confirmed that the sources of E.Coli were 59-62% livestock/manure runoff, 16-18% persistent swash-zone E.Coli, 5-14% wildlife, 2-3% human, and 8-16% unquantifiable mixed sources.
Ontario's Clean Water Act is intended to keep contaminants from seeping into the sources of our drinking-water lakes, rivers, and aquifers. The Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Committee is responsible for developing proposed policies for our area. Huron County also has a number of related water-protection programs.
ACLA has been urging this since 2002. In 2005, the Huron County Health Unit initiated a voluntary re-inspection program, and inspected 174 properties in 2005 and 178 in 2006. In 2010, HCHU proposed a mandatory inspection program, subject to buy-in by each of the lower-tier municipalities. As of 2010-07, ACW Council is deliberating participation, concerned about the cost to ACW's propery owners.
You might find this septic tank inspection and trouble-shooting guide useful in managing your septic system.
Each year, June through August, HCHU measures the E.coli levels at all public and some test-case beaches. Levels change from day to day. E.coli levels are closely related to whether rainfall has recently carried pollutants from inland via the streams, and whether the water has recently been churned by wave action. For example, according to HCHU data, the tested levels at the beaches are lower for the last few years because lakeshore-area rainfall has been less frequent, whereas inland levels are higher. HCHU advises that if you are in the lake up to your waist and cannot see your feet, that is not a healthy place to be in the lake that day. The HCHU website contains the monitoring reports beginning 2008. For 2007-2000, we thank HCHU for providing the data from which we compiled the summaries for 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, and the above-right trend-line graph.
ACLA participants conduct water-quality tests each year to help identify the inland sources of contamination (see inset map above). This program is operated in conjunction with the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority ... 2008, 2007, 2006 (884KB PDF), 2005 (not yet online), 2004 (not yet online), 2003, 2002, 2001.