Communications Coordinators meeting, 2020-05-09

09:00 Saturday May 9, 2019
location: online via Zoom

Introductions (Roger Watt, Huron Sands)

Invited guests:

Communications Coordinators and designated alternates:

Represented: Amberley Beach, Amberley Beach South, Ashfield Beach North, Ashfield Beach South, Bogie's Beach, Cedar Grove, Green Acres Cove, Huron Sands, Huron Sands North, Kintail Beach, Lakeland Estates, Maple Grove, Mid Huron Beach, Port Albert, Shamrock Beach, Sunset Beach
Not represented: Birch Beach, Brindley Beach, Buchanan's Beach, Goat Trail, Horizon View, Huron Shores, Hunter's Beach, Linfield Beach, Kingsbridge Shores, Lake Huron Resort, Martin's Point, Menesetung Park, Victoria Beach

Glen started by reminding everyone that they are welcome in ACW and Huron County during the COVID-19 crisis, but that they should continue to exercise caution and consideration through physical distancing and self-isolation.
The hope is to have the landfill site open again in a few weeks. Watch the ACW website for further announcements.
Council has increased the property-tax rate for 2020 by 0.5%, to avoid any significant cuts to essential services. Coupled with increases due to new properties, this results in an overall 7% increase in the ACW property-tax levy. ACW continues to have the lowest taxes in Huron County.
The planned paving of Horizon View Road this year has been deferred and some of that money has been used to create a reserve fund to support COVID-19 recovery.

"Healthy Lake Huron" is a multi-partner project chaired by MOECP and OMAFRA. It was motivated in part by previous work of the ACLA, Bayfield, and Bluewater groups. There are six priority "demonstration" projects. The Garvey-Glenn Project is the priority in the MVCA watershed.
The province's financial-review process last year resulted in no funding for HLH, but some funding has been obtained for this year.
Long-term monitoring of water quality shows that conditions are ranging from stable to slightly improving.
Phil Beard (MVCA) reported there is significant landowner interest in the work remaining in the Garvey-Glenn watershed, and MVCA is hoping there will be opportunities for special government funding for the 5-year work plan to complete the G-G project.
See the Healthy Lake Huron website for on-going updates.
Several attendees emphasized that the members of the lakefront community need to pursue every opportunity to influence their government representatives to ensure continued support for the Conservation Authorities.

An analysis of 2019 ACW property-assessment data shows that the ACW lakefront has 726 seasonal residences with an assessed value of $276M. These cottages represent 14% of the properties in ACW and 30% of the tax base.
Before 2017, we had wide beaches, many with sand dunes and beach grass from the wave-uprush zone to the toe of the bank. Now, we have little to no beach. Wave action and the rising lake level have caused vertical scouring, loss of trees, steps, landings, stairs, boats, boathouses, etc, and continuing erosion further into the bank is threatening some cottages.
Examples of before-and-after pictures and comments submitted by cottage owners are available as a presentation on the ACLA website.

Two excellent 9-minute videos (one produced with funding from ACLA) show the effects of coastal processes and provide graphs showing how multi-year annual precipitation patterns affect the lake level. See Update on Lake Huron Water Level on the MVCA website.
The worst impacts occur when there are prolonged periods of wind from the northwest, coupled with low-pressure areas over the lake. Estimates are that Lake Huron will rise a few more inches this summer and fall.
MVCA is using the services of a local pilot to conduct picture-taking flights along the shoreline, and is making the pictures available to the lakefront groups via Dropbox.
Near-shore lakebed and toe-of-bank erosion eventually lead to slope slumps and top-of-bank erosion. Protection mechanisms perpendicular to the bank such as groynes are no longer permitted because they create "downstream" erosion by impeding the natural flow of materials from north to south. If toe-of-bank protection is necessay, the recommendation is a sloped revetment. With a cottage that is too close to the top of an eroding bank, the best action is to have the structure moved as far east as the property boundary will allow.
Shore-protection maintenance works require a permit from MVCA, and most new works require coastal engineering. Development (eg: additions, rebuilds, accessory structures, etc) within the shoreline hazard require permission from MVCA. For further information, please contact Shannon Millar, coastal@mvca.on.ca.

Jim was unable to connect to the Zoom meeting, but subsequently provided the following report...

We began 2019/2020 with a balance of $20,668 and ended with $22,500.
Expenses were $120 for rental of the Christ Church basement and $149 for the ACLA website-hosting service.

Glen McNeil was asked to publish a statement on the ACW website re-affirming that cottagers are welcome to use their cottages.
There has been an on-going problem with the spreading of manure that seems contrary to Nutrient Management Plan "best practices". Responses to complaints to the Ministry are too late to observe the problem in time to take action. It was suggested that ACW ask the Huron Federation of Agriculture to remind its members about the importance of complying with NMP practices.
Some groups are continuing to struggle with decisions over ACW or private-contractor garbage and recycling pickups.

Next meeting: Saturday May 15, 2021; method/location TBD.