The field work on A2A's Species at Risk project on Lower Beverley Lake is now finished.  Our crews were able to complete the work they had taken on, even though time was short.  

The seining crew with the help of volunteers completed 150 seines, covering all the different regions of Lower Beverley Lake's Shoreline.  They found 4 different Species at Risk in the lake, and many other common species. After they finished with the field work, Mike McDonald, a crew member, spent a few weeks entering the data onto spreadsheets for analysis. It then went to the computer of Project Manager Svenja Belaoussoff.  She has now completed most of the analyses.  According to Scott Smithers biologist for the Kemptville District, who trained the crew and works for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, which was a major funder of the project, "Her analyses, upon my initial review, all look excellent and her findings are definitely intriguing!"  In our next update, we will tell you about what this means in layman's terms and how these findings will affect stewardship plans for the lake. Scott showed some of the preliminary work at a workshop for volunteers and other interested people in organized by A2A on December 15th.

The shoreline crew, helped by volunteers, made the three passes around Lower Beverley Lake that they had set out to do, collecting and recording different data at various GPS points along the lake.  The researchers have determined where shorelines have been left in their natural state, which is most beneficial for wildlife, where there have been lesser degrees of disturbance or some renaturalization of the shoreline and where there is ornamental development and/or man-made structures along the  shoreline.  We also learned from their work what kind of upland vegetation exists for various areas as well as the type of land above the shoreline (rocky, eroded, etc.). All this information has been analysed and turned into maps by the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority. The findings will be used to determine where stewardship activities will be most strategic.   Tom Beaubiah, CRCA's biologist, also presented some of the preliminary mapping at the community get-together in mid December.  Below you will find a sample.

All lakes in the Gananoque System were tested for water quality except for Higley Lake and Charleston Lake, which has already been extensively sampled by the Charleston Lake Association.  A sonde was used, which electronically collects data about many aspects of water quality.  In addition, samples were collected to determine phosphorus quantities, one of the most important indicators of lake health. Samples from 17 lakes were sent to the Lake Partner organization for lab work.  A2A wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Lake Partners in doing this lab work at no cost to the project. Volunteers were helpful in getting this work done on several lakes, and to them we also owe a debt of gratitude.

Final summary reports will be available on this website.  We anticipate posting them before the end February 2009. 

 A2A recognizes the financial support received from Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Species at Risk Stewardship Fund for this project.  We want to recognize the partners who helped the Algonquin to Adirondacks Conservation Association to make Phase 1 of the Gananoque River Watershed Community Stewardship Project a success.  Thank you everyone!

Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority
Centre for Sustainable Watersheds
Charleston Lake Association 
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Elizabethtown-Kitley Township
Gananoque River Waterways Association
Frontenac Arch Biosphere
Leeds and the Thousand Islands Township
Leeds County Soil and Crop Association
Leeds County Stewardship Council
Lower Beverley Lake Association
Mohawk Council of Akwesasne
Ontario Fur Managers
Ontario Nature
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
St. Lawrence Islands National Park
Shawmere
South Lake Association
Thousand Islands Community Development Corporation
Toronto Zoo
Upper Beverley Lake Association