Clear Lake Property Owners Association Clear Lake Property Owners Association
Water Testing Program

What determines water quality?

The water of even the healthiest rivers and lakes is not absolutely pure. All water (even if it is distilled) contains many naturally occurring substances -- mainly bicarbonates, sulphates, sodium, chlorides, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

They reach the surface and groundwater from:

  • soil, geologic formations and terrain in the catchment area (river basin);
  • surrounding vegetation and wildlife;
  • precipitation and runoff from adjacent land;
  • biological, physical and chemical processes in the water;
  • human activities in the region.

Water Testing Program

The Muskoka Lakes Association (MLA) Water Quality Initiative water quality sampling program tests our lake water quality every year. Your membership fees are making this water testing program possible and have allowed our association to purchase additional equipment this year to be used by our volunteers for the water tests. Samples will be collected and analyzed every second week for the remainder of the summer.

Some tips on how to do this are provided below. More information on the sampling program, water quality results and the health of the Clear Lake ecosystem will be added to the website over the summer.

Remember: Nobody wants to buy a cottage or home on a polluted lake. The quality of the lake directly affects your use of it.

Past results:

Water Quality - What you can do to help?

Keep our lake clean!!!!

Some tips:

  • Ensure your septic system is functioning properly
  • DO NOT use fertilizers on lawns
  • DO NOT remove shoreline vegetation
  • DO plant shoreline plants to assist in maintaining the integrity of the shoreline that will benefit us, birds, fish, animals and ultimately the water quality
  • The association asks for the co-operation of the wake boarders and skiers to use the middle of the lake rather than to go along the shore to minimize the wake action on shore. Shore erosion is becoming a serious problem and contributes to poor water quality

These are the quickest ways to reduce phosphorus and as a result the dreaded algae.