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Government Policy
In the summer of 2006, DMM approved Official Plan Amendment 32 , dealing with Lake System Health. This policy uses DMM's updated recreational water quality model to classify lakes based on how their current phosphorus concentration compares with their estimated natural (pre-development) phosphorus concentration. Each lake, and some segments of larger lakes, has its own threshold phosphorus concentration. If the current concentration is higher than this threshold concentration, the lake is classified as "over-threshold."DMM's Official Plan now states that over-threshold lakes should be subject to strict development controls (administered by the area municipalities). Remedial action plans should also be created for these same over-threshold lakes, in an effort to reduce anthropogenic phosphorus loading and therefore improve the ecological health of the lake.
Unfortunately, DMM's Lake System Health Monitoring Program and recreational water quality model are not designed to identify sources of phosphorus loading or any other environmental stressor. Moreover, DMM has not developed a framework or strategy for developing and implementing remedial action plans.
