May 2010
Ministry of the Environment
Environmental Sciences & Standards Division
Environmental Monitoring & Reporting Branch
125 Resources Road
Toronto, Ontario M9P 3V6

Watershed management

Watershed Academy Web

  • Free distance learning modules on key watershed management topics from the Office of Water at the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

North American Lake Management Society

  • The society’s mission is to forge partnerships among citizens, scientists and professionals to foster the management and protection of lakes and reservoirs.

The Source Water Protection Primer

Best management practices

The Shore Primer: A cottager’s guide to a healthy waterfront

Living by Water Project

  • National partnership initiative offering programs, projects and resources on shoreline living.

University of Minnesota:

A Guide to Operating and Maintaining Your Septic System

  • Available from the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing

Lakeshore Capacity Model: Coefficients, assumptions and validation

Dillon, P.J., and L.A. Molot. 1996. Long-term phosphorus budgets and an examination of a steady-state mass balance model for central Ontario lakes. Water Research. 30: 2273-2280.

Dillon, P.J. and F.H. Rigler. 1975. A simple method for predicting the capacity of a lake for development based on lake trophic status. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 32: 1519-1531.

Dillon, P.J., R.A. Reid and H.E. Evans. 1993. The relative magnitude of phosphorus sources for small, oligotrophic lakes in Ontario, Canada. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 25: 355-358.

Dillon, P.J., W.A. Scheider, R.A. Reid and D.S. Jeffries. 1994. Lakeshore Capacity Study: Part 1 — Test of effects of shoreline development on the trophic status of lakes. Lake and Reserv. Manage. 8:121-129.

Dillon, P.J., K.H. Nicholls, W.A. Scheider, N.D. Yan, D.S. Jeffries. 1986. Lakeshore Capacity Study: Trophic status. Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hutchinson, N.J., B.P. Neary and P.J. Dillon. 1991. Validation and use of Ontario’s trophic status model for establishing lake development guidelines. Lake and Reserv. Manage. 7(1):13-23.

Paterson, A.M., P.J. Dillon, N.J. Hutchinson, M.N. Futter, B.J. Clark, R.B. Mills, R.A. Reid, and W.A. Scheider. 2006. A review of components, coefficients, and technical assumptions on Ontario’s Lakeshore Capacity Model. Lake and Reserv. Manage. 22(1): 7-18.

Robertson, W.D. 2005. 2004 survey of phosphorus concentrations in five central Ontario septic system plumes. Technical Report prepared for Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

Robertson, W.D. 2006. Phosphorus distribution in a septic system plume on thin soil terrain in Ontario cottage country. Technical Report prepared for Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

Lake monitoring

Information on the Lake Partner Program for monitoring water quality in Ontario lakes is available from:

Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Dorset Environmental Science Centre
Lake Partner Program
P.O. Box 39
Bellwood Acres Road
Dorset, ON P0A 1E0
Tel: 1-800-470-8322
Fax: 705-766-2254
E-mail: lakepartner@ontario.ca
Web: Dorset Lake Partner Program

Methods for phosphorus analysis

The MOE’s Dorset Environmental Science Centre can provide information on methods for low-level phosphorus testing:

Don Evans
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Dorset Environmental Science Centre
P.O. Box 39
Bellwood Acres Road
Dorset, ON P0A 1E0
Tel: 705-766-0632
Fax: 705-766-2254
E-mail: don.evans@ontario.ca

The MOE’s Laboratory Services Branch can provide methods to determine both total and soluble phosphorus for a nominal fee (about $35-$50):

Laboratory Services Branch
Quality & Reference Services
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
125 Resources Road
Toronto, ON M9P 3V6
Tel: 416-235-6311
Fax: 416-235-6312

Dissolved oxygen criterion

EBR Decision Notice: Proposal for a dissolved oxygen criterion for the protection of lake trout habitat

  • The proposed uniform, standard, dissolved oxygen criterion to determine development capacity on inland lake trout lakes on the Precambrian Shield for use by MNR field staff and municipalities.

Effects of hypoxia on scope-of-activity of lake trout: defining a new dissolved oxygen criterion for protection of lake trout habitat.