Toxic Fishing Tackle

The "Lead Fishing Tackle Buy Back Program," is a voluntary initiative that will serve to reduce toxic lead fishing tackle from accumulating in the environment where it is responsible for the deaths of millions of birds and other wildlife annually.  Loons, eagles, swans and waterfowl are especially vulnerable.  Lead  is very harmful to all living things, including people and it threatens our water quality.   Lead (Pb) is a neuro-toxin which attacks the nervous system  and can lead to blindness, decreased reproductivity, seizures and death. Lead is fatal to loons and other aquatic birds. 

The WLA, through a generous donation from the Alastair and Diana Gillespie foundation, contributed $1500 towards the cost to replace two failing 4-foot culvers on private property along Scanlan Creek with twin 5-foot culverts.   Installed last summer, the wider pipes may encourage cautious walleye to travel through to historically significant spawning habitat. 

According to a recent Watersheds Canada media release, scant snowfall over a relatively easy winter and continued below-average precipitation this spring resulted in area creeks flowing well below normal.   The lack of depth has translated to very poor walleye recruitment at various spawning bed rehab sites.  While this is indeed disappointing, we cannot control Mother Nature and must once again look ahead to next year with fingers crossed. 

Early summer visual observations of the sites by our Water Quality Director, showed "thousands" of fry (young-of-the-year-fish), presumably bass, using the submerged trees for protective habitat. 

Over the past decade, there have been only a few documented loon chicks successfully hatched and fledged on Wolfe Lake.  Loons face many threats, including lead toxicity and habitat loss.  Their eggs and chicks are especially vulnerable to predation, being swamped by boat and jet-ski wakes or run over by these watercraft.   

In  hopes of facilitating loon nesting success, the WLA has placed a nesting platform on the lake this spring. Please resist the temptation to linger or move closer to these platforms.  Loons may abandon eggs under the pressure of humans.  When a loon is flattening herself (picture below) she is interpreting a threat and is trying to hide.  

Please refrain from creating large wakes around islands and shallow bays where loons nest and be highly vigilant for small chicks unable to dive to escape approaching watercraft. 

In an effort to facilitate spawning Walleye at a juncture of Scanlan Creek below a pair of twin culverts, the Wolfe Lake (Westport) Association has spearheaded a new spawning bed restoration project.   

 Partners:

• Westport Outdoor Area Association (WAOA)
• Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
• Camp IAWAH
• Scanlan Creek Private Property Land Owner

Sponsors:

• Toronto Dominion Friends of the Environment Foundation $4470

Volunteers:

• Margie Manthey

A partnership reprise fueled another environmental project, this time submerging tree bundles to enhance fish and wildlife habitat.  The wood was sunk in locales previously identified by the RVCA as being advantageous yet safe.  Submerged wood attracts many fish species and their young of the year, as well as turtles, herons, kingfishers, dragonflies, and invertebrates. We will be monitoring sites over the next few years using an underwater camera.