TICKED OFF AGAIN
Deer Tick Removed from Dog
Dr. Brian Laing removed a tick from a dog that had picked it up in the back of Coultice Park. Here is a good article by him on ticks and how to prevent them.
Tagged: Dr. Brian Laing
05 Jul
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Nature’s Way of Leveling the Playing Field
From the Reader’s Write section of the Stouffville Free Press
These periodic die-offs may be nature’s way of leveling the playing field.
In the last couple of weeks Musselman’s Lake has experienced a fish die-off similar, but less severe in numbers, to what occurred in the spring of 2009.
There are a number of similarities between this fish die-off and that of 2009. As in 2009 the dying fish are almost exclusively black crappie, as well, both incidences occurred in the early spring when the Crappie are breeding.
Sunfish nesting in Musselman’s Lake. Photo Dr. Brian Laing
Sunfish, a close relative, are seen mating and nesting as I write this. A water quality issue would affect more than one species of fish.
All of this leads us to believe that the crappie die-off that we have just experienced is caused by the same thing that caused it in 2009, namely, the unusually warm weather followed by a drop in temperature timed just when the crappie are breeding. This theory is further supported by the fact that almost all of the fish are of breeding size, the young fry are not affected.
If the Crappie were not spawning they would have stayed in the deeper cooler water and not been subjected to the water temperature fluctuations. As it is, the breeding fish stay in the shallow water and are stressed becoming prone to a bacterial infection by Columnaris flexibacter.
Columnaris is always present in fish, but typically becomes an issue only in stressed fish.
Postmortems in 2009 confirmed this as the cause at that time. Due to the similarities of the two die-offs, we have not performed postmortems this year, but are confident that the cause of the two incidents is the same.
There is potential ‘silver lining’ to this crappie die-off. Crappie are an aggressive species recently introduced to the lake (likely through release of baitfish). I have seen their young surround a sunfish nest and slowly eat all the eggs. As the male sunfish chases off one juvenile crappie another moves in and eats some eggs. The sunfish returns to the nest and chases off the new interloper while a third rushes in to eat some more eggs. In very little time the sunfish nest is empty.
Because of survival instincts like this, the crappie population has dramatically increased since they were introduced to the lake and is putting pressure on other species.
These periodic die-offs may be nature’s way of leveling the playing field.
Dr Brian Laing
MLRA
Town and Country Animal Hospital
905-640-4107
Related Links
Natural Occurrence and No Cause For Alarm
07 Jun
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Natural Occurrence and No Cause For Alarm
Nature At Work…no cause for alarm
Recently residents are again seeing a fish die off. This is something that we have seen before and again are looking into with the same vigour as before. The last die off was in 2009 and that information, including the results of fish autopsies can be found in the Related Links section below if anyone is interested. We would encourage all waterfront residents to please scoop as many dead fish as possible out of the water and dispose of them either through burying or the green bin.
This year we have seen very little algae so far but a much greater bounty of weeds coming to the surface. We have found that on years where the ice comes off early and the weeds can get established that we do not get an early algae bloom, in years like last year where there is a late melt followed by weeks of warm weather the algae can get a good hold. This is all natural and exactly what the experts tell us to expect. This has nothing to do with lake pollution and everything to do with the natural life cycle of a living body of water.
CLICK ON IMAGE for the Water Quality and Management of Musselman’s Lake Report
In 2014 we were very fortunate to have Geranium homes contract Hutchinson Environmental Sciences conduct the most extensive study of Musselman’s Lake ever. Please click on the report image to view this very extensive and enlightening report.
We will keep everyone posted with results of the investigation into this years die off.
Dr. Brian Laing, has been looking into this years fish die off, which consist 99% crappie and mostly breeding size.
They were breeding last week before the sunfish started mating season started. The recent unusual warm weather while they are breeding stresses them and makes them susceptible to bacterial infections.
This is a completely natural occurrence and no cause for alarm.
Related Links
Crappie Story
Update of the Crappie Die-Off
Crappie Update
It’s Crappie!
LAB RESULTS ARE BACK
REMEMBER… “THE LAKE ISN’T A SWIMMING POOL”
GREAT NEWS! NO SERIOUS WATER QUALITY ISSUES WITH LAKE
NO WORRIES
WOW, WHAT AN EARTH DAY TO REMEMBER AT MUSSELMAN’S LAKE
05 Jun
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Ticked Off
Unfortunately both Ticks and Lyme Disease are spreading in Ontario. What can you do to protect your family and your pet?
Dr. Brian Laing
CLICK HERE for more information on Ticks and Lyme Disease
Experts are warning us that this year promises to be a banner year for ticks. Already we have seen in our practice a dozen dog’s come in with ticks attached to them, including one lady who found two crawling in her kitchen that had fallen off their dog after a walk in the forest.
Our forests are wonderful this time of year and can be enjoyed safely if you take the proper precautions. Don’t stay away from them out of fear, but don’t ignore the ever-increasing threat of ticks. Protect your family and your pet.
15 May
Comments Off on Musselman’s Lake Is Healthy And Vibrant
Musselman’s Lake Is Healthy And Vibrant
While none of us like to see the amount of algae mats that are in the lake this spring, it is important to understand why they are there and to look at the long term trends in water quality that fortunately are positive.
A synopsis of what is happening in our lake, by Dr. Brian Laing.
Musselman’s Lake is healthy and vibrant!
So, why are we seeing more algae this Spring?
This winter has been long and hard and the spring late in coming. This has delayed the normal slow blooming of algae and had made it come all at once. Algae cells are able to rise into the warmer water at the surface of the lake and consequently take advantage of the sudden warming of the water. This has been one of the harshest winters in living memory so it stands to reason that it will have a transitory effect on the ecology of the lake.
Of greater concern are the trends in water quality in our lake. As detailed in Dr Hutchinson’s water quality study of the lake, the overall health of the lake is good, and improving.
CLICK ON IMAGE for the Water Quality and Management of Musselman’s Lake Report
As we have suspected, Dr Hutchinson determined that one of the major problems controlling algae blooms and plant growth is the internal loading of phosphorus. Phosphorus is the primary nutrient that controls growth of plants and algae in most lakes. When plants and algae die and decompose on the bottom they release phosphorus into the water. Under aerobic conditions (plenty of oxygen) the phosphorus is bound up and unusable for plant or algae growth but under anaerobic conditions (little or no oxygen) this phosphorus is released back into the water in usable form. This is called internal phosphorus loading an it is largely responsible for the algae blooms and plant growth. In the winter the bottom of the lake becomes particularly anoxic and results in extra phosphorus being available for algae and plant growth in the spring. This winter was harder than usual likely resulting in greater phosphorus being available. The other ingredient for algae growth is warm water. Because this was delayed this spring, when it did come there was plenty of phosphorus available for eager algae to use.
Past studies have shown that the phosphorus level in Musselman’s Lake have decreased by 50% between 1989 and 2006. Dr Hutchinson’s results show that it has reduced further in 2013. This is good news. Our lake’s total phosphorus concentration is below the Provincial Water Quality Objective ‘for protection against nuisance growth and algae, and would not be indicative of impaired water quality, particularly for a lake in Southern Ontario’. Because of this, Dr. Hutchinson has recommended that we not pursue phosphorus sediment inactivation techniques such as phospholock at this time. He did however recommend that we continue to monitor water quality to track the inter-annual variability and if the internal phosphorus loading is in an up trend then the community should consider phosphorus sediment inactivation techniques at that time.
So in conclusion, while the algae mats are unsightly, they do not mean that the health of our lake has suddenly a turn for the worse. Fortunately Geranium homes generously supported the detailed professional analysis of the Lake by Dr. Hutchinson which gives us a baseline of the lake’s water quality.
It is our belief that we as a community should organize and raise money for ongoing monitoring of the lake so that trends can be identified and informed decisions can be made on if and when remedial action is necessary. The monitoring also enables us to gauge the effects of the actions we institute.
RELATED LINKS
LAB RESULTS ARE BACK
REMEMBER… “THE LAKE ISN’T A SWIMMING POOL”
GREAT NEWS! NO SERIOUS WATER QUALITY ISSUES WITH LAKE
NO WORRIES
WOW, WHAT AN EARTH DAY TO REMEMBER AT MUSSELMAN’S LAKE
Water Safety
WS News- Stouffville.com
Community Links
13 Apr
Comments Off on TICKED OFF AGAIN