Dan Butler from Quinte Conservation was going to attend our 2026 AGM but unfortunately when weather forced us to hold the AGM on our rain date, he was no longer able to attend. Fortunately, we have a copy of his report with all the good and helpful information he intended to share with our members:
From what I could gather, Horseshoe and Crotch Lake seem to be a very healthy system. The shorelines are natural and the properties are very well maintained – erosion doesn’t seem to be an issue. The lakes are full of native submerged vegetation, including a variety of pondweeds and tapegrass. The shallow, wetland areas are also full of the usual emergent suspects: Pickerelweed, Arrowhead, White Waterlily, and Yellow Pond-lily. All good signs.
As far as invasive species go, the only one I could find is Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) – a common lake invasive that we see all over Ontario. We often see it on the Bay of Quinte and in more southern lakes, and is one that’s starting to pop up in more northern lakes like your own. Kennebec Lake, near the headwaters of the Salmon River system, is facing a similar issue, along with Skootamatta Lake, in the headwaters of the Moira River system. The property owners’ associations for these lakes are active trying to raise awareness and manage their infestations.
The good news is that the situation isn’t out of control on Horseshoe or Crotch Lake. Likely EWM has spread downriver or has been brought in attached to someone’s vessel, likely unintentional. Eradication can be very difficult and costly, it’s not a course of action I would explicitly recommend but there are things you and your association can do to prevent the further spread of EWM. First, you can raise awareness about the species. Letting landowners know it’s on the lake or placing signage at the boat launches are good first steps to educate lake users. Another option is having a boat cleaning station at your boat launch. Our organization has partnered in the past with the Invasive Species Centre to have something called the CD3 Watercraft Cleaning Station, available for municipalities to rent out and host at their own boat launches. The company that makes it has multiple models that anyone can purchase outright, but this is quite expensive. Lake St. Peter Provincial Park, just north of Bancroft, has a DIY one that is literally just a power washer that’s available for boaters to clean off their vessel. This is a much more budget friendly option that accomplishes the same goal. On Skootamatta Lake, they’ve even gone the extra mile of places buoys at known populations to encourage boaters to avoid these areas entirely. Your lake is significantly smaller, so that maybe be a bit more difficult. At the end of the day, I think education, awareness, and prevention are your best friends at this stage in the game, and the best line of defence you have against containing the spread of EWM.
Even with the detection of EWM, Horseshoe and Crotch Lake are an exceptionally beautiful portion of the Salmon River, and the people who live on them have done a fantastic job of keeping it that way. If anyone has any questions about my findings or would like any additional information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.