Oathill Lake is an idyllic, tree-lined oasis hidden amongst middle-class homes in Dartmouth’s Manor Park. The short walking trail along its edge is a popular destination for runners and dog-walkers, and the lake acts as a year-round community centre for people who like to swim, skate or fish. (Full disclosure: I’m a resident of Manor Park.)
But Oathill Lake is in trouble.
It has seen two closures in the past 18 months due to high fecal coliform levels. Its once-thriving frog population has virtually disappeared. Its shoreline is degrading. Garbage and dog waste litter its banks.
“We’ve known for awhile that there have been problems with the lake,” says Iain MacLeod, one of the founding members of Citizens for Oathill Lake. “But it didn’t make sense just to go to people and complain. We wanted to go in with solutions.”
The group, which has over 80 members including 12 biologists who live in the neighbourhood, has come up with a long list of suggestions to help restore Oathill’s fragile ecosystem. Presentations have been made to groups like the Inland fisheries, HRM Recreation and the Halifax Wildlife Association, as well as to city councillor Gloria McCluskey and MLA Marilyn More.
Some of the suggestions, like implementing neighbourhood clean-ups and making residents aware of the damage that the over-use of lawn fertilizers and improper disposal of chemicals can cause, are simple to put into action. Others, like adding more garbage cans along the pathway or sanding rather than salting all the streets bordering the lake, require the city to make changes.
One of the most difficult issues to tackle has been the coliform count. No definitive reason was ever discovered for the extremely high count that caused the lake to be closed for several weeks in July and August of 2009, although residents feared that upgrades to the pumping station at the south end of the lake may have been at fault.
Norman Steele, a member of Citizens for Oathill who works as an environmental professional, has been working closely with the Halifax Regional Water Commission to determine the cause of the contamination and to ensure the lake is safe for swimming.
“I’d have to say that Halifax Water has been really responsive to our questions and concerns. They took the investigation very seriously,” says Steele. “I’d have to generally agree with their conclusion that the pumping station was most likely not the problem. It seems like there are a number of other possible explanations: perhaps a possible discharge from the storm water system that empties into the lake. That’s a possibility that’s also being investigated.”
The group has made one suggestion that is stirring debate among users of Oathill Lake: They have asked Inland Fisheries to consider a five-year moratorium on stocking the lake with fish. (The lake was stocked with 3,000 rainbow trout last year and 1,500 are scheduled to be introduced in 2010.)
“We’re not targeting fishermen in general. We’re interested in the ecology of the lake,” explains MacLeod. “But there’s no doubt that the year-round fishery we have right now has had a negative impact on the vegetation and the shoreline. And while there are lots of reasons why frog populations decline, it seems likely that the introduction of so many non-native fish has taken its toll.”
Alan McNeill, manager for Fisheries Extensions, says Inland Fisheries may consider switching back to a seasonal fishery, but a moratorium is not in the cards: “Part of our mandate is to provide opportunities for people to fish in urban areas, and we do that through supplemental stocking. Rather than a moratorium, we prefer to work with citizen groups to address their concerns.”
“We just feel that everyone has taken the lake for granted,” says MacLeod. “A five-year stocking moratorium would help to restore the balance.”
This article appears in Mar 25-31, 2010.
As a biologist, I am absolutely in support of this. Often fishermen are not aware of fish stocks and won’t hesitate to decimate a lake’s fish stock. Every lake in Nova Scotia should have similar moratoriums.
Sebastian the stocks that fishermen might decimate in Oakhill is an artificial stocked population that wouldn’t overwinter even if left alone. They’re hatchery fish. The issue is the damage to the shoreline, not overfishing.
If this article is read through, there is no mention of this group supporting a fishing ban, rather they support a moratorium on stocking which they believe will help improve the ecological balance of the lake. The headline for this article is misleading.
Does Citizens for Oathill have a contact name/phone for joining their group? Thanks!
I guess biologists don’t have to read entire articles to find out what the fuck is being reported. Maybe having urbanity surround a lake is decimating the fish and their habitat, as a fisherperson I think all people should be forced to move away from lake areas. Good luck, City of Lakes, ha ha.
Cranky, You make a good point about having a lake surrounded by Urban developement. I am sure many would agree. As indicated in the article the main concern is not the impact on the native fish stocks. It is that stocking the lake with so many fish (non-native) is decimating the populations of frogs and insects etc. These are know to be indicator of the health of lake ecosystems. I am sure there is also an effect on the native fish as well. Also, the addition of so many fish is creating a situation where there is excesive wear and tear of the shoreline since there is many more fishers than there would be naturally if the lake had a native natural stock. Those type of impacts are not from being in an urban area, they are specifically related to the shoreline areas that fisherman are using and visually damaging.
I witnessed firsthand a lake get destroyed by urban expansion. Fisherfolk used it for years and it was fine. Beavers, trout, ducks, and yes, frogs all prospered there (and people fished it). It was not stocked, though I’m sure that would have been detrimental to its ecosystem (and I’m just a fisherperson, not a biologist). Then the 300-500,000 houses came in. The beavers trucked across the road to Long Lake (some made it, others..not so much) and the fish died off. Then the condos went up and then the dog walkers…
But all is not lost, saw a few trout breaking last year and landed a few on the fly (but chucked ’em back), so who knows…maybe lakes in an urban setting have a chance (a slim one, mind you.)
$300,000 – $500,000 houses, in case anybody is confused. sry.
The issues with this lake have been ongoing for at least 20 years or so – this is nothing new. Homeowners with dogs and dog walkers who use the area and do not clean up after their pets are far more likely culprits of the fecal coliform issue – lots of research out there to show dog “dirt” is on the top of the list of items causing lake contamination in urban areas.
Actually I lived in this area when I was a Kid in the early 70’s. At that time Manor park didn’t exist yet.
The east end (Manor park end ) of Oathill lake was actually a marsh area with a small stream running into it.
the other end was developed (homes are still there) but there was an outflow & the lake had floods etc when wet weather hit. THis IMO meant there was a filter area (the marsh) & a flushing action from floods.
I swam in that lake for years in the summer…never a problem
Well they filled in the bog. put underground piping in & have effectively screwed the filtering action & the flooding/flushing action of Nature… & now they say there’s trouble & you guy’s want to blame dog walkers & fishermen…which probably do put more strain on the lake…but after what I’ve just pointed out, I believe your not looking at THE ACTUAL ROOT OF THE PROBLEM.
So simply rip out the east end of the lake & reinstall the marsh.
Make sure there’s an outfall that is exposed to the air at the western end (end close to Banook Lake) & I’m willing to put money down the lake will fix itself…but it will then flood from time to time & local homeowners will be bitching about their damn flooded lawns & wet backyards !
More,
There are several ” roots”. To say the group is not looking at the “actual root of the problem” is incorrect. They have identified issues with the stormwater flow into the lake and agree that that plays a role in the lake water quality and as indicated are working with HRM to improve the situation. A seperate issue is with the fishing, and the related wear and tear (easily observed) on the lake shoreline and the negative effects to native anaimals by the introduction of too many non native fish to the lake.
the person who added fish to the photo should be rounded up and shot for crimes against humanity.
closeing the lake for 5 years isnt the answer. there are so many fish in there, its not a problem. i would like to see this lake maintained, its a beautiful lake. but, with experience fishing there i can tell you first hand that ive had a lot of negitive repor, with (some of the residents) get mad for trash, blaming people they dont no or seen, some put there dogs in where people fish to try to discurage others. its not your lake its for everyone. so just because joe dirt from the trailor park or larry the cable guy everyone should be able to enjoy.
john the fisherman
For a number of years we and our children visited family who reside by the lake and during these visits we enjoyed swimming in and canoeing on the lake. At that time it was clean, with frogs along the shore line and fish swimming in the waters. There was little to no danger to fish, frogs or people. And then the walking path went in with housing across the way. As time progressed the stresses on the lake increased to the point where thankfully a group of concerned citizens said, “enough is enough” and decided to do something about it. On our next visit to the lake we are looking forward to seeing a clean, pristine lake again.
We presently live in Ontario and around us there are concerned citizens who are also working with conservation authorities to clean up and guard the rivers and lakes. In this time of global warming the protection of our environment is the protection of ourselves. It is the way of the 21st Century!!!
Charlie & Wendy