Trash washing in from lake overwhelming

Trash washing in from lake overwhelming

May 26, 2005


I recently cleared out my boat slip at the back of my property. Every year I accumulate debris. The last couple of years, I have cleared out an array of items from partial docks to a lawn chair.

This year was three times more than usual. After the Lake Simcoe weed removal program started, we have been overwhelmed with leftover debris in our slip.

Yes, I know, I should put up a mesh barrier to stop this from happening. I have recently done so. Who else has been bombarded with weeds?

The bigger issue is the garbage I have removed from the water. Recently, I cleared out more than three dozen plastic ammunition shell covers, plastic bags and baggies, condoms, bleach bottles, lighters, pop cans, wine corks, beer bottles, plastic beer can rings, lures and other unidentified debris.

I do not use pesticides on my lawn and I am an avid recycler. In our family of five, on average we put out only a one-third to one-half bag of garbage.

Yes, we could do better and we're working on it. How can people litter our lake? The small animals living in it are at risk with this waste. I found all these items just in my boat slip. Imagine the whole of the lake.

One final note. every year I pull a car tire out of the water. Again, another tire has appeared at our waterfront this year. Stop dumping in our lake.

J.M. PEART

KESWICK