Swan Lake Park in Markham is home to a rich diversity of wildlife. But this wildlife is threatened by the deteriorating water conditions in Swan Lake and the erosion of sustainable terrestrial habitat in Swan Lake Park due to the unchecked intrusion of invasive plants. The environmental elements in the Park are all interconnected and
Phoslock is a modified clay product made from naturally occurring products lanthanum and bentonite. Lanthanum binds with phosphorus to produce lanthanum phosphate. Lanthanum phosphate is very insoluble and therefore once bound phosphorus remains locked up within the bentonite. Phoslock settles on the sediment and so long as there are active lanthanum sites it will continue
Phoslock targets the critical goal of reducing phosphorus already in the lake while the Geese Management program should help reduce the major external source of phosphorus and nitrogen. We are not aware of any planned changes in stormwater management design or practices in and around the park; however improvement in stormwater management practices could have
We believe the following comprehensive six year program could stabilize Swan Lake as a eutrophic lake and provide a basis of assessing whether attaining mesotrophic status is feasible. The proposed plan is based upon a 3-year Phoslock treatment cycle supported by continued efforts to reduce incoming phosphorus and nitrogen through aggressive geese management. In parallel,
Technical assessments by Markham have ident1fied four underlying factors that are impacting the poor water quality conditions in Swan Lake: excessive levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, chloride (from road salt) and low oxygen levels. Excessive Phosphorus Levels The primary issue impacting water quality is considered to be the excessive levels of phosphorus. Phosphorus is a nutrient
In June 2020, Friends of Swan Lake Park outlined a proposed action plan for the city of Markham that would restore both Swan Lake and Swan Lake Park. Short Term Action Plan Reverse the policy that defines Swan Lake as a Stormwater Pond Swan Lake was designed as a community recreational centre with a robust
Most of the excess phosphorus entering Swan Lake is attributed to Canada Geese with only 30% -50% coming from runoff from adjacent areas and stormwater. Staff has conclude that there is little that can be done to reduce stormwater and park runoff so the focus is on what, if anything, can be done to reduce
Good news! Markham Council and city staff have initiated a program to address the comprehensive needs of both Swan Lake and Swan lake Park. You may have noticed a number of changes in the Park over the summer including the planting of 32 new trees near the windmill and the installation of “toxic algae” warnings
The following submission was made to the General Committee of Markham Council by Friends of Swan Lake Park Submission_Friends of Swan Lake Park_General Committee Meeting_June 15 2020_Agenda Item 9.2
The following presentation was made by Fred Peters, member of Friends of Swan Lake Park Friends of Swan Lake Park_General Committee Meeting_June 15 2020_Agenda Item 9.2_Presentation
