Environment and Shorelines

When renting your cottage, it is in your best interest to protect your investment and your lake. Here are three simple suggestions from the Coalition of Haliburton County Property Owners Associations:

1. Ensure that you do not have an overcapacity crowd in your cottage. Capacity is the number of bedrooms in your home or cottage, multiplied by two.
   A 3 bedroom cottage should not have more than 6 overnight occupants. If you have more people than that, raw sewage could enter your tile bed and the water table. You could have to replace your tile bed, costing thousands of dollars, and your lake will become polluted.
2. Post the CHA Rental Posters in the kitchen, washroom, laundry room and garbage areas. They will help your guests who may not be used to lake-life and septic systems with practical tips that can help avoid disasters!
   
3. Let your renters know that you are part of a lake community. Many people come to the lake for peace and tranquility -- ask them, kindly, that they respect this fact -- particularly after dark.
   
   Happy Renters, Happy You, Happy Lake!

Your lake could be under threat! If 75% of the shoreline of your lake is not natural, your lake is headed for serious trouble. Natural shorelines with deep rooted native vegetation protect your lake water, the life in your lake and your investment!

Over-developed and unnatural shorelines can lead to unhealthy lake ecosystems that can in turn result in lower property values and decreased lake use.

Lakes with abundant natural vegetation and natural shorelines will see increased property values and flourishing lake use all the while keeping the lake healthy and clean for generations to come!

A recent study found that 92% of our lakes did not make the 75% minimum and are seriously threatened over the next several years. This is an urgent situation and the Coalition of Haliburton County Property Owners Associations in association with the Municipality of Highlands East encourages everyone to do their part.

1. Protect all the natural shoreline you have.
2. Start renaturalizing the rest of your shoreline until you get to 75% or more.

For more information please visit the Coalition of Haliburton County Property Owners Association's Shoreline Health page where you can learn more and watch some helpful short videos about the Ribbon of Life and the importance of Shoreline Stewardship.