December 29th

Overnight the wind died down, and at last all the water was covered with a thin sheet of ice.  Now we wait for more cold weather...and then snow!

December 28

 

Most of the lake froze over on the night of December 24th, then was buried in the first real snow of the season. One large hole in the ice remained. Strong south winds on the 26th made the hole bigger. Strong north winds on the 27th kept new ice from forming. This photo was taken on the morning of the 28th of December....mist rising from the waves on the open water as the north wind continues to blow.

Autumn 2011

Kukagami Environment Watch                                                                           Autumn 2011
www.kewatch.blogspot.com

"Listen! the wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!" - Humbert Wolfe

Summer in Review
     Another wonderful summer at Kukagami has come and gone! Lots of sun and hardly any rain. It doesn't get any better than this. Except it would have been nice to have some more rain....

Autumn Road Clean-up
     The official fall road clean up will take place between October 1st and 10th. This allows two weekends so that it can fit into most folks' schedules and allow you to pick a sunny day. Sign up to clean a one or two km section of the road! To register for your section of the road, drop a line here at kewatch@gmail.com.
Volunteers are asked to keep a rough total of recyclables, and place these in the giant blue bin at the transfer depot. If your section of the road has too much junk for you to add to your weekly drop-off, let us know and we'll arrange for the city folks to come pick it up form the roadside.
     Bring a friend – it's a fine way to spend a cool autumn day while at camp.

Second Annual Mushroom Walk, October 2nd
     Have you ever wondered if you can eat any of those mushrooms that are popping up everywhere after the rains? We'll take a walk through the woods on the afternoon of October 2nd to see what's up, and what's good to eat. Meet at the trail head across from Sportsman's Lodge at 2 pm on Sunday for a mushroom talk and walk. Dress for the weather! And bring along any mushroom books you may have lying around the camp.

Keeping Beavers at bay...
    Just when you thought the local beavers have moved on to another part of the lake, you will suddenly notice they have taken down five small trees in your yard. Yikes! There are lots of trees in the forest, why do they have to take the ones in the yard?
Last year we tried and tested a new way to keep our leafy trees from falling to the beaver's teeth. Sand paint! Beavers don't like the feel of sand in their mouths, so this method really works. Paint your birches with white paint, and toss hands-full of sand onto the paint while it is still wet. The sand will stick to the paint, and the beavers will (hopefully!) travel elsewhere to find fodder for the coming winter.

Cranberries!
     With the long hot summer this year, bright red cranberries are abundant in boggy places around the lake and of course, around the edges of many swamps. Wild cranberries look just like the ones you buy in the store, but they are so much better tasting because they are so fresh!
     Look for tiny trailing vines with half-inch long and skinny leaves. These will be turning from green to maroon as the days cool between now and Thanksgiving. The cranberries will be scattered along the intertwining vines. Most will be 90% red by now, and ready to pick.
Use them to make cranberry sauce by simmering the berries with just a touch of water and some sugar. A splash of lemon juice is optional.
     Or, try something different his year....make a cranberry pie for Thanksgiving dinner! Just fill an unbaked pie crust with fresh raw cranberries, sprinkle with a cup of sugar and add a few dots of butter along with a half teaspoon of almond extract. Put a top crust on, them bake for 45 minutes at 325 F. Yum!

How Lucky We Are

     Research continues to prove that people who spend time in nature are healthier than those who don't. Children really benefit from time outside, especially the unstructured time they spend here at the lake. Some studies have shown that children who are comfortable playing in nature are less likely to have attention deficit disorder. Read "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv for more details. And be sure to send the grandkids out to play next time they come to visit.

Website and Newsletter
The KEW newsletter is published quarterly, and sent by email to any interested person. The Website has random updates and is a great place to post stories and photos. Send these to us at kewatch@gmail.com and we'll get them online!


If you know anyone who would like to receive the KEW newsletter, send his or her e-mail address to kewatch@gmail.com. If you would like to be removed from the list, please reply to this address.

Logging Map for Matagamasi Road area

Logging Map for MacKelcan Road area

Aerial Spray area north of Doon

There is an area of white pine that was logged a few years ago that is establishing naturally to white pine north of Doon Lake (map attached). It will be aerial chemical tended with Vision to knock back poplar competition.

Treatment is expected in the first week of September.

Big Changes to Wolf Lake Forest Reserve!

 The Ministry of Natural Resources is inviting public comment on changes to land use designations in the Wolf Lake and Matagamasi Lake Forest Reserve area. Click here * for the official announcement.

Briefly, MNR proposes to remove protection from the area immediately surrounding Wolf Lake and from the southern part of Matagamasi Lake. Logging will be prohibited around Wolf Lake, but will be allowed within the former 200 meters reserve of Matagamasi southern area. The existing Chiniguchi Waterway Park will be extended to include part of Chiniguchi Lake. Kukagami Lake Forest Reserve will not be affected at this time.

Contact Scott Dingwall at MNR....705-564-7876

History:

For the past 12 years the area around Wolf Lake has been protected from logging and other development as part of Ontario's Living Legacy. OLL was a 1999 initiative by the Mike Harris government to expand the protected areas to about 9% of Ontario lands and waters. The OLL process identified representative landscapes of all forest types and landforms.

The Wolf Lake Forest Reserve has a dual purpose of protecting the largest area of Old Growth Red Pine in Canada as well as recognizing the importance of the historic Chiniguchi River canoe route.

In 2005, parts of the Chiniguchi River were regulated as a Provincial Park. The Wolf Lake area stayed as a Forest Reserve because it could not be included in the park until the mining claims and leases expired.

To date they have not expired, partly because of Minister's direction to renew the claims, whether the required work was completed or not. The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry has been trying to get the Forest Reserve designation removed since 2002. A process of 'disentanglement' has been underway since 2005.

Repercussions:

Mining

Will continue to be allowed around Wolf Lake and southern part of Matagamasi. Will be prohibited around central and eastern portions of Chiniguchi Lake.

Logging

Will continue to be prohibited around Wolf Lake, but will be allowed around the southern part of Matagamasi. Will be prohibited around central and eastern portions of Chiniguchi Lake.

Recreation

There has been an increase of canoe tripping in the Chiniguchi area in recent years largely due to the publication of "Lost Canoe Routes of Ontario" by Kevin Callan. We can expect this trend to continue with the inclusion of our area in Kevin's latest book, "Top 50 Canoe Routes of Ontario".

As well, the Temagami area Parks started collecting overnight camping fees a few years ago. More people are coming to the Chiniguchi waterway because there are no fees.

Land Use Policies:

Provincial Park: Protected areas that prohibit logging, mining, new land sales, hydro development. New roads and trails are discouraged, but can be created with permission. Administered by Ontario Parks. Some maintenance of parking and campsites possible. Use can be managed though camping fees.

Conservation Reserve: (CR) Protected areas that prohibit logging, mining, new land sales, hydro development. New roads and trails are discouraged, but can be created with permission. Administered by MNR. No maintenance of parking or campsites, and no fees for camping.

Forest Reserve: Areas waiting to be protected as Parks or CRs, where mining claims exist or used to exist in 1999. Protected from everything as above, except mining.

Enhanced Management Area: (EMA) In the Chiniguchi area, the EMAs give recognition to the importance of wilderness recreation in the area. Logging operations may be set back a little further from shorelines than in General Use Areas, clearcutting is kept from view of waterways, and new roads and trails are discouraged, but can be created with permission. Mining activities are allowed.

General Use Areas: Recognized as available for development for mining, logging, etc. Consideration is given to special needs of shorelines, wildlife habitat, and recreation. New roads and trails can be created with permission.

Detailed information on Land Uses and Land Use Planning can be found at http://crownlanduseatlas.mnr.gov.on.ca/ .

Questions and comments can be directed to KEWatch@gmail.com. We will continue to distribute relevant information as it arises.

If you know anyone who would like to receive the KEW newsletter, send his or her e-mail address to kewatch@gmail.com. If you would like to be removed from the list, please reply to this address.

* Go to www.ebr.gov.on.ca and search for Wolf Lake to see this link.