Notification of the 2024 Minister’s Annual Report and 15-Year Progress Report on Lake Simcoe

The Ontario government is committed to protecting and restoring water resources in the province, including Lake Simcoe. The Lake Simcoe Protection Act, 2008, and the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan (LSPP) provide a framework for Ontario and its partners to work together to improve and protect the health of the Lake Simcoe watershed, which contains natural, urban, and agricultural systems that are vital to the region and Ontario.

The minister is required under Section 12 of the Lake Simcoe Protection Act to prepare a public report every five years on:

• the results of Lake Simcoe monitoring programs
• the progress towards the objectives of the LSPP

The minister is also required under Section 12 to prepare and release a public report annually on the implementation of the LSPP, with a summary of advice the minister received from two advisory committees: the Lake Simcoe Science Committee and the Lake Simcoe Coordinating Committee.

As 2024 marked the fifteenth year of the LSPP, the ministry released a consolidated 15-year report on Lake Simcoe that addresses both the minister’s annual report and progress report reporting requirements under the Lake Simcoe Protection Act.

The 15-year report highlights notable progress in efforts to protect and restore Lake Simcoe, led by the ministry and its partners. We have observed:

• significantly reduced total phosphorus concentrations in Lake Simcoe since 1980
• overall improvement of dissolved oxygen levels in the lake’s deep waters, which will help support a self-sustaining cold-water fish community
• continued signs of stability and naturally reproducing cold-water species lake whitefish and cisco – a positive step towards restoring and sustaining a coldwater fish community

The 2024 annual report summarizes actions taken by three provincial ministries – the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, as well as key delivery partners, to implement the LSPP in the 2024 calendar year. Key measures taken to implement the LSPP during the 2024 time period include:

• conducting and supporting comprehensive studies on water quality and aquatic life
• providing support to community groups who are creating wetlands and ponds, and restoring streams to better manage stormwater
• funding projects that encourage the responsible use of road salt and alternatives for winter maintenance practices.
• supporting efforts to implement agricultural best practices to reduce nutrient input to the lake
• protecting and enhancing the health of fish populations, including coldwater species such as lake trout, lake whitefish and cisco
• supporting the adoption of best management practices for both urban and rural stormwater management

We will build on these successes as we continue to take action to protect and restore the lake.

To view the full report, follow the link in this notice under the “Bulletin supporting material” section below.