Water

Survey and Report Links

Click here for the 2010 CAISN survey of Echo
Click here for Muskoka Watershed Report Cards Click here for Muskoka Water Web

Zebra Mussels

 Zebra Mussels Threaten Northern Lakes from Cottage Life. The article is available here.

Lake Water Testing and Monitoring 

The Echo Lake Association is involved in the following Citizen Science programs: 

Ontario Lake Partner Program (LPP) 
Living Lakes Canada - National Lake Blitz 
Ice Watch 

More information (and data) on each is found below:


Ontario Lake Partner Program LLP

The Echo Lake Association has long been involved in the Ontario Lake Partner Program taking annual water samples to test for Phosphorous, and regular water clarity readings and temperature. The location of the sample point (the deepest part of the lake - 45 feet / 13.7 m) is marked on the map below. 

LPP is an arrangement between the Federation Of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA), and the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) to conduct water-quality testing - Samples are tested for total phosphorus, calcium, chloride, and water clarity. Datasets are released to the volunteers, the public, researchers and other scientists.

To access LPP data: 



Living Lakes Canada - National Lake Blitz

Since 2023, the Echo Lake Association began participating in Living Lakes Canada’s National Lake Blitz program. This is a nationwide annual volunteer citizen science program that seeks to monitor water health: Air and water temperature, water clarity and PH testing. Datasets are used by WWF-CANADA for input to their Watershed Reports, and also the District Municipality of Muskoka Lake System Health Water Quality Monitoring Program Data.

Using a combination of both these water quality testing programs, the average results from 1997 to 2023 are:

Average pH = 6.88 >> OKAY (s/b between 6.5 and 8.5)
Average Phosphorous = 8.3 micrograms/L >> Oligotrophic - OKAY 
Average Depth (Secchi Disk Measurement) = 3.38m >> Mesotrophic - OKAY

Echo Lake is considered VULNERABLE due to the blue-green algae bloom that occurred in 2019. That will continue to remain so.

While the lake seems to be holding its own, we CANNOT REST ON OUR LAURELS! 

To keep the lake healthy, our shorelines are our best defence. Think of the shoreline as the lake’s skin - natural shorelines protect the water by trapping excess nutrients and other damaging substances like fertilizers and other chemicals from entering the water.

Member Laura Murray, a long-time cottager on the lake who’s studied wildlife biology and has been surveying the loons for Birds Canada for at least 25 years, made some very important comments at our 2023 Annual General Meeting that bears repeating here:

If we do get another bloom, one of the worst things we can do is break them. The danger is when boats break them, that just spreads it out and that's where the toxicity really takes hold.

The best ways to protect the lake is not to use fertilizers, keep septic systems in good operation, don’t use antibacterial soap because that kills the natural biology of the lake, keep a natural shoreline (leave fallen trees, and create a good depth of a buffer zone between a lawn, if you have one, and the shoreline). This is our best plan against another blue-green algae bloom and will keep our lake healthy for generations.

Ice Watch

Since 2009, the Echo Lake Association has been tracking Ice IN and Ice OUT.

For more information on the ICE WATCH program, please click: 

Pin indicates sampling location
Pin indicates sample location for temperature and water clarity.



 2024 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 16 23 4.10 m (13.5’)
June 20 26 3.60 m (11’8"’)
June 26 28 2.65 m (8’7”)
July 12 27 2.93 m (9’6”)
July 22 25 2.85 m (9’4”)
July 31 30 2.95 m (9’7”)
August 13 24 3.35 m (11’)
August 22 26 2.65 m (8’7”)
November 28 1 2.45 m (8’0")




2023 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 6 11 3.4 m (11' 4")
May 29 20 4.3 m (14' 3")
June 18 23 2.4 m (8' 0")
July 7 25 2.9 m (9' 6")
July 19 25 2.1 m (7' 0")
August 11 24 2.6 m (8' 6")
August 28 n/a 3.05 m (10')
November 9 n/a 2.44 m (8')
2022 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 22 18 2.9 m (9' 6")
June 24 n/a 2.8 m (9' 1")
July 19 n/a 3.2 m (10' 5")
August 14 n/a 3.3 m (10' 10")
August 26 n/a 3.4 m (11' 2")
October 24 13 2.5 m (8'1")?
2021
 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 24 18 3.3 m (11' 0")
June 6
 22
 3.3 m (10' 11")
July 4 23 2.6 m (8' 6")
September 11 n/a 2.7 m (8' 10")
October 20 17 2.8 m (9' 2")
2020 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 23 17 3.1 m (10' 3")
June 4 19 3.7 m (12' 1")
June 28 22 2.4 m (8' 0")
September 11 18 3.2 m (10' 6")
September 20 14 3.0 m (9' 10")
November 9 8 2.9 m (9' 7")
2019 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 16 12 2.8 m (9' 1")
June 6
 16 4.1 m (13' 5")​
June 23 23 3.6 m ​(12')
July 22
 26 3.8 m (12' 6")
August 11
 22 3.4 m (11' 2")
August 26
 24 2.8 m (9' 1")

2018 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 12 13 3.3 m (10' 8")
June 10 22 2.6 m (8' 6")
June 17 24 2.9 m (9' 7")
July 12 26 3.3 m (10' 11")
July 23 25 2.5 m (8' 3")
August 19 26 4.3 m (14' 1")
2017 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 17 16 3.1 m (10' 1")
June 3 18 3.1  m (10' 3")
July 2 23 ​2.5 m (8' 1")
July 27 Not able to attain ​2.8 m (9' 3")
September 21 Not able to attain ​3.1 m (10' 2")
2016 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 12 15 3.3 m (10' 9")
July 6 24 4.2 m (13' 10")
August 1 N/A 4.4 m (14' 7")
September 16 16 3.9 m (12' 9")
September 25 14 4.1 m (13' 6")
2015 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
 May 24
 17 2.3 m (7' 8")
June 20
 21 2.9 m (9' 6')
July 6
 22 3.2 m (10' 5")
August 22
 24 3.1 m (10' 2")
November 29 3 2.6 m (8' 6")

2014 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
June 7
 21 2.7 m (8' 11")
July 10
 22 3.3 m (10' 8")
July 27
 22 3.4 m (11' 2")
August 11
 24 3.6 m (11' 8")
​October 30
 9 2.1 m (7' 0")


2013 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 20
 18 2.4 m (8' 0")
June 9
 19 3.0 m (9' 11")
July 3
 23 2.8 m (9' 2")
August 5
 22 3.1 m (10' 4") 
October 27
 6 1.5m (4' 11")


2012 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 13
 15 4.6 m (15' 2")
June 10
 20 5.0 m (16' 4")
July 2
 23 4.1 m (13' 6")
July 13
 25 3.5 m (11' 5")
August 15
 22 3.9 m (12' 9")
September 2 22 4.6 m (15' 2")


2011 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 21
 19 3.7 m (12' 2")
June 5
 20 3.4 m (11' 2")
June 19
 22 2.7 m (8' 9")
July 7
 25 3.4 m (11' 2")
July 19
 26 3.5 m (11' 6")
August 26
 23 3.0 m (10' 0")
October 9
 16 3.2 m (10' 6")


2010 Water Temperature (oC) @ 1m Water Clarity
May 23
 15 3.9 m (12' 9")
June 13
 20 3.7 m (12' 2")
July 14
 27 3.5 m (11' 6")

Ice Watch


 Year Spring Breakup (Ice completely off) Fall Freeze-up (Ice over)
2009 April 17 December 16
2010 April 1 December 8
2011 ​April 26 December 21
2012 March 24 December 20
2013 April 23 November 28
2014 April 28 November 28
2015 April 22 ​January 4
2016 April 19 December 11
2017 ​April 15 December 10
2018 May 4 November 20
2019 May 2 December 2
2020 April 16 December 16
2021 April 8 December 28
2022 April 15 December 13
2023 April 16 January 5
2024 April 3 December 8
Average April 12 December 13
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