Puslinch councillors have reaffirmed their commitment to the Puslinch Lake Conservation Association (PLCA) and will consider financial support for the group at budget time.
“Puslinch Lake is a focal point of the township,” councillor Wayne Stokley said on Feb. 2. “I would prefer to see it as a lake … and not a bog.”
He was alluding to ongoing dredging efforts at the lake, which is the largest kettle lake – meaning it was formed by glaciers – in Canada and one of the biggest in North America.
President Art Zimmerman said the PLCA is asking for a $50,000 grant from the township this year in order to continue the dredging project.
“This is a long, long project,” he said. “It’s been a huge learning experience.”
The PLCA, which is run entirely by volunteers with a regular annual budget of around $100,000, is expecting large cost increases this year due to a government stipulation that it must provide a lining in the area where it dumps the sediment from the lake.
Zimmerman expects large scale dredging efforts to continue for the next six years or so, with occasional dredging thereafter to maintain the condition of the lake.
“No one has ever tried this before,” he said of removing such a large volume – millions of cubic metres – of sediment from the lake.
He added dredging is part of a four-pronged PLCA approach to restoring the lake. The other components are weed harvesting, chemical treatment to kill weeds, and the use of weevils to kill invasive species.
Councillor Susan Fielding thanked the PLCA and said, “I certainly am supportive of your efforts.”
Stokley and councillors Ken Roth and Jerry Schmidt also voiced their support for the group.
Mayor Dennis Lever noted the township, over the last few years, has contributed $25,000 annually to the PLCA. He said council would consider its 2011 grant request, as well as covering bills for its dredging permit and sharing costs for monitoring at the sediment site with the GRCA.
