Wakes & Speed

Wakes and speed on the Muskoka Lakes continue to be one of the top concerns we hear about in surveys and in person at outreach events. To address these concerns we have embarked on a pilot project to test tactics to educate and mitigate the effects wakes and speeds have on the lakes. We will begin with one region in hopes of positive outcomes that enable us to deploy these resources more widely in Muskoka and beyond.

Our test area is the Indian River/Mirror Lake section around Port Carling which during the summer is a widely used and misused part of the lakes. In October Safe Quiet Lakes distributed an online survey to the residents of the area to understand their concerns and to establish a base line for comparison. We received over 60 responses – thank you to those who took the time to share their concerns and ideas.

Some highlights are:

  • 90% of respondents are concerned or very concerned about the impact of wakes
  • 91% were concerned or very concerned about the lack of safety knowledge of boaters
  • 85% felt there should be more buoys in the area
  • 80% felt that more signage was required

Given this feedback Safe Quiet Lakes has an opportunity to make a strong impact in the area by working with the Township of Muskoka Lakes, and other stakeholders to help the members of this community through the development of wake related signage, educational and legal buoys along with publicity and direct education. Stay tuned for more updates as we develop new tools to be used in the area this summer!

To read the executive summary on the Wakes and Speed Pilot Project, see below: