Shorline Restoration at public beaches: Community Consultation

Shorline Restoration at public beaches: Community Consultation

Holly Zimmerman & Katelyn MckInnon

Halls and Hawk Lake Property Owners Association, Terry Moore

Heather Nichol & Peter Lafleur - Geography

TP-667

2013

Haliburton County

Ecological Restoration
Ecological Design
Environmental Planning
Environmental Science / Studies
Geography

The purpose of this project is to develop a community consultation process in order to receive feedback from the community concerning a natural shoreline restoration at Elvin Johnson Park on Halls and Hawk Lake in Haliburton County. SOme Key issues focused on include the implementation of a natural or man-made shoreline, the minimization of the geese populations, reducing the impact of under-cutting tree roots, access for public swimming, and the development of educational signage. Through the community consultation process, a park user survey was created to determine various perspectives of initiating a naturalized shoreline at the park. This survey was aimed at recognizing the user demographics of the prak, as well as identifying the social and recreational users at Elvin Johnson Park. Informal interviews will also be conducted with key local stakeholders, in order to further gain a variety of input and perspectives towards the research project. The survey and interview process found that recreational and social elements are of significant importance when discussing the implementation of a naturalized shoreline. Park users are primarily concerns with the increasing geese contamination in the space, as well as ongoing maintenance to ensure adequate health and safety levels for users of the park. While a majority of respondents are in favour of a naturalized shoreline, many are concerned that new vegetation will disrupt sight lines and restrict access to the lake. In addition, the study found that educational signage is supported by all research participants.

Trent University