Horseshoe Lake Seasonal Water Fluctuation Effects on the Benthic Zone and Implications for the Fish Assemblage

Horseshoe Lake Seasonal Water Fluctuation Effects on the Benthic Zone and Implications for the Fish Assemblage

Courtney Leermakers

Horseshoe Lake Property Owners’ Association (HLPOA), Jeff Muirhead

Tom Whillans, Trent School of the Environment

TP-4778

2017

Online

Minden Hills

Environmental Science
Biology
Fisheries
Water Science

The Horseshoe Lake Property Owners’ Association (HLPOA) represents the property owners of Horseshoe Lake, situated in the highlands of Haliburton County. The organization addresses environmental, political and community issues concerning the lake and its owners. HLPOA is concerned about the viability of the lake to sustain apex predator fish species. Fish populations are important to sustain because they provide ecological and social benefits. These include ecosystem diversity, food web interactions, and recreational activities including fishing. It is crucial to research the effects of water fluctuations on fish by examining the quantity and quality of littoral habitat used by benthic invertebrates. Therefore, this project will determine if the limits of the benthic community diversity of Horseshoe Lake, during the fall season drawdown, is as diverse as would be expected of this type of lake. It will then interpret the implications for the lake’s current assemblage of fish species. This will indicate potential limitations of Horseshoe Lake habitat for apex predator fish species in the lake, and will lead to the identification of hypotheses meriting further study.