BASS LAKE ASSOCIATION
The Bass Lake Association (BLA) has been operating for over 45 years. Since it’s founding, the main objective of the Association has been to promote, and engage in, good stewardship of Bass Lake. To that end, your association oversees any issues that might arise, and works diligently to protect our beautiful Bass Lake and those who use it.
Of utmost importance is the monitoring and testing of the water quality in Bass Lake. Normally we partner with the Muskoka Lakes Association (MLA), which oversees water quality testing on many of the lakes in the District of Muskoka and provides yearly reports of water quality for all of the lakes. This year, 2020, due to Covid-19, the MLA has suspended their water testing programme. Because water quality is fundamentally important to our lake experience and enjoyment, your BLA executive has decided to go it alone and continue with our own water quality testing program for this year. Expanded water sampling began with the spring turnover - start of season - testing on May 24th. All members will be kept informed of results as the season progresses. Everyone is invited to access water sampling data on the Water Quality page here on our website.
As part of our water monitoring, the association has to monitor and arrange for regular beaver relocations. Beaver dams are a natural occurrence at the south end of Bass Lake - where a series of upstream lakes flow into Bass Lake - and then again at the north end of the lake where it exits into Lake Joe. Learn more about the impact of beavers and beaver dams at our Water Quality webpage.
The BLA is a member of the Federation of Cottagers Association (F.O.C.A.) As we all know, a united voice carries a greater weight on issues that matter. This larger association provides its members with important information on “hot topics,” and provides valuable resources and guidelines relating to:
- Political Issues – what is happening in Ontario, the District and the Township of Muskoka Lakes.
- Safety Risk and Management such as, water quality/quantity issues and boating safety.
- Waterfront Living Issues such as waterfront etiquette for renters, visitors and residents.
- Environmental Concerns such as invasive species and climate change.
- Lowering Insurance Rates for the BLA
The Association helps keep everyone safe on the water by purchasing and maintaining the navigational buoys. This includes paying for insurance related to having the buoys in place. Every cottage owner should be aware of the lake markers and any other potential rocks or hazards on the lake. Please make sure you educate your cottage guests if they should go out on the water. If you rent your cottage, it is your responsibility to advise your tenants of these markers (and also about our Bass Lake Code of Conduct).
Click here to see a full size map
with the location of these markers.
The Bass Lake Association also works to quickly and efficiently communicate to keep everyone informed of urgent happenings on Bass Lake. This includes communicating with respect to water quality issues or road closures, missing children or pets (our own amber alert system), and even not so urgent happenings such as lost and found postings, or neighbours providing suggestions and contacts for our Bass Book - what to do or who to call when you need a service or tradesperson.
The Bass Lake Association also maintains a savings account - funds for a rainy day. Having these funds allows us to go it alone in Summer 2020 and conduct our own water testing, as well as to engage in more vigilant oversight and maintenance of the inflow and outflow zones. These funds are also there in the event that we need to get involved - in any number of ways and at any number of jurisidictional levels - with respect to any development proposals which might have a negative impact on our local watershed... or any other environmental situation that needed attending to. Indeed, the origins of the current Bass Lake Association can be traced back to the installation of the previous culvert - the one that failed and had to be replaced in 2015. The Township made a mess during that installation, for which they (eventually) gave us $8000 in compensation. Maintaining membership levels lets us operate without dipping into these savings... allowing us to hold those monies - in defense - for the future.
Notwithstanding all of the above the most fun and rewarding thing the Bass Lake Association has always done is to bring everyone together and be part of a “community”. The BLA is always looking for ways to include everyone in some fun by hosting lake events which include but are not limited to a yearly charity Poker Run, a mid-summer Lights Out event, Canada Day dock decorating and/or the end of summer Parade of Lights.
For the $75 yearly membership fee, you are really getting a good deal and more importantly, you are helping to keep Bass Lake safe and the best it can be. We hope you will keep being a member and that you will encourage your neighbors to become a member of our association and the wonderful community it is.
MEMBERSHIP
The Benefits of Membership
Volunteer with the Bass Lake Association
Your Bass Lake Association is run by volunteers. There can never be too many volunteers!
Some of the ways in which volunteers contribute to life at the lake include:
- Sitting on the BLA Executive.
- Helping with water testing.
- Helping keep the inflow and outflow channels clear (debris removal).
- Installation and maintenance of the 'beaver baffles' at each end of the lake.
- Installation and removal of sand bags which help control water levels on Bass Lake.
- Seasonal installation and removal of navigational buoys.
- Maintenance of the community information boxes on each cottage road.
- Helping with communications (website, newsletter, community information postings, etc.)
- Helping run and/or participating in any of our lake events or social groups... either an existing activity/event/group... or suggesting a new one!
Are you interested in digital technology and/or digital storytelling of any kind? One of the things we'd like to perhaps develop is a Bass Lake Sound Cloud, podcast or YouTube channel. If that's something you'd be interested in helping develop or simply contributing to, send us a message via the Volunteer tab below.