Cottagers, permanent residents, and business owners met on July 13 at the Desert Lake Family Resort to kick off the development of a Lake Stewardship Plan.

The plan is envisaged as a “Living Document” that will be a framework for protecting and enhancing Desert Lake and its environs for decades to come.

The meeting included a review of the recently completed stewardship plan for Bobs and Crows Lake by Susan O’Brien MacTaggart, followed by round-table discussions of the issues and concerns that should be included in the Desert Lake plan.  These ranged from specific concerns, such as the protection of water quality and crown land, to the implementation of the plan in collaboration with the township of South Frontenac and Ontario provincial agencies.

Future meetings will be held on specific topics to provide all stakeholders with an opportunity to learn more about the plan and to join the working groups that will prepare the plan. 

The next meeting will be held from 9 to 12am on Saturday, August 25 at the Desert Lake Family Resort. The focus of the meeting will be on water quality.

The meeting was sponsored and organized by the Desert Lake Property Owners Association (DLPOA), a non-profit organization whose membership includes year-round and seasonal lake property owners and the lake’s commercial businesses.

For more information, contact John Sherbino at lakeplan@hotmail.com.