Brandy Lake in Muskoka

Phosphorus Testing

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Phosphorus Testing…..So… I do the monthly testing for Lake Partners ( I did the full testing for years ..but quit recently)
It was (covid) safe for me to send in samples…but as you can read below in a recent communication with me…they have asked us to stop.
As far as Secchi Depth I’ll stop this month…Basic info…it started off 1.1 m but has been floating around 1.4 meters for most of the season. Average for us is about 1.2 over the decades
The silt does not seem to hamper clearity.
EMAIL BELOW

Hello,

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks thanks you for your support of the Lake Partner Program. We are committed to supporting this important inland lake monitoring program and wanted to provide an update on the status of the program for 2020.

As communicated by the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations elert on June 18, 2020, the Lake Partner Program was placed on hold in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and physical distancing requirements, so that the ministry assessed the safest way to continue the program while keeping volunteers and ministry staff safe. This assessment has been completed and the Lake Partner Program is being reinstated with the following temporary modifications for 2020:

  • For volunteers who cannot implement physical distancing measures, we recommend that you do not collect samples in 2020.
  • If you have already submitted samples for 2020 to the ministry laboratory, please do not submit additional samples this year. The ministry is striving to analyze samples that have already been received.
  • For volunteers who can safely collect samples while implementing physical distancing measures and adhering to local COVID-19 guidelines issued by the local Public Health Unit, the ministry will accept one set of samples for water quality analysis at the Dorset Environmental Science Centre laboratory from each volunteer. Please collect and submit a set of samples in October 2020. Instructions for sampling are provided in the sampling kit provided to you.

 

  • Secchi disc depth measurements collected in 2020 can be submitted to the ministry as per usual.

We appreciate your support for the Lake Partner Program and look forward to continuing our collaboration moving forward. If you have any questions, please contact lakepartner@ontario.ca.

Sincerely,

Melissa Robillard

 

Mitre Saw For Sale

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SOLD!!!!!

Well..at this price ..should be sold in minutes…..looks brand new…..listing quote  below. 

Sears Craftsman Compound Mitre Saw with Laser guidance for sale. This saw is an oldie but goodie, from the era when Sears had the best power tools you could buy!

I have graduated to a sliding compound mitre saw, but used the Craftsman for my most recent project, new baseboards for out Bunkie. This baby has thousands of board feet [er, board metres] left in her.

Asking $100. Bob Carlson at 705-764-0645 or rjbobcarlson@sympatico.ca

Back To School

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Hoping for a “Safe Time” to the parents and kids as we head into this overwhelming  unknown window of getting back to school.

I wear an N95 mask in my garage when in high dust activities…so granted, cloth has less restriction ..but to wear for one hour ish was hard.   N95 has a metal nose clamp..but even with that glasses fogged up….

Feel free to add your stories.

Stay Safe

QUOTE

Do I understand that people have anxiety about this return to school? Absolutely. But we are no longer in March and April when things were out of control and people didn’t know this virus as well as they do now. So I don’t understand the scaremongering going on by the teachers’ unions, their outright dishonesty on the Sick Kids report and their constant need to pick a fight.

We’re all in this together, so let’s work together to make this plan as successful as possible and adapt as challenges present themselves.

https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/lilley-the-truth-about-the-sick-kids-report-and-back-to-school

 

Brine Tank Maintenance

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Many  have BRINE  tanks on Brandy Lake for water purification or softener systems.    I clean mine once a year.

What happens  ..dirt accumulates at the bottom and prevents the brine from being sucked up the tiny hole….   The principle was invented by  Giovanni Battista Venturi.  Hence Venturi.  Basically two converging cones…big to small..small to big.  This increases the speed of the fluid between them.  This speed creates a vacuum thus sucking brine from the tank through a pipe connect to the high flow speed area.   This same pipe is used for fill

My tank has a raised bottom maybe 60 mm preventing salt particles from clogging the pipe.    A high level float level switch prevents tank  overflow on fill…

The only trick part is removing  pipe from the tank.   Do not overtighten….just snug when installing

Note..the white flange/pipe , in the end of the long pipe… that needs to be pulled out before nut will come off.  It is maybe 15 mm long.  Inside the nut is another grommet that prevents leaking.    See picture

Usually let the salt run low….then scoop it out and save it for winter ice.    The residue  water would have high salt concentration so make sure it goes over ground before hitting the lake…if at all.

Thoroughly wipe the tank with a safe solvent…that’s it.    To fill the tank..fast forward through the settings  until you reach ..:”REFILL” and let that go.  I measure my level with one bag of salt…..so I have a mark inside tank