Year 2000 in Review

'Friends' produce first in a series of water quality reports!

As Friends of the Spanish River, water quality is an important issue for us.  In order to assist in the public's education of our great water resource, the Spanish River, we feel that an informal "Water Quality Info Page" on water quality issues would be valuable.  Accordingly, we will be updating this page from time to time, and will focus each issue on a specific water quality parameter.  General information regarding each parameter will be provided, what it means to us, and how our Spanish River fits into the "big picture".

In this first issue, we will focus on Biochemical Oxygen Demand, or simply BOD.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand

All waters of the world contain organic matter such as bits of old plants, algae, expired organisms such as fish and plankton, etc. Without this organic material, aquatic life would suffer because as bacteria in the water break down this matter, many nutrients are released to the water column allowing the cycle of life to repeat.

However, too much organic material can lead to problems because, as the bacteria are busy breaking down the material, they are consuming oxygen. When oxygen levels are depleted to very low levels, the fish and other animals find it difficult to breathe. This is why it is important not to have too much organic material in the water.

Measurement:  Five-Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand--BOD(5):  BOD(5) is defined as the amount of oxygen required by bacteria to decompose organic matter for a specified time (usually 5 days) under aerobic (with oxygen) conditions.  The amount of oxygen reported with this method represents the easily decomposed organic matter.  BOD(5) is commonly used to measure organic pollution in surface waters.

The BOD(5), as measured on the Lower Spanish River, averaged 1.22 mg/L and ranged from 0.5 to 2.6 mg/L in 1999 water quality sampling.  To put these values into perspective, the "Water Quality Sourcebook--A Guide to Water Quality Parameters", published by Environment Canada (1979) stated that:

"No specific guidelines for BOD have been proposed, but waters with BOD levels of less than 4 mg/L are deemed reasonably clean.  Waters with levels greater than 10 mg/L thus are considered polluted since they contain large amounts of degradable organic material."

Accordingly, the Spanish River is in good shape with respect to Biochemical Oxygen Demand.

'Friends' partner with Spanish River Municipalities to produce Private Buoyage & Public Dockage System

On March 23, 2000, a group of local politicians and the Chief from Sagamok Anishnawbek agreed to proceed with the feasibility of installing a private buoyage system (aids to navigation) for boaters.

The Canadian Coast Guard has audited the lower Spanish River and found it navigable for the entire 51 kilometre (30 miles) distance from Spanish,

Ontario to Espanola. This beautiful, unspoiled river will attract many boaters once this new system is in place. As an added feature, all four jurisdictions agreed that public docks should be provided for visiting boaters along the entire lower Spanish River.

The next step will be to secure the funding for this ambitious project that will include a navigation chart packed with information on the flora and fauna of the lower Spanish River. This will help educate the boating public to join us in restoring, preserving and celebrating the Spanish River.

'Friends' and MNR release 141 Muskie Yearlings in lower Spanish River

For several years now, the Espanola Branch of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the “Friends” have been rearing muskies in captivity for one whole year and releasing them as more mature fish at approximately 18" long. Wayne and Chris Selinger, the husband and wife biologist team with the Ministry, believe that the yearlings have a much better chance of surviving than the smaller 8" fall fingerlings--especially because
the yearlings are seeded throughout the lower
Spanish River in the spring at the beginning
of their active cycle.

Last fall, 360 muskie fall fingerlings were held for “wintering over” at Chamberlain’s Fish Culture Service in Lindsay, Ontario and will be released in the lower Spanish River this spring as yearlings.

Pointer Boat Gets Workout at Fox Lake Lodge

Last July, Bill Blight, the Friends’ veteran pointer boat handler, hosted two groups of willing trippers on the Upper Spanish River. Bill put the Friends’ 32' replica “river driver” and crews through their paces and gave these explorers a taste of life as “loggers” in days gone by.

Ernie Marion in the bow running a pointer through the 'Graveyards' on the Spanish in 1952.  What an adventurous job!

The Friends’ pointer boat, equipped with all of the necessary safety equipment and boat trailer, is insured to be used by the public under our supervision. We welcome your enquiries on future use of this piece of living river history.

Call Captain Blight at 705-869-1324 to reserve “Big Red” for your function. Rates on request.

Brand New, "The Spanish River Song"
written by Dave Hadfield

We’ve come to see the children of the ancient northern timber.
Step out and haul away, we’re bound for Spanish River.
Listen to the silence of the forest in the winter.
Step out....

Following the footsteps of a thousand nameless men,
Who spent the winter lumbering; it wasn’t silent then.
The white pine was piled on shore, to wait the breath of spring,
And to the tune of axe and saw you’d hear the voices sing:
Step out....
Step out.…

The icy wind that’s in your face would make a husky shiver.
Step out....
On my sled I’ve got my bag and tent and stove and dinner.
Step out....

There are those who still recall the days of giant pines,
And old Baptiste who ran the drive and men who strived,
To work the weary winter away, and dream of when in spring,
They’d come down to Sudbury town and make the taverns ring! (With)
Step out....
Step out.…

It’s early in the morning and my tent is frosted silver.
Step out....
I light the stove and watch the firelight make the crystals glitter.
Step out....
We walk upon the Spanish shore and think upon the day,
When snowshoes were for working men and not for those at play,
And though the giant pines have disappeared into the past,
May this wood grow as it should and then forever last!
Step out....
Step out.…

'Friends' Pointer Boat & Miss Bikini Crew Steal Show at Grand Opening of New Marina in Spanish