While highly valued for their recreational opportunities, waterfront properties at the water-land interface are also one of the most productive and important ecological zones.
The ecological impacts of shoreline development and cottage activities on the natural environment have been the focus of much research.
Often the activities being studied are the more obvious ones, for example land clearing, erosion, nutrient impacts from septics, and road impacts.
Typical cottage activities often include many passive uses that may also have impacts. Some examples include angling, shoreline tidying, birdhouse installation, landscaping, garbage accumulation, boating, etc.
RiverStone staff were selected by Ontario Parks to complete a detailed literature review related to the recreational use of Provincial Parks.
RiverStone reviewed both the primary and grey literature to provide a comprehensive body of material describing the impacts of cottage development and related recreational activities on the natural environment within both Rondeau and Algonquin Provincial Parks.