Lake Plan


New in 2025 – the updated Lake Management Plan

This very comprehensive Lake Management Plan (LMP) was updated through the hard work of our Lake Plan Update committee – thank you!.  The purpose of the LMP is to identify the significant social, natural and physical features of our three lakes (Halls Lake, Big Hawk Lake and Little Hawk Lake) The report recommends a series of actions that will ensure the long-term sustainability and healthy existence of the three lakes for future generations. The full version of the Lake Management Plan will be available soon.

Fire Prevention


Learn more about how to stay safe and protect the people and places you love by accessing the information available here: 

And remember in case of an emergency, call 911, making sure you and/or renters know your property address.

Our Waters


Halls and Hawk Lakes are situated on the Canadian Shield with shallow acidic soils and granite substrata.

• The lakes are oligotrophic; characterized by clear, cold deep waters with low nutrient concentrations, low productivity, high oxygen concentrations dominated by cold water species such as lake trout

• Many residents have noticed an increase in algae growth

• Natural changes in water quality occur over time but human intervention can accelerate these changes

• Little Hawk Lake is especially susceptible to acidification

• Water quality testing has been performed since 1968

  • Our lakes are part of the Trent-Severn waterway, the largest & most complex canal in the world at 386 km long with 44 locks and 151 dams
Water Metrics Explained
Halls Lake Benthic Monitoring 2020
Hawk Lake Benthic Monitoring 2020
Benthic Poster Halls Lake 2021 – Rhianne Crowther, Jacob Findlay, Kaylen Foley
Benthic Poster Hawk Lakes 2022 – Schweighardt
HHL Water Level Fluctuations Report 2022
HHL TSW Impact Summary 2022
Halls & Hawk Lakes Water Quality Monitoring Report 2022
Halls Lake Benthic Monitoring Poster 2023
Halls Lake Benthic Monitoring Summary 2023
Little Hawk Lake Benthic Monitoring Poster 2023
Little Hawk Lake Benthic Monitoring Summary 2023
Big Hawk Lake Benthic Monitoring Poster 2023
Big Hawk Lake Benthic Monitoring Summary 2023
Halls & Hawk Lakes Water Quality Monitoring Report 2023
Hawk Lakes Benthic Health Report 2024
TARP Water Quality Primer 2021
How the Trent Severn Works
Calcium Decline Factsheet
Blue-Green Algae Factsheet
Blue-Green Algae Factsheet
Lake Partner Program
FOCA Lake Partner Program Instructional Video

Land And Shore Stewardship


Jane Wilson Big Hawk.jpg
photo credit – Jane Wilson

HHLPOA has been proactively engaged in creating awareness and programs that help all of us better understand how to be good stewards of our land and waters.  Over the years the following environmental programs have been implemented:

  • Drinking Water Source Protection Plan
  • “Get the Lead Out” loon protection program + floating loon nest platform support
  • “Love Your Lake” shoreline property evaluations 
  • Participation in the Coalition for Equitable Water Flow (CEWF)
  • “Lake Partner Program”, annual water quality sampling
  • Benthic bio-monitoring on all three lakes
  • Abandoned docks removal
  • “Natural Shorelines” and  “Native Plants” presentations
  • Shoreline rehabilitation assessments and native plant sale
  • Elvin Johnson Park (Halls Lake) shoreline restoration projects
  • Healthy Waters Eco seminar for Kids
  • “Green Up Day”, trash removal from our roads, shoreline and parks
  • Involved in shaping the draft Haliburton County Shoreline Bylaw
Shoreline Renaturalization Presentation

Maintaining a healthy septic system is a high priority for all of us as we want future generations to enjoy the quality of our lakes and rivers as our families do today. HHLPOA has been active in this initiative. “Shoreline and Septic systems” presentations. Septic pump out cost- sharing for water access properties. Learn from the resources below and look for more information here about the Algonquin Highlands re-inspection program as it becomes available.

Septic Systems Overview – FOCA
Septic Systems – Conservation Ontario

Our forests and the habitat they provide are also important to HHLPOA

  • Support for Haliburton County tree preservation Bylaw (2013).
  • “Logging on the Hawks” seminar.  
  • “Bird Life in the Highlands” seminar.
  • New communication tools to broadcast our programs.
  • Beech Tree disease presentation and “Beech Bark” publication.
Beech Bark Disease Brochure