This memo is a thorough compilation of the research that Lake Ontario Waterkeeper’s Clean Water Workshop students completed in 2010 and 2011 on the Leslie Street Spit, an active construction waste dump extending into Lake Ontario. This memo begins with the history of the Spit and jurisdictional details to give context to the following sections on environmental ramifications and legal mechanisms.

The Clean Water Workshop and Lake Ontario Waterkeeper are interested in the lake-filling practices on the Spit due to the environmental consequences of these practices on the water quality of Lake Ontario and the surrounding ecosystems. The “Environmental Impacts” section gives a broad description of the effects of lake-filling.

Read the full Leslie Street Spit memo here.

Here’s what you’ll find in this memo:

Overview
Facts and Background
History of the Leslie Street Spit (Eastern Headland)
What is lakefilling? Is the Leslie Street Spit a lakefill?
Who Owns the Spit?
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority [TRCA]
The Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario)
The Toronto Port Authority [TPA]
Future of the Spit
Relevant Legislation
Overview of Potential Impacts on the Lake
Chemical Effects
Physical Effects
Embayment Habitats
Longshore Drift
Sedimentation and Turbidity
Physical Effects of Dredging
Appendix: Maps
Bibliography
Legislation
Jurisprudence
Secondary Materials