Lake Vaughan
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vaughan1Raynardton is a small area, nestled in between the communities of Deerfield and Tusket Falls . It is attractively set around Lake Vaughan, the roads circling the lake on both sides. Lake Vaughan is a man-made lake, created over 100 years ago by the first settlers. It is now used as a source of electricity for the Nova Scotia Power Company. Swimming is very popular in the summer time, and the lake attracts wildlife such as loons, ducks, beavers, muskrats, and a fairly large fish supply. The area is very beautiful all year round. In the fall the trees are lit up with colors, and in winter it becomes a winter wonderland. The area is also attractive for homes. Many people, young and old, have found the area a good place to raise a family, spend a quiet retirement or expand family roots. Many people have been moving into the area, building new homes or renovating old ones. Aside from new settlers, there are many who are ancestors of the first settlers. The names "Raynard" and "Andrews" still live on, being the most dominant families. There is a sense of family and history in this small community.
JOB RAYNARD The first settler to put down roots and start a community here was Job Raynard. He was born in England in 1763, and was a soldier in the War of Independence in New York. After the war he, and many other settlers, settled in Shelburne before coming to what is now Raynardton around 1791.
More information http://www.yarmouth.org/villages/raynardt/index.htm

Picture taken by Allister d'Entremont over the northern end of Lake Vaughan June 22,2011.
From: John Horton <halleyhort@hotmail.com>
To: john horton <halleyhort@hotmail.com>
Subject: Woods Mink Farm, Lake Vaughan.July 2011
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Woods Mink Farm ,located on Lake Vaughan in Gavelton, Yarmouth county,NS.

Up the hill ,the unseen part of Woods farm  shows lots of new construction , excavation and expansion.  Nutrients flow  readily  through a canopy of trees and vegetation towards the lake , creating a tangled mess of  "fertilized" water plants and Cyanobacteria in roadside ditches and ponds.

Do concerned residents have any power to stop this ? You might be surprised at the plans and commitments that have een made by our Department of Agriculture.  ...........It ain't good for our waterways!
Will settling ponds and cat nine tails solve the problem of "nutrient loading" in Lake Vaughan? Hardly.
 
The only practical way to deal with  water-soluble nutrients  is to prevent them from reaching our waterways in the first place.

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1)   left pic shows the original Woods farm located in Gavelton ...36 mink pens in varying states of repair, on the lake. (2) next from left .... closeup of part of  the newer portion unseen from the road.. Note 5 new 'double-wide' enclosed pens. (3)Overview of newer mink farm on the hilltop above the lake..west side of the road..
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(4) driveway on west side of the road ...where nutrients fertilize the ditch before entering the lake.
Ditch next to road lower left of picture to the left.

Close up of picture to the left Common duckweed 




John Halley Horton
Forest Glen


Raynardton: Lake Vaughan 2013
Ditch on Raynardton road near wood mink farm.  Note: bright green area in aerial picture above

Julia Bancroft
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Duckweed is not an algae it is not toxic and can be used as an animal feed.  It is an indication of excess nutrients in the water.
"Duckweed can be farmed organically, with nutrients being supplied from a variety of sources, for example cattle dung, pig waste, biogas plant slurry, or other organic matter in slurry form. Because of the rapid growth of duckweed, daily harvesting is necessary to achieve optimal yields. Harvesting is done such that less than a kilogram per square metre of duckweed remains. Under optimal conditions, a duckweed farm can produce 10 to 30 tons of dried duckweed per hectare per year"  M
ore information:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemna