Roadside Brushing

The Township of Muskoka Lakes is responsible for ensuring that its publicly travelled roadways are kept in a safe and passable condition for roadway users. With respect to the roadside environment, the Operational Services Department undertakes a regular program of brushing of the Township road allowances to achieve this mandate.

Brush control involves the removal of undesirable, naturalized woody vegetation using a combination of manual, mechanical and chemical techniques.

The purpose of brushing activities is to maintain adequate lateral and overhead clearances for vehicles, to improve sight distances, provide an unobstructed view of signs, guideposts and animals venturing onto the roadway, maximize winter sunlight penetration onto the travelled portion, improve the roadside landscape, reduce drainage impairment and prevent erosion. The net effect of brush control is the extension of the life and maximizing the benefit of the Township’s investment in its roadway infrastructure.

Brushing is typically conducted using by manual (chainsaws and pole saws) and mechanical (brusher, monger head) means. The use of chemical means is limited and restricted to certain invasive species that cannot be managed using alternate approaches.

The Township brushes at minimum to the back of the ditch line and overhead to achieve a minimum of 3.0 m lateral clearances and 4.5 m overhead clearances. Brushing may extend to the edge of the municipal road allowance in some instances to achieve the minimum sight distances. These are assessed on a case by case basis. Brushing typically takes place in the late fall and winter months

The Township acknowledges that the mechanical methods of brush control can seem particularly harsh and will leave the road allowance appearing somewhat unsightly immediately after the activity is completed. The use of mechanical brushing techniques is used extensively throughout Ontario and causes no lasting harm to otherwise healthy trees. Experience has demonstrated that brushed areas quickly regenerate and return to a greened-up condition within one to two growing seasons.

The Township strives to accomplish 25 to 30 kilometers of brushing annually. Subject to the availability of resources, the Township has identified the following roads to be brushed during the 2025 season:

• Ziska Road;
• Rostrevor Road;
• Hemlock Point Road;
• Whiteside Road;
• Big Joe Road; and
• Kirrie Glen Road

Additional spot brushing may be performed at other locations during the season, as required.