Funding for unique Thames River habitats, water system
Andrea Macko The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority will be able to preserve more of its unique watershed, thanks to funding from the federal Ministry of the Environment.
The $278,462 grant recently announced by Environment Minister John Baird will assist in the UTRCA’s Thames River Aquatic Ecosystem Stewardship Initiative program, a project that began in 2002.
The funding will support 13 projects under the authority’s Habitat Stewardship Program, which aim to study human impact, improve habits, monitor conditions and educate the public. The total program costs $1.2 million and is funded in collaboration with local partners.
“It will help us get a handle on what the conditions are in each area,” says UTRCA planning co-ordinator Chris Harrington, who also notes that the authority already prepares “report cards” on the health of each water shed within its domain.
The Habitat Stewardship Program is a partnership-based conservation initiative managed by Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Parks Canada. It is a major component of the federal government’s program to implement the Species at Risk Act.
A special focus for the UTRCA in the coming years is the condition of Trout Creek; a local advisory committee will be formed in the near future to better chart a plan of action to improve its flow speeds and silt deposit to reduce the algae growing on the surface.
Some of the funding will also be offered to private rural landowners to use recognized best practices to improve water quality and aquatic habitats. The program will also involve community and school groups, as well as aid in the creation of public awareness activities, including a reptile education program, for at-risk species such as spiny softshell turtles and queen snakes.
Source water protection open house
There will be an open house this Thursday, Sept. 4 at the Municipal Operations Centre at 7 p.m. for the public to review the plan that the region’s Source Water Protection committee will undertake to eventually complete a protection plan.
The open house is mandated by the Clean Water Act, which was passed in 2006, and requires a multiple-step approach to preserving the province’s drinking water. Each source area is required to have a unique plan; St. Marys falls under the Thames-Sydenham and Region area.
The mission statement of the Thames-Sydenham and Region Source Protection Committee is to “protect sources of drinking water by developing a plan based on science and local cooperation.” Joe Salter represents St. Marys on the committee, which consists of government, municipal, industrial and First Nations representatives.
The open house is mandated by the Ministry of the Environment so residents and interested citizens can review the plans before they are sent to the Source Protection Authority, and then on to the Ministry for approval by Dec. 22 of this year. For more information, visit www.sourcewaterprotection.on.ca.