Fred Dobbs, NVCA's Manager, Stewardship Services talks about the stewardship program.
This program aims to strategically improve water quality and enhance habitats in the Nottawasaga Valley Watershed while integrating opportunities to enhance recreation, economic returns and flood control to local communities.
The stewardship team works with a wide variety of partners, from schools, community volunteers, corporate sponsors, municipal partners and representatives from all government levels to complete projects
Typically, for every dollar of municipal levy that is received, $4 - $6 is generated through other funding sources, including grants, sponsorships and donations.
The stewardship program is separated into two subprograms: the Healthy Waters Grant Incentive Program and the River Restoration Program.
The Healthy Waters Grant Incentive Program offer grants to landowners across the Nottawasaga Valley Watershed on a first come first served basis. These projects help reduce flooding, improve water quality, fish and wildlife habitat and much more. Projects include manure runoff reduction, nutrient management planning, well decommissioning and cover crops. In a typical year, over 3000 volunteers help complete these projects. During COVID-19, stewardship staff and small groups of volunteers were able to complete projects with appropriate safety measures in place.
Projects under the River Restoration Program are selected based on hard science. These projects typically improve water quality and habitat in more than one municipality, and include collateral benefits such as flood control, safety, and optimizing human health.
Some ongoing projects include removing the Petun Dam at NVCA’s Petun Conservation Area, removing a head water pond at the Beeton Creek Ice Dam, and also extending high quality water and coldwater fish habitat from the Niagara Escarpment in to the Simcoe Lowlands in Adjala-Tosorontio.
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