Elizabethtown-Kitley
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RVCA Work In Elizabethtown-Kitley he strength and resiliency of our local communities rely on the Rideau River and its surrounding watershed. T Without lakes, rivers, streams, forests, wetlands, floodplains, natural shorelines and groundwater aquifers we wouldn’t have air to breathe, water to drink, places to boat, swim and fish, water and soil to support agriculture and industry or green spaces to explore and relax in. Simply put, natural areas sustain life. They also support economic development and property values, reduce flood, erosion and drought impacts and they are the best defense against climate change. Since people and nature are interconnected and interdependent, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) works closely with local municipalities, residents and other partners to deliver programs and services that protect, restore and enhance the Rideau watershed. RVCA's work also protects people and property from natural hazards like flooding and erosion. Serving your Municipality • Planning services — provide professional, technical It’s hard to find a municipal service that RVCA’s programs review of development proposals within or don’t support either directly or indirectly. We provide adjacent to natural areas for member municipalities watershed knowledge and expertise that guides regarding official plan amendments, zoning by-law municipal decision-making, assists with emergency amendments, plans management and ensures sustainable development. of subdivision, site plans, consents/severances and Our programs also support local economic development, minor variances tourism and recreation and we provide these programs in • Septic approvals and re-inspections — provide a consistent cost-effective manner across the watershed. inspection and approval services for new or replacement septic systems under the Ontario • Source water protection — develop and implement Building Code and provide reinspection services local policies to protect sources of municipal drinking for existing septic systems to ensure they function water and regional groundwater properly, especially around lakes • Flood protection and warning — reduce the • Water quality monitoring — collect data to better threat of loss of life and property damage, helping understand watershed health and pursue targeted municipalities prepare and deal with potential flooding remediation efforts for maximum benefit and flood emergencies • Subwatershed and catchment reporting — • Low water response — enable communication present municipalities with science-based information amongst water management agencies and water that allows for the adoption and implementation consumers and facilitate optimal management when of policies and programs that ensure the health resources are scarce of watersheds and the achievement of long-term • Development regulations — regulate development watershed management goals on hazard lands (floodplains, steep slopes, unstable • Conservation lands — manage 3,000+ hectares soil) and in environmentally sensitive areas (wetlands, of sensitive, natural land for strategic protection of shorelines and valley lands) under Ontario vulnerable habitats and valuable local resources Regulation 174/06 — Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation What it means in Elizabethtown-Kitley water levels, 6 monitored for precipitation and • Ongoing work to restore the Hutton Marsh Wetland 6 sites monitored for snowpack. and monitor conditions at the Motts Mill Berm. • 5 severances and 1 minor variance completed • Operation and maintenance of the Bellamy Lake Dam. in 2018 under Conservation Authority Planning • Middle Rideau Subwatershed Report released in 2016 Act responsibilities. along with detailed reports for its ten catchments; this • 167+ hectares of conservation land in is the second reporting cycle for the Middle Rideau Elizabethtown-Kitley following the 2009 report. • 135 headwater drainage feature sites sampled in • Kemptville Creek Subwatershed Report released in spring and summer (33 Mud Creek, 32 North Branch, 2014 along with detailed reports for its six catchments. 19 South Branch, 18 Oxford Mills, 10 Barnes Creek and • Policy interpretation, implementation tools and 24 Kemptville Creek catchments). other support was provided to Elizabethtown-Kitley • 42 km of Kemptville Creek, 7.7 km of North Branch and municipal staff regarding theMississippi-Rideau 5.6 km of Barnes Creek surveyed as part of RVCA stream Source Protection Plan, which focuses on policies characterization efforts; this includes 16 temperature to protect municipal sources of drinking water and probes installed, 14 fish netting sites and 8 electrofishing is required under the Clean Water Act. Information fish sampling sites. was provided to assist municipal staff with the • 2 stream sites sampled on Irish Creek and Hutton implementation of non-legally binding policies. Creek in the spring and fall for the Ontario Benthic • 92 square kilometres of hazard mapping completed in Biomonitoring Network. Elizabethtown-Kitley. • 1 stream water quality site tested annually as part of • 18 flood forecasting and 10 low water response RVCA baseline monitoring in the municipality. messages were issued in 2018; 16 sites monitored for Serving your Residents • Education programs — provide high quality RVCA works closely with watershed residents to curriculum-based environmental education provide friendly, technical guidance and support to programs to watershed children — building our help landowners develop their property in a sustainable future watershed guardians manner. We also provide support and financial assistance • Conservation areas — offer 11 developed to help property owners undertake stewardship projects conservation areas for public use and enjoyment; that benefit the watershed. At our popular conservation inexpensive, recreational experiences including trails, areas, the RVCA also provides outdoor recreation boat launches, beaches, picnic shelters, education opportunities and looks to educate the next generation programs for schools and community groups and of conservationists. By investing in our watershed — summer day camps the land and the people — we are creating healthy, • Property & environmental information and resilient communities. resources — create and distribute environmental information; support real estate transactions with • Stewardship programs — work with landowners site-specific information regarding setbacks from to restore and improve our watershed through natural hazards; provide peace-of-mind through tree planting and shoreline naturalization projects; septic approvals and re-inspections that systems are provide technical advice and assistance for on-the- constructed and working properly ground efforts • Grant programs — help landowners complete projects that improve water quality, wildlife habitat and overall ecosystem health What it means in Elizabethtown-Kitley • 24,230 trees planted in Elizabethtown-Kitley in • Motts Mill Conservation Area (81.5 ha) located in 2018 with fundraised dollars totaling $28,557 for Elizabethtown-Kitley. total project value of $44,307; 534,716 trees planted • Residents have access to outdoor recreation at nearby since 1984. developed conservation areas including Rideau Ferry • 1,207 butternut seedlings planted in Elizabethtown- Yacht Club, Mill Pond and Portland Bay. Kitley through the Butternut Recovery Program since 2007. • 3 Rural Clean Water projects approved in • 3 Shoreline Naturalization Program projects Elizabethtown-Kitley in 2018 — $8,250 allocated to completed in Elizabethtown-Kitley since 2002 — projects valued at $12,095; 48 approved projects 1,309 trees and shrubs planted totaling 396 metres since 2002 — $83,347 allocated to projects valued of new buffer with $5,063 funding for a project value at $238,455. of $5,315. • 7 property inquiries, 2 applications and 2 permits processed regarding Section 28 of the Conservation Authorities Act. Dollars and Cents The RVCA is able to maximize services through alternative The RVCA’s 2019 budget is $10.76 million. Levy request funding sources. Impressive value-added efforts are being amounts to just over half of our revenue meaning another achieved — work that could not be achieved working 4.5 million is coming from other sources such as fundraising, alone. It is our creative partnerships that make us stronger the province, grants and special levies. — finding creative ways to support valuable watershed programs and services. At the RVCA, every $1 from our member municipality translates into $2 being invested into the Rideau watershed. Elizabethtown-Kitley 2019 levy = $38,843.22 Questions? Contact Sommer Casgrain-Robertson 3889 Rideau Valley Drive, P.O. Box 599 General Manager Manotick, ON K4M 1A5 Rideau Valley Conservation Authority 613-692-3571 ext. 1214 [email protected].