GRCA Current

August, 2017 • Volume 22 Number 8

GRCA General Membership Cambridge dike work level. Reservoirs are being drawn down to their normal operating levels following the recent Chair Helen Jowett Bronte Construction has been hired by the rainfall. Vice-Chair Chris White GRCA to upgrade the Cambridge dike floodwall at 2 Water Street. The need for flow augmentation has been less Townships of Amaranth, East than normal over the past few months. River flows Garafraxa, Melancthon and This project involves raising the top of the Southgate and Town of Grand are well above low flow targets through the middle Valley floodwall 1.5 metres behind the Water Street Grand and Speed rivers. Guy Gardhouse building to the design height of the wall. The original floodwall design was never completed at Townships of Mapleton and Wellington North Pat Salter this location. The GRCA has also obtained an easement on title to ensure ongoing protection Third season for Township of Centre Wellington and maintenance. Kirk McElwain Belwood Lake OspreyCam Town of Erin, Townships of This project is being carried out in August and This was the third year of operation for the Guelph/Eramosa and Puslinch will cost about $100,000. Belwood Lake osprey webcam project. Chris White The Cambridge dike and channel was built as a It operated around the clock starting April 6, City of Guelph series of projects from the mid-1970s through the and a mating pair of ospreys were raising two Bob Bell, Mike Salisbury early 1990s by the GRCA and the City of healthy young chicks on the nest by June. Region of Waterloo Cambridge. Les Armstrong,Elizabeth Clarke, Early in the morning on June 18 the female Sue Foxton, Helen Jowett, The GRCA has recently completed assessment osprey flew off the nest and didn’t return. A dead Geoff Lorentz, Jane Mitchell, studies of the system to identify deficiencies and osprey was found near the nest later that day. A Joe Nowak, Wayne Roth, maintenance needs for the system, which has been preliminary diagnostic assessment of the bird Sandy Shantz, Warren Stauch in place for 40 years. The assessment also revealed it was a healthy female that had injuries Municipality of North Perth incorporated portions of the river floodwall usually associated with a frontal collision. and Township of Perth East predating that time. George Wicke The male continued to care for the two young on his own and they were growing quickly. It is Halton Region Cindy Lunau rare for a male to care for osprey chicks alone, and City of Hamilton George Stojanovic Saturated watershed the webcam was very popular for viewers from the watershed and around the world. Oxford County Bruce Banbury Precipitation during the first half of July was varied across the watershed, with some climate Unfortunately, overnight on July 9 a great Brian Coleman, Shirley Simons stations recording only half of the normal rainfall horned owl took one of the chicks, returning July City of and others recording almost twice the normal 11 for the second. Great horned owls are natural Dave Neumann, Vic Prendergast rainfall. predators of ospreys. Haldimand and Norfolk Counties May and June were very wet, leaving much of The camera was subsequently shut down on July Bernie Corbett, Fred Morison the landscape saturated. The Luther climate 20. While the osprey chicks at this nest did not station recorded almost three times the normal fledge this year, there is a healthy population of rainfall for June, and as of July 19 had recorded ospreys within the Grand River watershed. another 77 mm of rain. The GRCA will be reviewing the project’s The water level in the overburden monitoring objective to determine next steps. well near Burford increased steadily from the start Total viewing time was close to 11 years, with an of the year to June, recovering from last year’s low average viewing time of 20 minutes. levels, and has stabilized slightly above the long- term average. By mid-July, water levels in the Shand, Conestogo and Guelph reservoirs are at or slightly Blair Creek monitoring above their normal operating level, while the In partnership with the Ministry of Luther reservoir is above its normal operating Environment and Climate Change and the City of

www.grandriver.ca Grand River Conservation Authority Communications audit – opportunities for stakeholder input At the GRCA, we value the trust of our stakeholders and are committed to openness and accountability. We strive for clear and respectful communication with our partners and with members of the public in order to build a better understanding of GRCA programs, services, projects and watershed challenges. As part of our commitment to open communication, we work to keep stakeholders up-to-date on what’s happening at the GRCA through our website, social media channels and a number of publications. In 2016, we conducted a review of three GRCA publications: GRCA Current, Grand Actions and The Grand. The review Photo by Ron Wu-Winter included a survey, and we thank all those who provided us with their feedback. In 2014 native flowers were seeded in a hydro corridor on GRCA land in Cambridge. The plants We are now expanding the scope of the are doing very well this year and are attracting butterflies, such as this swallowtail. They are also a source of seeds used by GRCA staff for other plantings. review and taking a more thorough look at all of our communications practices. In May 2017, the GRCA hired Enterprise Continued from page 1 When members of the accessibility Canada to undertake a comprehensive advisory committee visited the nature centre, Kitchener, the GRCA is leading a study on Communications and Marketing Review. they were very impressed with the changes the long-term Blair Creek Subwatershed The overall goal of the review is to that allow barrier-free travel. Monitoring Program. perform an organization-wide audit of current communications and marketing The study will evaluate the monitoring practices for the GRCA as well as the program, which has been underway since Grand River Conservation Foundation 2006, as a case study in cumulative effects (GRCF). monitoring. It will also assess potential impacts of ongoing residential development This issue of GRCA Current was published in August, 2017. Research underway on the creek’s water quality and hydrology. The audit will include a review of both The study is guided by a technical It is a summary of the July, 2017 internal and external communications in advisory committee and will by completed at business conducted by the Grand River Conservation Authority board and order to identify strengths and weaknesses, the end of the year. committees, as well as other noteworthy and to develop specific recommendations happenings and topics of interest. and action steps to strengthen and enhance the GRCA’s communication 2017 accessibility award The Grand River Conservation Authority processes. welcomes distribution, photocopying for Apps’ Mill and forwarding of GRCA Current. The research phase of the project is now underway and questionnaires are being The renovation of Apps’ Mill Nature Next board meeting: developed to gather input from all Centre has received a 2017 Accessibility August 25 at 9:30 a.m., stakeholders. Information about the audit Award from the County of Brant GRCA Administration Centre accessibility advisory committee. and ways to provide your input will be Subscribe to GRCA Current and other shared on our website, social media The award was presented by Ron news: channels and in our publications in the Eddy and Councillor David Miller in www.grandriver.ca/subscribe coming months. recognition and appreciation of the valuable View meeting agendas: Any questions about the audit may be contribution to the community made https://calendar.grandriver.ca/directors directed to Lisa Stocco, GRCA Manager of through construction of a fully accessible Communications at addition, renovations and outdoor View coming events: [email protected]. classroom. www.grandriver.ca/events

PO Box 729, 400 Clyde Road, Cambridge, N1R 5W6 519-621-2761 Follow the GRCA: