News for Brantford, Cambridge, Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo and other communities in the Watershed

GRAND RIVER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY 2005 FALL REPORT

Distribution 200,000 copies Grappling with growth How will the population boom in the Grand River watershed affect the environment? By David Schultz many average citizens – to wonder how this GRCA Communications Co-ordinator growth can be accommodated. K Will there be enough water? he urban areas of the K Can sewage systems keep up? K What impact will it have on natural Grand River watershed, and areas – rivers, wetlands, moraines and forests? Tespecially its cities – K How will agriculture be affected? Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Growth has become a subject of intense study at municipal offices and at Queen’s Guelph and Brantford – are some Park, where the provincial government is of the fastest growing in the developing new planning policies for the country. Greater Golden Horseshoe. The watershed is feeling the impact of the In February, the province published Places explosive growth of the Greater Toronto To Grow, a growth plan for the Greater Area, which is pushing more people to look Golden Horseshoe area. In June, the princi- farther for jobs and homes. ples of the Places To Grow plan were written The Grand River cities are also growing into provincial law, including a provision that because they are attracting new residents in municipal land-use plans and policies will their own right, from across the country and have to conform with the growth plans that will be developed for the Greater Golden around the world. Horseshoe. The prospect of all of this growth has The Places To Grow plan notes that about caused a lot of people – municipal leaders, As the cities of the Grand River watershed grow over the coming decades, there will be provincial officials, environmentalists and Continued on Page 3 more pressure on the river and other natural areas. GRCA photo by Carl Hiebert

Along Water supply Wastewater Natural areas The big question in any What are municipalities Moraines are the back- THE GRAND RIVER discussion of growth is doing to upgrade their bone of the Grand River A Canadian the whether there will be wastewater treatment system, playing a vital role enough water. plants? in providing water. Heritage River Grand Page 4 Page 6 Page 8 PaulP Emerson,AGE Chief2 – Administrative THE G OfficerRAND A Message FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND THE CAO The GRCA growth? Or is it a symptom of unsustainable How To Reach Us Growth and balance growth? Paul Emerson, Chief Administrative Officer his year, our annual Watershed Report is focused on The Grand River Conservation Authority will be playing a Keith Murch, Assistant CAO, Secretary Treasurer the issue of growth. As the articles and illustrations role in the discussion about growth, balance and our future. It By Mail: GRCA Tmake clear, the Grand River watershed is facing a peri- is our role to work with municipalities, the province, 400 Clyde Road, Box 729 od of explosive growth, with most of it concentrated in the researchers, environmentalists and the people of the water- Cambridge, shed to address environmental issues. N1R 5W6 cities. By Phone: 519-621-2761 or, We know that there will be an immense strain on our infra- The GRCA is researching how much water is available to Direct Line: 519-621-2763 + ext. structure such as roads, sewers, water and waste disposal. serve our cities as they grow. We are conducting studies that By Fax: 519-621-4844 will provide municipalities with advice on how to improve Internet: www.grandriver.ca Many of the municipalities of the watershed are already look- ing at these issues, as is the province, which has laid the foun- their sewage treatment systems. We are working with the E-Mail General Inquiries: dation for a new strategy to address growth issues in the farming community to help them adopt better practices to [email protected] Greater Golden Horseshoe. protect water quality. Outside Business Hours: As they look at these issues, they have to measure them The GRCA is uniquely positioned to do this work because 519-621-2761 and leave message against their impact on the environment. What will it mean it works across municipal boundaries, seeing environmental (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday to to the river, streams, forests, wetlands and other natural areas? issues from a watershed-wide perspective. The residents of Friday, excluding holidays) In nature, everything is connected to everything else. The and Haldimand County may be hundreds of River Information Line: quality of our drinking water, whether we get it out of the kilometres apart, but they are joined together by the Grand 519-621-2763 ext. 519 river or out of the ground, depends on how we manage our River, and what each does and needs matters to the other. Planning and Permits: land, from farm field to city street. When it comes to questions of growth and balance, no one 519-621-2763 ext. 230 The challenge for all of us is to find the right balance, to has all the answers, but many are asking the right questions.

Conservation Areas: 519-621-2763 ext. 250 live within our resources, to ensure that the decisions we Belwood Lake (Fergus) 519-843-2979 make today will protect the environment tomorrow. Healthy Brant (Brantford) 519-752-2040 cities depend on a healthy environment. Byng Island (Dunnville) 905-774-5755 Conestogo Lake (Drayton) 519-638-2873 One big question we need to ask is whether there are limits Elora Gorge (Elora) 519-846-9742 to growth? At what point do we conclude that growth has to Guelph Lake (Guelph) 519-824-5061 end, that our natural resources simply can't sustain any addi- Laurel Creek (Waterloo) 519-884-6620 Luther Marsh (Grand Valley) 519-928-2832 tional development? Pinehurst Lake (Paris) 519-442-4721 Consider one example. Almost all of the water we use in Rockwood (Rockwood) 519-856-9543 the Grand River watershed comes from the surface and Shade’s Mills (Cambridge) 519-621-3697 groundwater resources of the watershed. In the future, how- Reserve a campsite: ever, consideration is being given to tapping into the Great By phone 1-866-ONT-CAMP Lakes for part of our water supply. Online www.grandriver.ca But if we think of a Great Lakes pipeline as a symbol, what Peter Krause Paul Emerson Nature Centres: Chairman Chief Administrative Officer Apps’ Mill (Brantford) 519-752-0655 does it represent? Is a pipeline a tool to aid sustainable Guelph Lake 519-836-7860 Laurel Creek (Waterloo) 519-885-1368 CITY OF HAMILTON Shade’s Mills (Cambridge) 519-623-5573 WHO SPEAKS FOR Jeanette Jamieson The GRCA's Vision To be a leader in ensuring a Grand River Conservation Foundation COUNTY OF OXFORD healthy and sustaining relation- Phone: 519-621-2763 ext. 271 (including Townships of Blandford-Blenheim, 1-877-29-GRAND East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich) ship between the natural envi- E-mail: [email protected] Alan Dale ronment of the Grand River watershed and the demands on YOU? ITY OF RANTFORD C B THE GRAND Robert Hillier, Vic Prendergast (GRCA 2nd vice-chair) this environment by all forms of is published twice a year by the GRCA, and The municipality where you live appoints one or life. distributed in newspapers to households in the more representatives to the Grand River CITY OF GUELPH Grand River watershed. Conservation Authority (GRCA) board to oversee David Birtwistle, Dan Moziar Additional copies are available. the budget and activities of the Conservation TOWNSHIPS OF AMARANTH, EAST GARAFRAXA, EAST The GRCA's Mission Letters and comments to: Authority. These members, who have often been Dave Schultz, GRCA LUTHER GRAND VALLEY, MELANCTHON, SOUTHGATE To work with partners to con- 400 Clyde Road, Box 729 elected in your municipality, speak on your behalf at Paul Chantree serve the natural process and Cambridge, Ontario, the GRCA. N1R 5W6 TOWNSHIPS OF WELLINGTON NORTH resources that support a safe and (519) 621-2763, Ext. 273 AND MAPLETON REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF WATERLOO healthy environment for future [email protected] (including Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, Pat Salter and Townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and generations in the Grand River Maps and graphs by Lara Vujanic of the GRCA TOWN OF NORTH PERTH, TOWNSHIP OF Printed by Grand River Valley Newspapers Woolwich) watershed. Jane Brewer, Jean Haalboom, Ross Kelterborn, Peter PERTH EAST George Wicke (GRCA 1st vice-chair) Krause (GRCA chair), Joe Martens, Claudette Millar, Jane Mitchell, Ralph Shantz, Bill Strauss, Lynne TOWNSHIP OF Woolstencroft The GRCA’s values Jean Innes Openness, clarity, understand- HALDIMAND AND NORFOLK COUNTIES TOWN OF ERIN, TOWNSHIPS OF GUELPH/ERAMOSA AND ing, sensitivity, action, holism, Craig Ashbaugh, Lorne Boyko PUSLINCH integrity, accountability, trust, Archie MacRobbie REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF HALTON flexibility, fairness, preparedness, (including Towns of Halton Hills, Milton) COUNTY OF BRANT creativity, innovation. Barry Lee Brain Coleman, Gord Moore

GRAND RIVER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY• www.grandriver.ca W ATERSHED R EPORT 2005 Growth issues P AGE 3 – THE G RAND Population boom predicted for Grand River cities Continued from Page 1 the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge in Waterloo 7.8 million people live in the Region; the City of Guelph and Greater Golden Horseshoe, which Wellington County; and the City stretches from Waterloo Region on of Brantford and Brant County. the west to Port Hope on the east, In 2001, says the report, the and from Barrie in the north to St. population of the five Grand River Population projections done by Hemson Consulting Ltd. for the provincial government forecast a population Catharines in the south. watershed cities and their surround- boom in the cities of the Grand River watershed. “By 2031 the future population of ing municipalities was 780,000. By this area is forecast to grow by an 2031, it says, they will grow anoth- increase in forecasted population, wider area.” ical diversity and ecosystems. additional 3.7 million to 11.5 mil- er 57 per cent to a total population employment and housing units to Places To Grow recognizes that “The natural system will recog- lion people,” says the report. of 1,223,000. 2031,” says a report produced by urban growth inevitably puts pres- nize the linkages between and About three-quarters of that Places To Grow has identified Hemson Consulting Ltd. as part of sure on the natural environment. among natural heritage features and growth will take place in the these five cities as “urban growth the research for Places To Grow. The document proposes policies areas, groundwater features and sur- Greater Toronto Area and the City centres” and its policies are geared The Hemson report highlights to protect natural areas for several face water features, which are nec- of Hamilton, which it calls the to promoting more intensive devel- the issues that this rapid growth reasons: the role they play in pro- essary to maintain biological and “Inner Ring.” opment within existing built-up will create. viding clean drinking water, the geological diversity, natural func- “Most of the remaining growth areas while restricting sprawl into “The infrastructure required to opportunities they provide for tions, viable populations of indige- will occur in the urban centres of undeveloped “greenfield” areas. support anticipated growth is not recreation and tourism, and the nous species and ecosystems,” says the Outer Ring in Kitchener, inherent value in protecting biolog- Places To Grow. ‘Economic driver’ currently in place, nor are all of the Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, infrastructure needs currently The report singles out Waterloo Barrie, St. Catharines and planned or even identified. For effi- Peterborough.” Region, noting that it will remain ciency purposes, municipalities Separating the Inner and Outer one of the “primary economic driv- generally do not build infrastruc- Rings is a new Greenbelt that ers within Ontario” and that much ture 25 years in advance and few includes the Niagara Escarpment of the growth in the area will be have undertaken significant infra- and the Oak Ridges Moraine. The driven by international immigra- structure planning as far out as Greenbelt was approved by the tion. 2031. province earlier this year and Municipal leaders have been “In many areas of the Outer imposes strict limits on urban aware for some time that the Grand Ring, supplying water and waste- development. Some parts of the River watershed is a high growth water services will become increas- Grand River watershed are in the area and they have been developing ingly challenging. Greenbelt area, including the west- their own strategies to accommo- ern part of the City of Hamilton date the growth. Expensive solutions and part of the Town of Milton in However, the Places To Grow “This is particularly true….in Halton Region. report points to a faster rate of Wellington, Waterloo and Brant Places To Grow offers some star- growth than earlier studies. That where there are both water and tling statistics on population has made an already difficult issue wastewater limitations associated growth in the communities of the that much more complex, and the with groundwater and the Grand Grand River watershed. search for solutions to growth-relat- River. Addressing these limitations It identifies five urban areas and ed issues that are much more press- could, potentially, be very expen- their surrounding counties and ing. sive,” said the Hemson report. regions as major growth centres: “This report shows a significant “Alternative approaches to serv- icing, including systems from the Great Lakes, may need to be con- sidered during the forecast period.” With Places To Grow, the province wants to develop a new approach to planning in the Inner and Outer Rings. Places To Grow divides the Outer Ring into four zones. One zone — Zone 3 – takes in most of the Grand River water- shed including Brant, Brantford, Guelph, Wellington, Waterloo Region and Dufferin. The province proposes a new approach to planning in these zones. Traditionally, municipalities have developed their own growth strategies and servicing plans. In Place to Grow, the province says it wants to foster a “collaborative” The municipalities named on the map are all part of the “Greater approach and establish “a founda- Golden Horseshoe” region, where high growth is expected over the The cities of the Grand River watershed are booming. The Ontario gov- tion for inter-regional planning” next 25 years. Most of the Grand River watershed is in Zone 3, one of ernment’s new growth strategy for the area proposes that future urban that will look at infrastructure four “outer ring” zones where the province wants to work with munici- growth should be more intensive to limit urban sprawl. needs and natural systems across a palities to develop a broadly-based growth management plan.

GRAND RIVER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY• www.grandriver.ca P AGE 4 – THE G RAND Water supply W ATERSHED R EPORT 2005 The big question: Is there enough? Water supply issues are top of the list in discussions about population growth ny discussion of population saving water, they’re saving the growth in the Grand River money it takes to treat and deliver Awatershed inevitably turns to the water. this question: Some conservation measures Will there be enough water? address temporary situations, such The question has become a com- as the need to repair a well or the mon one recently. The cities of the need to conserve during an extend- Grand River watershed are growing ed drought . rapidly, and a lot more growth is The bigger, long-term issue is forecast for the next 25 years. what needs to be done to prepare Meanwhile, some municipalities for the population boom. have imposed restrictions on out- According to one prediction, the door water use to reduce demand in population of the five watershed the summer. How can that growth cities could grow by a total of 57% be accommodated when there over the next 25 years. already appears to be a water short- As things stand today, there’s age? enough water in the Grand River But as simple as the question may system – surface and groundwater – be, the answer is more complex. to meet the needs of residents for In a sense, there are really two decades to come, if it is used wise- parts to the question, one short- ly. term and one long term. The short term issues relate to Part of the equation It’s hard work getting water out of the ground and into a pipeline, as these children learned during the municipal water conservation pro- But the supply of raw water is Waterloo-Wellington Children’s Groundwater Festival. GRCA photo by Janet Baine grams. just part of the equation. Most municipalities have intro- Municipalities have to do a lot of Municipal planners have to make additional water goes right into the suggests that the region might hit duced these programs to deal with work to get that raw water out of projections on population patterns ground in lawns and gardens. that population target 10 years big spikes in demand, usually in the the ground or river and deliver it to and the effectiveness of conserva- Water conservation programs can sooner. summer. Some of the rules are just each home, institution and busi- tion programs. They have to take reduce the peaks, but demand will The City of Guelph is develop- common sense – not watering the ness. It is a costly and time-con- into account new technologies that still rise and fall with the seasons. ing its own long-term water strate- may come into play. They have to gy and is using population growth driveway or not overwatering the suming process to plan and build a Unforeseen events lawn. By introducing these meas- water delivery system to meet identify the best, most reliable rates ranging from 1.5 per cent a Unforeseen events can affect ures, municipalities are not only demand that will grow for decades. sources of water and determine year to 2.5 per cent. The range may how to get the water, treat it and water supplies. For example, the be small, but compounded over deliver it in the most cost-efficient Region of Waterloo decided to shut decades it can make a difference of way. down a well in Kitchener in 2004 tens of thousands of residents. Many of the numbers in the when chemical contaminants were A population report prepared equation are moving targets. Even a found in the water. That cut into this year by Hemson Consulting small change in one variable, such water supplies for most of the Ltd. for the provincial government as population growth, can make a Waterloo Region, leading to out- says that “the forecast growth will big difference in the outcome. door water use restrictions this challenge the limits” of the ground- Currently, about 70 per cent of year. In 2003, Brantford had to call water supplies serving Waterloo the 875,000 watershed residents get for water use reductions in mid- Region and Guelph. their water from one of 40 munici- winter because of a build-up of Water conservation programs pal water systems. The vast majori- ammonia in the ice-bound Grand have had a big impact on water ty of those people live in one of the River, where the city gets all of its demand, particularly in Waterloo five watershed cities –Waterloo, water. Region and the City of Guelph, Kitchener, Cambridge, Guelph and Those are some of the issues that where the municipalities have had Brantford – which is where most of municipal water managers wrestle programs for several years. They the population growth is taking with to ensure that there’s enough have many elements, such as incen- place. water to meet current demand. tives to homeowners to install low- Indoor water use The water systems can provide Predicting future demand intro- flow toilets, and projects to repair We think of the stuff coming out of our taps as “drinking water” but more than enough water to meet duces several other complexities. leaks in water mains. actually, not much of it makes its way into a water glass. Most of the routine needs of households, Growth rates are one example. In The result is that per capita the water coming into our houses ends up going right back down schools, hospitals, businesses and 2000, the Region of Waterloo water use in these areas has the drain without ever being consumed. The single biggest water industry. However, the water sys- adopted a Long Term Water dropped below the national aver- use is flushing the toilet, which represents more than a quarter of tems have to be built to meet the Strategy to ensure an adequate age. The question, though, is the water used in a typical household. Washing our bodies and our peak demand that comes during water supply to 2041 when the whether there are further gains to clothes make up about 40 per cent or our household water con- hot, dry summers. Water demand population would be about be won through conservation pro- sumption. (Source: City of Guelph) can soar by 20 to 40 per cent above 700,000. However, a new study grams and new technologies. average demand, and most of the done for the provincial government A lot is riding on finding the

GRAND RIVER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY• www.grandriver.ca W ATERSHED R EPORT 2005 Water supply P AGE 5 – THE G RAND

from the Grand River. It is treated at the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant in Kitchener and then blend- ed with the groundwater. One large system serves Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, St. Jacobs and Elmira. Called the Integrated Urban System, it draws water from wells and the Grand River. Four systems serve Baden-New Hamburg, Ayr, Wellesley and St. Clements. Several additional sys- tems serve individual neighbour- hoods and developments. During the 1990s, the regional Water sources government developed a Long- The municipalities of the Grand River watershed get their water Term Water Strategy to identify from a variety of sources. About 69 per cent comes from wells, water supplies to meet needs until about 29 per cent from the Grand River and about three per cent 2041, based on the population Shand Dam creates Lake Belwood, near Fergus, which is one of the from the Great Lakes. growth projections available during seven reservoirs operated by the GRCA to keep rivers flowing. the planning process. The first phase is underway with right answer to the water supply The work on development of the construction of an Aquifer Reservoirs keep the flow going equation. If the answer is too low, that plan still lies in the future. Storage and Recovery facility at the or the communities that draw water to meet the needs of these future generations may not have Meanwhile, here’s the state of the region’s Mannheim Water their water from the Grand communities. the water they need. If the answer water systems of the cities of the Treatment Plant in Kitchener. F is too high, municipalities may watershed and their current plans River, the GRCA’s reservoirs are During exceptionally dry Water will be pulled from the a vital part of their drinking summers, there are times when spend a lot of taxpayer money on to deal with growth. Grand River, treated and then water supply system. about 90 per cent of the water in water systems that are too big. injected into the ground during The province’s new Places To Waterloo Region Waterloo Region gets about the Grand River at Kitchener times of low demand in fall, winter 25 per cent of its water from the comes from the reservoirs. Grow growth strategy proposes Waterloo Region operates five and early spring. Then the water that discussions of a growth plan major water systems serving about Grand. Brantford and Ohsweken At Brantford, about 50 per cent will be pumped up to the surface (in the Six Nations Territory) get of the water in the Grand comes for the area will include a “review 425,000 people. for use during the summer. The all of their water from the river. from the reservoirs. of the availability of water supply, Across the system, about 75 per first phase of the program is under- The GRCA operates seven If the reservoir flow wasn’t wastewater treatment and solid cent of the raw water comes from way and additional storage will be reservoirs which trap water in the there, the treatment plants han- waste disposal capacities within 125 wells, many of which tap into added in 2008. spring and release it gradually dling this water would face a each of the sub-area municipalities rich aquifers in the Waterloo The region also expects to devel- during the summer, to ensure that much bigger job of making the to ensure availability to serve fore- Moraine and Paris-Galt Moraine. op several new wells by 2018. there is an adequate volume of water drinkable. casted growth.” The remaining 25 per cent comes These improvements will meet the Region’s needs to 2035. A pipeline to the Great Lakes is being The city is developing a Water tem; at the high end, the increase is studied to meet demand after that. Supply Master Plan which should 2.5 times the current capacity. Pipeline possibility The estimated cost of the Long- be completed early in 2006. Term Water Strategy is estimated The city estimates that its cur- Brantford he Region of Waterloo’s A water intake pipe in Lake at about $570 million, with most of rent water supplies will meet needs The Brantford water treatment TLong Term Water Strategy Erie near the Nanticoke industrial that going to pipeline costs. until 2015. The purpose of the plant has a capacity that is close to proposes development of a complex is one possible source. study is to identify alternatives that double the average daily consump- pipeline to the Great Lakes by The intake has a huge capacity – Guelph will take the city well beyond 2054. tion. 2035. about 1.8 million cubic metres Guelph operates a water system The city is examining the possi- Brantford draws all of its drink- The City of Guelph has also per day – but currently only a ing water from the Grand River. serving about 125,000 residents, bility of maximizing the supply put a pipeline on its list of alter- small percentage of that is used to including students. On an average day, the plant takes from existing groundwater sources. natives for its own long-term provide water to the Nanticoke The system runs at about 80 per only 2.5 per cent of the water in It’s also reviewing the potential water needs. industrial area as well as some cent capacity on an average day, the Grand at Brantford. effect of water conservation pro- The Waterloo strategy, com- nearby communities. but during the summer, peak While the plant has plenty of pleted in 2000, says the region The County of Haldimand has demand approaches the system’s grams. capacity, the quality of raw water in should pursue a pipeline to Lake commissioned a study to expand limits. When it comes to new sources of the Grand River sometimes places Huron “based on the public per- its Nanticoke water treatment The city has 23 production wells, water, the city is examining several, limits on the plant’s operation. ception that water quality in plant to allow it to serve of which 17 are used continuously. including new wells, new surface Brantford has had to invest heav- Huron is better than (Lake) Erie,” Caledonia and Cayuga, which are The city sometimes uses water from water sources (Speed River, ily in treatment processes to make even though “technical evalua- in Haldimand but get their water the Eramosa River to supplement Eramosa River or Guelph Lake the plant one of the most advanced tions of treated water from either from the City of Hamilton. the water it collects from natural reservoir), an Aquifer Recovery around. A recently completed proj- lake show essentially the same As part of the study, springs. System or a Great Lakes pipeline. ect cost the city about $9 million. water quality.” Haldimand is also considering the The city’s water conservation Another alternative is limiting Plant operators have to pay close However, recent international possibility that this intake pipe program has had a big impact on growth. attention to river conditions. They agreements covering the Great might eventually serve Six use, especially during the summer. To make its projections, the city will close the city’s water intake if Lakes make it unlikely that Nations, Brantford, Waterloo Historically, summer demand was is using population growth rates there is a spill upstream of the river Huron will be available as a Region and Guelph, as well as about 40 per cent higher than win- ranging from 1.5 per cent a year up intake. That means the city has to source. Now, the region is turn- other towns and villages in the ter demand, but in recent years, the to 2.5 per cent a year until 2054. At maintain significant amounts of ing its attention to Lake Erie. Grand River watershed. summer increase has been cut to 20 the lower end, the city will need to water in storage reservoirs to deal per cent. double the capacity of its water sys- with long closures.

GRAND RIVER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY• www.grandriver.ca P AGE 6 – THE G RAND Wastewater W ATERSHED R EPORT 2005 It all starts with a flush By the time the plants have done Wastewater plant their work, they have eliminated most of the pollutants in the water: upgrades will more than 95 per cent of solids, 90 per cent of the phosphorus and 95 help system keep per cent of the organic material. The volume of pollutants pace with growth allowed in effluent is controlled by the provincial Ministry of the very time you flush the toilet, Environment. Every wastewater many litres of water – along treatment plant must have a Ewith the other stuff – swoosh- Certificate of Approval from the es down the pipe. ministry which sets limits on the Kitchener wastewater treatment plant Same thing when you take a materials in the discharged effluent, shower, empty the sink or when an including suspended solids, phos- The Kitchener plant, near Doon on the Grand River, is one of 25 wastewater treatment plants in the Grand industry disposes of water used in a phorus, E. coli bacteria and other River watershed serving the homes, businesses and industries of more than 700,000 people. Municipalities manufacturing process. A lot of contaminants. are planning upgrades and improvements to many of the plants to meet the needs of a growing population water mixed up with stuff we’d The combination of pollutants and to raise the level of treatment. rather not see again goes down a from point sources (such as waste- pipe to somewhere. water plants) and non-point sources tants coming from all sources. River system comes from the seven Other major Ontario cities – The “somewhere” is usually one (such as farm fields and streets) That’s why watershed municipali- wastewater treatment plants serving Toronto, Hamilton, St. Catharines, of the 25 municipal wastewater results in a deterioration of water ties, the GRCA, the province and the watershed’s five cities. The Windsor, Kingston – put their treatment plants in the Grand River quality downstream of major agri- other agencies are developing Region of Waterloo operates five of wastewater effluent into the Great watershed. cultural and urban areas. answers to two key questions relat- the plants, with one each in Lakes system, where it makes up a The plants serve about 80 per The river has a certain capacity ing to the watershed’s wastewater Kitchener and Waterloo and three tiny proportion of the water in the cent of the 875,000 people of the to cope with the pollutants and, in treatment plants. in Cambridge. The cities of receiving lake or river. watershed. The remaining houses fact, natural processes carry on K What needs to be done to Brantford and Guelph each operate The Hemson report says “there and businesses rely on household treatment work that started in the make them even more effective in one plant. are potentially very significant serv- septic systems or privately-owned plant, allowing water quality to removing pollutants? The Ontario government icing issues for the larger urban sewage systems such as those used recover somewhat as the river K How will they cope with the released a report this year that out- communities as well as the smaller in some mobile home parks. moves downstream. population boom in the watershed’s lines growth projections for the communities” of the Grand River Still, the health of the river and urban areas? cities and the municipalities that watershed. Millions of flushes surrounding land depends on the Close to 90 per cent of the treat- surround them: Waterloo Region Waterloo Region, Guelph and To get a sense of the volume success of efforts to reduce pollu- ed effluent entering the Grand including Kitchener, Waterloo and Brantford are already looking at handled by these 25 plants, think Cambridge; Brant County including their long-term wastewater treat- about the number of times the toi- Brantford; and Wellington County ment needs. However, the popula- let is flushed in a typical household including Guelph. tion projections in Places To Grow every day and then multiply that by – which call for more growth and the approximately 300,000 house- Large cities on small rivers faster growth in the watershed holds plugged into municipal sewer The report says that these five cities – may require municipalities lines. cities and the surrounding munici- and the province to update their Then add in the water from all palities had a total population of growth projections and servicing the other daily household activities, 780,000 in 2001. They’re expected plans. as well as schools, hospitals, stores to grow by 57 per cent to 1.2 mil- and factories. That’s a lot of materi- lion in 2031. Almost all of that Waterloo Region al to be cleaned and treated before growth will take place in the cities The Region of Waterloo oper- it is allowed back into the environ- themselves, says the report by ates 10 large and three small waste- ment. Hemson Consulting Ltd. for the water treatment plants, including Most of the raw sewage entering province’s Places To Grow study. the ones serving the cities of these plants is water – a typical toi- One of the common characteris- Kitchener, Waterloo and let flush is mostly water – so the tics of these Grand River cities is Cambridge. plants concentrate on removing that they are large cities on small The regional government has solids, killing bacteria and reducing rivers. In the Grand River water- launched a study to look at waste- the volumes of chemicals such as shed, the combined total of the water issues up to 2045. phosphorus and nitrates. Foam on the water effluent from treatment plants rep- According to the region, about Those 25 wastewater plants dis- It’s a sight seen on rivers and streams during the spring runoff: foam resents an average of five per cent 75 per cent of the capacity of its 13 charge about 270,000 cubic meters accumulating downstream of a dam. The foam is created when water of the total flow in the central part plants is already in use or commit- of treated effluent on an average high in organic material, such as phosphorus, is stirred up. Some of the of the Grand. During the summer, ted. The Kitchener and Galt plants day. That’s enough to cover a foot- nutrients come from natural sources, but most come from water running when river flows are at their lowest, are operating at less than 60 per ball field to the height of a 12- off fields, or the effluent from wastewater treatment plants. Reducing the the proportion rises to about 12 to storey building – every day. volume of nutrients in the water will reduce the instances of foaming. 15 per cent. Continued on Page 7

GRAND RIVER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY• www.grandriver.ca W ATERSHED R EPORT 2005 Wastewater P AGE 7 – THE G RAND Reservoirs, river play role in wastewater treatment or most people, their mental almost all of the material in raw image of their community’s sewage, eliminating more than 90 Fsewage system probably starts per cent of most pollutants such as at their toilet and ends at their local phosphorus, suspended solids and sewage treatment plant. organic material. But in the Grand River water- But the cleanup process doesn’t shed, the complete picture also end there. It carries on in the river. includes elements upstream and Plants and algae in the river downstream of the city and its absorb phosphorus and other nutri- plant. ents, removing them from the On the upstream side are the water. As the river tumbles over seven reservoirs operated by the rocks and through rapids it is aerat- GRCA to ensure there’s enough ed – takes in oxygen – which aids water in the river, year round, to the breakdown of pollutants. deal with the effluent coming out Naturally-occurring bacteria will of the 25 wastewater treatment consume organic material. plants. However, there’s a limit to what On the downstream side are the the water can do and only so much “receiving streams” – the Grand effluent it can handle. The volume River and its tributaries – where the of pollutants that a river or lake can plants discharge their treated efflu- deal with is called its “assimilative ent. capacity.” Wastewater treatment plants are Many factors are taken into big, expensive operations, but most account to establish the assimilative of the work is actually carried out capacity of a river: the volume of A GRCA water engineer conducts by tiny bacteria that feed on human pollutants from upstream sources, a water quality study to help waste and other organic material. the size of the river, water tempera- determine the impact of pollution After they have finished gorging ture, aquatic plant growth and oth- on the water. themselves, the bacteria sink to the ers. bottom of huge vats where they In the Grand River system, the form a sludge that is eventually tiny volume of pollutants coming as phosphorus and nitrates lead to cleared out, treated and disposed from a large number of sources can excessive plant growth. The plants of. add up and hurt water quality. take up so much oxygen from the The liquid goes through more If a river is overloaded with pol- water that fish and other aquatic cleansing steps before it is treated lutants – if the volume exceeds the life can literally suffocate to death. with chlorine or subjected to ultra- assimilative capacity of the river – Excessive plant and algae growth Seven reservoirs operated by the GRCA store water from the spring violet rays to kill more bacteria. then the river starts to suffer and so can result in taste and odour prob- runoff and release it gradually over the summer. This ensures that flow Then it is sent down a pipe to a do all of the living things that lems, creating difficulties for com- targets are met at various locations throughout the watershed so the river or stream. depend on it, from fish to people. river can deal with effluent from 25 wastewater treatment plants. The treatment plants get rid of Excessive levels of nutrients such Continued on Page 8

effluent criteria at their larger population of 169,000. standard “secondary” level of treat- a population of about 111,000 and Flush wastewater treatment plants,” espe- However, a population projection ment applied in most plants. will be operating at about 90 per cially the ones in Waterloo, done for the province under Places After the next expansion, even cent of its capacity. Continued from Page 6 Kitchener and Cambridge (Galt). to Grow predicts “significantly though the daily volume of sewage The report recommends expendi- higher growth rates” for Guelph treated by the plant will be higher, tures of about $17 million in the cent of their total capacity. On the Guelph than earlier provincial and munici- the amount of pollutants in the future, with most of the money other hand, the Cambridge The City of Guelph is currently pal projections,” says a report done effluent, such as phosphorus and invested in improving the quality of (Preston), St. Jacobs and Ayr plants updating the 1998 Class by the City of Guelph. If those suspended sediments, will be equal the effluent entering the Grand are at, or near, their full capacity. Environment Assessment to confirm higher rates come true, then the to or lower than today. River. The region is looking at future the best way to improve its waste- city’s “infrastructure capacities” will population patterns, the total vol- water treatment plant complex be reached sooner than expected, Brantford Other communities ume of wastewater that will be gen- which serves Guelph and the vil- says the city report. The wastewater treatment plant In addition to the wastewater erated and which plants need to be lage of Rockwood. Guelph is embarking on a 50- for the City of Brantford underwent plants serving the cities of the upgraded or enlarged. The study A major, $18 million expansion year Wastewater Master Plan to significant upgrades during the watershed, there are another 18 hasn’t reached the point yet where was completed in 2002 which investigate future alternatives to 1990s and today has a capacity of serving towns and villages. costs can be predicted. increased the capacity of the plant provide wastewater capacity 82,000 cubic metres per day. It is Several of these communities The region is also looking at new to about 64,000 cubic metres per beyond those in current plans. operating at just above 50 per cent have recently completed upgrades and innovative technologies to day. An important part of the enlarge- of its capacity, serving a population or are in the process of planning improve the quality of the effluent Currently, the plant serves about ment of the plant will be upgrades of about 85,000. future improvements. leaving regional plants. 125,000 people, including students. to the treatment process. The city commissioned a study Wastewater treatment systems A discussion paper prepared for About 98 per cent of its capacity is The Guelph plant is already one of the plant in 2003 to examine serving Fergus, Drayton, St. the region’s study notes that “as in use or committed. of the most advanced in the water- what other upgrades will be George, Cayuga and Dunnville wastewater volumes increase, the The planned enlargement, which shed, providing a third level of required in the next 20 years to have recently been upgraded or are Region will be faced with pressures will be worth $19 to $23 million, treatment – known as “tertiary” cope with population growth and undergoing improvements. New or from the provincial and federal reg- will increase capacity to 73,300 treatment – to reduce impurities in quality improvements. expanded plants are proposed for ulators on meeting more stringent cubic metres per day to handle a the effluent even further than the By 2031 the plant will be serving Grand Valley and Elora.

GRAND RIVER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY• www.grandriver.ca P AGE 8 – THE G RAND Natural features WATERSHED R EPORT 2005 Moraines are the backbone of Grand ake a close look at the land- The rushing meltwaters carved The Waterloo and Galt-Paris scape of the Grand River out the Grand River valley and moraines play a major role in pro- Twatershed and you’ll be tak- pooled in lowlands which helped to viding fresh water to the Grand ing a look back thousands of years create the Great Lakes. The ice River cities and are also most affect- in time. pushed forward and retreated in ed by the growth of those cities: The rivers, valleys and hills that cycles that lasted centuries. In their K The Waterloo Moraine covers define this part of the province are wake they left behind great hills of much of Kitchener, Waterloo, remnants of an ice age that lasted sand, gravel and soil that we call Wilmot and parts of Wellesley and tens of thousand of years, when ice moraines. North Dumfries. It has an area of two kilometres thick covered The Grand River watershed has 400 square kilometres. In some Southern Ontario. three major moraine systems that places, the overburden – the sand, When the Wisconsin Glacier are proof of the power of the gravel and soil deposits left behind retreated 10,000 years ago, it ancient ice and water: the Waterloo by the glacier – are 120 metres helped shaped the land we know Moraine, the Galt-Paris Moraine thick. today. and the Orangeville Moraine. K The Galt and Paris Moraines run parallel to each other along the east side of the watershed through Wellington County, Waterloo Region and Brant County. The two moraines form a belt more than 70 kilometres long and six to eight kilometres wide, with overburden deposits as thick as 30 metres. Key areas The river runs through it The moraines are much more Thousands of years ago, the Grand River carved a path through the than just souvenirs of an ancient Galt-Paris Moraine. Today, groundwater from the moraine seeps into age. They are the backbone of the the river, helping to raise water quality between Cambridge and watershed and are critical to the Brantford. GRCA photo by David Schultz health of the Grand River environ- ment and, significantly, its cities, hundreds of thousands of rural and the porous ground of a moraine, it towns and farms. It is no great urban residents. The moraines are soaks down into the ground, where stretch to say that, after the river also the source of much of the it is naturally filtered and cooled. Natural filter itself, these moraines were the key water that fills streams and rivers in This “recharges” the aquifers, Moraines play a critical role in the water system. Water that enters the to the development of the water- the central part of the watershed. which are underground beds or lay- ground in a moraine area is filtered and cooled as it moves through shed as one of the richest regions in That means they are an indirect ers of earth, gravel, or porous stone the sand and gravel of the moraine to recharge aquifers. Some of that Canada. source of drinking water to those that yields water. water makes its way to the surface again in springs, which feed Moraines have been described as communities that draw some or all Some of the water recharges streams and rivers. Moraines are also a rich source of groundwater for natural “rain barrels.” of their drinking water directly aquifers in the overburden area, private and municipal wells. Wells drilled into the moraines from the Grand River system. while some of the water makes its (Graphic from Pollution Probe, adapted from Oregon State University) provide clean drinking water to When rain falls or snow melts on way lower into the ground, where

years ago and has been constantly predict the outcome of a variety of GRCA’s reservoirs is a critical part plant; and at Brantford for the improved since then. scenarios and conditions, providing of the analysis. intake of the city’s drinking water Reservoirs The model is built on data from a dynamic model of the river and The GRCA operates seven reser- treatment plant. Continued from Page 7 all of the wastewater plants, infor- its capacity to handle pollutants. voirs, with the four largest – Luther The reservoirs are, in essence, an mation about pollution from other Municipalities planning a waste- Lake, Belwood Lake, Guelph Lake extension of the municipal treat- munities that draw their drinking sources and records for river flows, water plant improvement or expan- and Conestogo Lake – playing a ment plants, since the water they water from the river. temperatures and dissolved oxygen. sion can use the model to calculate big role in keeping the water flow- put in the river helps the treatment When a wastewater treatment Dissolved oxygen and temperatures the probable impact on the river. ing in the Grand, Conestogo and plants meet the targets set by the plant is built, enlarged or expanded, are monitored continuously at For example, the Region of Speed rivers. province. an essential part of the planning seven water quality monitoring sta- Waterloo, which is conducting a Water from melting snow and The GRCA has said to the process is calculating the assimila- tions in the watershed. (Real-time study of its system of wastewater spring rain is stored in the reser- provincial government that just as tive capacity of the receiving data from the stations is available in plants, can use the model to ana- voirs. It is released gradually it shares in the cost of wastewater stream. the River Data section of the lyze a variety of scenarios. That throughout the summer to maintain treatment plants, it should also The GRCA has a computer GRCA website.) helps the region decide which set minimum flows at target locations. share in the operating and mainte- model of the watershed that it uses The model calculates the effects of improvements will have the There are flow targets at Doon nance costs of the reservoirs to take a larger look at the issue. of the effluent coming from all of greatest impact on water quality at for the outlet of the Kitchener because they are vital to the proper Called the Grand River Simulation the waste treatment plants, plus the most reasonable cost. wastewater treatment plant; at operation of the municipal waste- Model, it was first developed 25 other sources of pollution. It can The water provided by the Guelph for the outlet of the Guelph water treatment plants.

GRAND RIVER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY• www.grandriver.ca W ATERSHED R EPORT 2005 Natural features P AGE 9 – THE G RAND it replenishes deep, bedrock aquifers. Finally, some of the water leaves the ground through springs, or seeps directly into rivers and streams, replenishing their flows with cool, clear water. The moraines of the Grand River watershed represent about 30 per cent of the surface area, yet they account for 80 per cent of the groundwater recharge. The Waterloo Moraine is a pri- mary source of water for Waterloo Region. The aquifers of the Waterloo Moraine provide about 50 per cent of all of the groundwa- ter used in the municipal water sup- ply system. The Galt-Paris Moraines filter water that recharges aquifers serv- ing municipal water systems in Wellington County, Guelph, Waterloo Region and Brant County. Moraines are important sources of water for creeks and rivers, as well. Water from the moraines makes its way into rivers and streams, even during dry weather. The Eramosa River (near Guelph) and Mill Creek (Puslinch Township and Cambridge) are fed by water from the Galt-Paris Moraine. The Nith River and the creeks of the western part of Waterloo Region, such as Moraine areas Recharge areas Cedar Creek, are fed by the Waterloo Moraine. Moraines are major features of the Grand River watershed. Many of Water from rain and melting show will filter down through the ground the cities and towns of the watershed are close to the moraines, which into an underground water source called an aquifer. This process Enters river are a significant source of water for private and municipal water sys- “recharges” the aquifer. In the Grand River watershed, the most signifi- A lot of groundwater enters the tems. Moraines are also the site of many important natural areas, such cant recharge areas are the moraine areas. About 80 per cent of the Grand River itself, between as wetlands and forests. recharge takes place in just 30 per cent of the land of the watershed. Cambridge and Brantford – as much as one-sixth of the flow in moraines important are also some the river during the summer of the reasons that the moraine Concern growing about protecting moraines months. The introduction of this areas are at risk today. oraines are an important nat- natural system.” Grand River watershed have taken cool, clean water into the river ben- The Grand River cities are ural feature of the Southern However, the details of what steps to protect moraines and efits Brantford and Ohsweken, spreading out into the moraine M that means, and how it might be their functions. which draw their drinking water regions. The fact that some of the Ontario landscape, but there are implemented in local planning The Region of Waterloo has directly from the river. moraine regions were less suited for no provincial policies that specifi- documents such as zoning bylaws Beyond their value as sources of agriculture in pioneer days means cally protect moraines. developed its own growth strategy and official plans, have yet to be drinking water, the moraines are they are available today for residen- The notable exception is that will reduce urban sprawl in worked out. important natural areas and rich tial and industrial development. provincial legislation that covers moraine areas and has proposed designating some moraine areas habitats. Because of their rolling Kitchener and Waterloo have just one moraine – the Oak Ridges Urges protection been growing west into the Moraine, which stretches from for protection as Environmentally and sometimes rocky surfaces, parts The Grand River Conservation Waterloo Moraine. The Galt-Paris Orangeville to Peterborough, par- Sensitive Landscapes. of them were left relatively Authority has suggested to the Moraines pass through the high- allel to the north shore of Lake A recent groundwater study untouched when forest clearing province that protecting moraines growth cities of Guelph and conducted for Guelph and took place in the Grand River Ontario. Large parts of the has to be an important part of a Cambridge. In Brant and Brantford, watershed during the 19th and moraine are protected from devel- growth plan for this area. In its Puslinch Township recommends new growth is taking place in early 20th centuries. Some of the opment. response to the Places To Grow local policies to protect “primary moraine areas, as well. mostly heavily forested areas of the In the Grand River watershed, proposals, the GRCA said “the recharge areas” in order to “main- Grand River watershed are in the The composition of moraines along with other parts of the province must evaluate and pro- tain the quantity and quality of Galt-Paris Moraine region in and the nearby gravel terraces Greater Golden Horseshoe, the tect moraines and recharge areas groundwater available to meet Wellington County. makes them attractive regions to province plans to work with in the Grand River watershed for future needs.” The surfaces of the moraines are aggregate businesses. Sand and municipalities to develop new their critical function in water sup- Another study done for also dotted by kettle lakes and wet- gravel operations are common in growth plans that will protect nat- ply, waste water assimilation and Guelph-Eramosa Township also lands, which provide a rich habitat the Waterloo Moraine area and in ural features that “are necessary for natural heritage systems.” proposes that recharge areas be for a wide variety of plants, fish, the gravel terraces near the Galt- the ecological and hydrological In the absence of a provincial identified and factored into plan- birds and animals. Paris Moraines in Wellington and integrity of watersheds within the policy, some municipalities in the ning policies. But the very things that make the Brant.

GRAND RIVER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY• www.grandriver.ca P AGE 10 – THE G RAND Agriculture W ATERSHED R EPORT 2005 Agriculture is a big part of the Grand than 6,800 square kilometers in Farming is the size. According to the 2001 census, about 67 per cent of the total land area of the watershed is actively major land use farmed on about 6,400 farms. In some parts of the watershed, in watershed the proportion of farmland is even higher, especially in the western regions where soils are rich and the ake a bird’s-eye view of the land is relatively flat. Grand River watershed, and In the Conestogo River basin in Tyou will be struck by the rich Wellington and Waterloo, 86 per and colorful mosaic of the land. cent of the land is farmed. In the Spread across the entire water- Nith River region (Wellington, shed are vast gold and emerald Waterloo, Perth, Oxford and Brant) blocks of farm fields and pastures, farms occupy 83 per cent of the broken up by the dark green frag- land. In the tank ments of woodlots, river valleys and Farmers collect and store manure to use it as fertilizer on their fields. By storing it in a concrete tank such as Big variety wetlands. this circular one, they can ensure that it doesn’t wash into nearby streams during rainfalls. The Rural Water They surround the grey blocks of However, it’s not just the size of Quality Program provides farmers with financial assistance to build storage tanks as well as adopt other best the watershed’s cities and towns the farming community that is management practices that keep water clean on the farm. GRCA photo by Carl Hiebert that are home to a high proportion impressive. It is the variety, as well. of the watershed’s population of Crops range from the staples of 875,000. corn, soybeans and hay to specialty dreds of years. 8.8 million chickens and turkeys. laws and regulations governing But despite the heavy concentra- products such as fruits, tobacco and A lot of land is dedicated to rais- Given the size of the agriculture their actions, many of them tion of people in the urban areas, ginseng. Some farmers are on the ing and growing feed for livestock. industry in the Grand River water- designed to protect or improve the the land of the watershed remains cutting edge of 21st century tech- There are about 290,000 head of shed, it’s no surprise that farm prac- environment. strongly rural and agricultural. The nology, while others employ tradi- cattle (including dairy and beef cat- tices can have a big impact on the In recent years a lot of attention Grand River watershed is more tional methods dating back hun- tle), about 500,000 pigs and about environment in general, and water has been focused on manure stor- quality in particular. age and use. For example: Manure is a rich source of nutri- K chemicals, such as fertilizers, ents such as phosphorus and nitro- pesticides and fuels have to be gen. For that reason, it is a tradi- Agriculture becoming more intensive stored and used carefully to avoid tional and valuable fertilizer for favorable climate, good soil the average farm rose to 74 from 320. spills; farm fields. Aand access to markets have hectares from 67 hectares. For poultry, both the total num- K manure has to be properly col- made the Grand River watershed Livestock operations have ber and average per farm have lected, stored and applied to make Fertilizer for aquatic plants one of the richest agricultural become more intensive, too. climbed since 1991. In 2001 there sure it doesn’t get into water cours- But when the same nutrients are regions in the country. The total number of cattle in were about 8.7 million chickens es; washed into a river or stream, they Despite the rapid growth of the the watershed has remained con- and turkeys in the watershed, up K the right plowing methods can act as fertilizer for algae and aquat- urban areas of the watershed, the sistent during his period – about about 35 per cent since 1991. The reduce soil erosion; ic plants. Excessive nutrient loads importance of agriculture is as 290,000 head – but the average average flock grew to 5,600 birds K good irrigation practices can can turn a stream or river into an strong as ever and looks to contin- herd size rose to about 81 from from 3,600 in 1991. reduce the amount of water algae-rich, oxygen-poor environ- ue that way. 72. required to grow a crop. ment where fish, insects and other About 67 per cent of the land The number of pigs in the When farmers adopt best man- creatures can literally suffocate. of the watershed is farmed, a pro- watershed dropped considerably agement practices it is, in many The Region of Waterloo has esti- portion that has remained fairly during this cases, helpful to both the environ- mated that 70 per cent of the total constant since 1991. There are period – to ment and the farm bottom line. For phosphorus in the Grand River, about 6,400 farms in the water- 500,000 in measured at Waterloo, comes from shed, according to census reports 2001 from example, farmers who apply just from Statistics Canada. 613,000 in the right amount of fertilizer or cut rural sources, mainly runoff from There has been a trend toward 1991 – but their pesticide use, will save money agricultural land. (It estimates fewer, but larger farms. The num- the average and reduce – or eliminate – the another 17 per cent of the phos- ber of farms dropped to 6,400 in number of chance that excess amounts will phorus load comes from municipal 2001 from 7,100 ten years earlier. pigs per farm make their way into surface water sewage treatment plants.) During the same period the size of rose to 560 or groundwater. Along the Nith River, according Farmers also live with a host of to the region, anywhere from 40 to

GRAND RIVER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY• www.grandriver.ca W ATERSHED R EPORT 2004 Agriculture P AGE 11 – THE G RAND everyone’s best interest to provide financial support to farmers for projects that reduce pollution on farmland. The municipal money is given in grants to farmers to undertake a variety of water-protecting projects. The types of projects vary slightly in different parts of the watershed. The grants range from 50 per cent to 75 per cent, depending on the type of the project; however, landowners generally go further and contribute about $2 for every $1 received from the program. They also supply a great deal of labour and materials, in addition to committing to the long-term main- tenance of the project. A thousand people will generate about 160 kilograms of solid waste By the end of 2004 approximate- in a day. Two agriculture researchers calculated that it takes only 20 ly $12 million had been spent dairy cows to generate the same amount of waste in a day. They across the watershed to implement also figured out the equivalent numbers for other farm animals. about 1,300 projects. The landown- (Ron Fleming and Marcy Ford, Ridgetown College of Agriculture) er contribution was about $7.4 mil- lion. 99 per cent of the phosphorus program in 1998 to promote best One popular project is construc- comes from rural non-point management practices to protect tion of manure storage tanks. sources, depending on the time of water on farmland. Since then Traditionally, most farmers stored year and flow conditions. Nitrates Guelph, Wellington County, their manure in an exposed area; from non-point sources, including Brantford and Brant County have rain and melting snow would wash farms, can build up in groundwater, also developed their own programs. some of the manure into streams or making it unsuitable for drinking. They are managed by the GRCA carry it into the groundwater sys- Manure handling issues are being and overseen by local committees tem. addressed in several ways: made up of municipal, farm and However, manure kept in a stor- K The Rural Water Quality rural representatives. age tank is much less likely to Program offers farmers financial All together, these five munici- escape into the environment. incentives to adopt best manage- palities are investing about Clean water diversions are ment practices to protect water on $700,000 each year in rural water another type of project. Rainwater Rural roots their farm. quality. The total investment has coming from downspouts and eaves The Grand River watershed is still primarily a rural, agricultural region. K The Nutrient Management been about $4.5 million since the is directed to a tile drain or water- About 70 per cent of the land is designated as farmland. In some parts Act and its regulations govern the program began. course, rather than allowed to run of the watershed, farmland makes up more than 80 per cent of the way farmers handle nutrients. The theory behind the program across a farmyard. This also cuts land use. is that all residents of the munici- Rural Water Quality Program down on the amount of manure pality benefit – as does the environ- washed into a stream. The first approach is the Rural lations, such as the new Nutrient The Nutrient Management Act ment in general – when rural Trees and bushes planted along a Water Quality Program. The Management Act. was passed in 2002 to establish landowners implement water-pro- stream’s banks will take up nutri- The Act and its regulations those standards. Region of Waterloo initiated the tecting practices. Therefore, it’s in ents, reducing the amount of phos- establish rules for the handling, Under the act, farmers have to phorus and nitrates getting into the storage and use of nutrients on develop Nutrient Management water. Ontario farms. It can be hard to attach a specific Plans that describe their operation, Farmland under pressure figure to the volume of nutrients The goal is to protect water from the volume of nutrients generated excessive nutrient loads and also to on the farm, how they are stored, gricultural land is under agri-food industry and ensuring kept out of streams and rivers but keep potentially dangerous bacteria disposed of, or applied to the land. pressure in many places, the vitality of the agricultural sec- rough estimates are that these prac- out of water sources. The regulations are being rolled and no more so than in the tor of the region’s economy.” tices keep more than 20,000 kilo- A The provincial government was out in stages, applying first to new Greater Golden Horseshoe Places To Grow recommends grams of phosphorus from moving developing the law in the late farms and large farms and eventual- Region of southern Ontario several policies to protect agricul- off the land. ly to others. which includes the Grand River tural lands and farm practices. It In the parts of the watershed 1990s but the Walkerton tragedy in The provincial government is watershed. also says municipal planning poli- where the program has been in 2000 raised the profile of nutrient also providing financial incentives “Places To Grow,” the cies should include protection for place the longest, there has been a management across Ontario. provincial draft growth plan for the agricultural system. measurable reduction in phospho- The Walkerton water tragedy to assist some farmers with imple- the Greater Golden Horseshoe These new proposals would rus levels. began when bacteria-laden water menting Nutrient Management Region notes that prime agricul- enhance current provincial and At the very least, the program washed off a farm field into one of Plans. For example, grants are avail- tural land makes up close to 50 municipal rules governing agricul- has helped to keep phosphorus lev- the community’s wells. A series of able to some large farms to build per cent of the land in the region tural lands. els constant, even at a time when equipment and human failures fol- manure storage tanks. and that “much prime agricultural Many official plans and growth some farming operations are lowed, which allowed the deadly E. land is located where develop- management plans in Grand River becoming more intensive. coli bacteria to travel through the ment pressures are greatest.” watershed municipalities also water system to household taps. Agricultural statistics are from “Protecting these agricultural contain policies protecting prime Nutrient Management Act In his report on the tragedy, Statistics Canada, Census of lands is an important part of sus- agricultural lands from urban Another approach to reducing Justice Dennis O’Connor reinforced Agriculture - Farm Data, taining Ontario’s agriculture and development. the impact of manure on the envi- the need for minimum standards for 95F0301XIE, 2001 ronment is through laws and regu- manure storage and handling.

GRAND RIVER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY• www.grandriver.ca Biothon raising funds for kids aturday, October 1 marks the SGRCA’s Second Annual Biothon, in support of the Living Classroom – Campaign for Outdoor Education. Over a 24 hour period, teams of nature-lovers will search out as many bugs, birds, plants, and other species as they can find at the Laurel Creek Nature Centre in Waterloo. It’s a great way to enjoy nature in a hands-on way, and to raise money for outdoor education in our water- shed. To find out more, make a pledge, or join a team, contact us at founda- The Ancient Mariners Canoe Club used the Community Conservation [email protected]. Grant awarded last year to help fund a new Eric Thomlinson Canoe Launch in Glen Morris, just upstream of Paris. Other contributors included the Brant Waterways Foundation and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, in cooperation with the GRCA and County of Brant. Grants help community Peter Pautler, a nature centre interpreter, shows one of his discoveries groups make a difference during the first GRCA Biothon t’s important for each of us to through the Thiess Riverprize Iplay a role in conserving the envi- Endowment Fund, won by the Grand River Conservancy Forest ronment of the Grand River water- GRCA in 2000 for international shed. The Grand River excellence in watershed manage- is a way to provide a living tribute Conservation Foundation aims to ment. lanting a tree is a wonderful way With a minimum contribution of support private action by our com- To apply, your group must be a Pto commemorate the birth of a $30, donors who wish to mark a munity through the annual registered charity, or partnered child, to celebrate an important special milestone in their lives will Community Conservation Grants. with one. Community groups are anniversary, or to remember the life have a tree planted in the Grand These grants are made to quali- eligible for grants of up to $2,000, of someone who had a passion for River watershed. fied groups, to assist with projects and elementary schools up to $500. nature. such as river and trail access The deadline to apply is October Since 1971, more than 2,000 The gift will be noted – along improvement, native tree planting, 31, 2005, and grants will be award- trees have been planted through with the name of their loved one – and schoolyard naturalization. ed in February 2006. For more the Grand River Conservancy in a Memory Book, as a permanent Funds for the grants come from details and an application form, Forest program. record of their contribution. two sources: the Foundation’s please visit our website at Grand Champions Endowment www.grandriver.ca and click on the Fund, which was established Grand River Conservation through private donations, and Foundation. Grand River About the Foundation trail guides K To learn more about the Enjoy the Grand River Foundation, to see its latest projects watershed in any season with through its 2004 Annual Report, or to these two guides to more make an on-line donation check the than 80 trails by author Foundation website at www.grandriver.ca Katherine Jacob. K To discuss the role of the founda- The books are $14.95 each tion or to volunteer contact: and are available in many Sara Wilbur bookstores or directly from Director of Development, the GRCA Store on our web- (519) 621-2761, Ext. 272 site at www.grandriver.ca. [email protected]

Learn more about the Grand River Conservation Foundation at www.grandriver.ca