Fall 2012 Watershed Report Environmental news for the residents of the Grand River watershed • Distribution 210,000 copies A better future for the Grand or more than 30 years, Lorrie Minshall has been at People want Fthe centre of some of the most important work done by the to know if the Grand River Conservation Grand River Authority: managing floods, pro - tecting water quality, environ - is improving. mental planning. Now, as she nears retirement, Lorrie Minshall she’s looking at what water man - says the agers will need to do over the next Lorrie Minshall in the dam control room at the GRCA headquarters in Cambridge. She’s leading the effort to 30 years to make the watershed a answer is ‘Yes’ develop a Water Management Plan for the Grand River watershed. healthier, safer place. Minshall, a water resources “getting out of the weeds and done and these are the next steps focused on infrastructure — However, the Water engineer, is director of the team dealing with the issues.” that will see it improve further.” sewage treatment plants, dikes, Management Plan is also looking developing an updated Water She likes to quote her husband The Water Management Plan is reservoirs and other physical at “soft” solutions that involve Management Plan for the Grand Ron, who works at a Cambridge the latest in a string of studies assets. changes in the way people think River Watershed. The plan will business: “People want to know if dating back to the 1930s. The They’re still critical to main - about and manage water establish goals for an improved the river is fishable, drinkable and most recent was completed in taining a healthy, safe watershed. resources. watershed and outline the work to swimmable. If it isn’t, who is 1982 and most of its recommen - Sewage treatment plant upgrades For example, one of the big be done to get there. doing something about it?” dations on water quality, water will improve water quality, and pieces of the plan is water conser - Her goal is to have a prelimi - supply and flood protection were reservoirs will be needed to vation, also called “water demand ‘An asset for communities’ nary version of the plan ready to implemented. reduce flood damages and protect management.” hand over when she walks out the “This river has gone from being But there are some differences water supplies. In fact, their sig - The idea is that instead of hunt - door of the GRCA head office for an open sewer to an asset people between the new plan and those nificance will be magnified in a ing around for new sources of the last time next spring. and communities appreciate,” she that preceded it, says Minshall. time of climate change and popu - To Minshall, the plan is about says. “But there’s still work to be Many of the earlier plans lation growth. Continued on Page 3 Climate Eye in the sky Innovative change Researchers take to the partnerships sky to learn where We face a future with groundwater is entering The Grand River more extreme weather the Grand River. Conservation Foundation as a result of climate is building new partner - change. ships to support conservation projects. Page 4 Page 9 Page 12 The GRCA may look and taste wonderful but coliform and E. coli can be How To Reach Us lurking. In many areas, your water can be tested for free. Check with your local health department. Joe Farwell Chief Administrative Officer A Message Keith Murch Assistant CAO, From the Chair Pick up after your dog. There are thousands of dogs in the Secretary Treasurer watershed. It is not simply a case of keeping sidewalks and trails By Mail: GRCA ecently I visited the notorious Well clean; their feces become part of the runoff into streams and 400 Clyde Road, Box 729 Number 5 in Walkerton that in 2000 aquifers. Cambridge, Ontario sickened citizens of the city with E. Don’t flush leftover N1R 5W6 R Jane Mitchell coli. I also visited the state of the art pills or medicines By Phone: 519-621-2761 Chair Direct Line: 519-621-2763 + ext. Walkerton Clean Water Centre where down the drain. Toll Free: 1-866-900-4722 By Fax: 519-621-4844 municipal water plant operators are trained so such a tragedy Hormones and antibi - Website: www.grandriver.ca can never happen again. Well Number 5 is now decommissioned otics in particular can E-mail general inquiries: and is a memorial to the victims of the tragedy. hurt wildlife. Take [email protected] The well became contaminated by farm run-off. The GRCA medicines back to the Outside business hours: works to prevent run-off with our Rural Water Quality program pharmacy. My drug 519-621-2761 and leave message that helps farmers build manure storage and fence streams to store gives away free (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, excluding holidays) prevent cows from wading. bags for excess. Cities are upgrading their wastewater plants. The GRCA works The Grand is in good River Information Line: with municipalities to create best practices for treatment plants. shape. You can swim Well Number 5 at Walkerton 519-621-2763 ext. 2519 These help our water while saving millions through efficiencies. and canoe in the river. Planning and Permits: What can the average person do to help keep our rivers and Trout fishing is some of the best in North America. But nitrogen 519-621-2763 ext. 2230 groundwater clean? and phosphorus in particular still need to be reduced. If you are on a well, get it tested three times a year. Your water Working together we can keep the Grand grand. Conservation Areas: Head office 519-621-2763 ext. 2250 Belwood Lake (Fergus) 519-843-2979 Brant (Brantford) 519-752-2040 Byng Island (Dunnville) 905-774-5755 Conestogo Lake (Drayton) 519-638-2873 This issue of The Grand draws attention to some of those Elora Gorge (Elora) 519-846-9742 things that are happening to improve our rivers. Municipalities Guelph Lake (Guelph) 519-824-5061 A Message Laurel Creek (Waterloo) 519-884-6620 are investing in improved sewage treatment. The GRCA is work - Luther Marsh (Grand Valley) 519-928-2832 From the CAO ing to finalize a Water Management Plan which examines water Pinehurst Lake (Paris) 519-442-4721 Rockwood (Rockwood) 519-856-9543 his year’s weather conditions have quality, water supply and opportunities to reduce flood risk. We Shade’s Mills (Cambridge) 519-621-3697 been a challenge for water managers. are also evaluating different scenarios that may result from cli - The light snow pack last winter was mate change, and considering how these changes might impact Reserve a campsite: T By phone 1-877-558-GRCA (4722) not sufficient to fill the major reservoirs. The Joe Farwell our water management activities. Online www.grcacamping.ca Chief Administrative low rainfall over the summer has made it Officer Understanding how the Grand River watershed will respond to Nature Centres: necessary to rely on the reservoirs to supply changing climate and population growth is a critical part of the Apps’ Mill (Brantford) 519-752-0655 most of the flow to the Speed, Conestogo, and Grand rivers. work we do here at the GRCA. The Water Management Plan will Guelph Lake 519-836-7860 Couple this with the higher temperatures, and there is a real Laurel Creek (Waterloo) 519-885-1368 provide us with guidance to do our part to keep the Grand River Shade’s Mills (Cambridge) 519-623-5573 challenge maintaining the health of the rivers. watershed as a healthy and sustainable community. Taquanyah (Cayuga) 905-768-3288 Grand River Conservation Foundation Phone: 519-621-2763 ext. 2272 The municipality where you live appoints 1-877-29-GRAND one or more representatives to the GRCA E-mail: [email protected] Who speaks for you? board to oversee the budget and activities The GRAND is published twice a year of the conservation authority. by the GRCA, and distributed in news - papers to households in the Grand River watershed. Additional copies Townships of Amaranth, East Regional Municipality of City of Guelph: County of Oxford (Blandford- available. Garafraxa, Melancthon, Waterloo (Cambridge, Bob Bell, Maggie Laidlaw Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Letters and comments to: Southgate; Town of Grand Kitchener, North Dumfries, Municipality of North Perth, Norwich): Bruce Banbury Dave Schultz, GRCA Valley: Tom Nevills Waterloo, Wellesley, Wilmot and 400 Clyde Road, Box 729 Township of Perth East: George City of Brantford: Woolwich): Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5W6 Townships of Mapleton and Les Armstrong, Todd Wicke Robert Hillier, Vic Prendergast (519) 621-2763, Ext. 2273 Wellington North: Pat Salter Cowan, Jan d’Ailly (GRCA 2nd (GRCA 1st vice-chair) [email protected] vice-chair), Rob Deutschmann, Regional Municipality of Halton Township of Centre Wellington: Jean Haalboom, Ross Kelterborn, (Halton Hills and Milton): County of Brant: Joanne Ross-Zuj Geoff Lorentz, Claudette Millar, Barry Lee Brian Coleman, Steve Schmitt Town of Erin, Townships of Jane Mitchell (GRCA chair), City of Hamilton: Haldimand and Norfolk Guelph/Eramosa and Puslinch: Warren Stauch Jeanette Jamieson Counties: Lorne Boyko, John Brennan Fred Morison Page 2 Spring 2012 • Annual Report WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN Minshall has been at centre of many key GRCA programs fter graduating from the University of Guelph with About the Water Management Plan Aa degree in water resources he Water Management Plan 2041, putting pressures on exist - engineering, Lorrie Minshall Tis a collaborative process ing water supply and sewage landed a job with the GRCA run - involving all three levels of gov - treatment systems. ning its first computer.