A renewed vision for a thriving watershed will guide the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) during the coming years. The RVCA board of directors unveiled its new strategic plan at its board meeting held March 23. The plan builds upon the Conservation Authority’s past 50 years of success and will guide it towards a sustainable future.

RVCA Chair Lyle Pederson and General Manager Sommer Casgrain-Robertson are excited that the plan, entitled Conserving Our Watershed, Ensuring Our Future, charts a course to 2020. “We’ve worked hard to develop a set of strategies and plans that identify clear priorities for RVCA to undertake that are locally relevant,” said Chair Pederson. “These actions will bene t our local municipalities by protecting and restoring the value of our watershed.”

The RVCA’s renewed vision is for a thriving watershed with clean abundant water, natural shorelines, rich forests and wetlands, diverse habitat and sustainable land use that is valued and protected by all.

Four pillars guide program priorities to accomplish this vision:

1. Develop and share watershed knowledge that advances decision making and leads to on-the-ground action
2. Protect, restore and enhance watershed health and safeguard people and property from natural hazards
3. Increase watershed awareness and appreciation and inspire action in others
4. Operate a sustainable, well-managed, service-driven organization fueled by engaged employees

“All of our strategic priorities are also underpinned by ve core values,” added General Manager Sommer Casgrain-Robertson. “Collaboration, balance, knowledge, integrity and excellence shape all that we do and how we do it as we serve the Rideau watershed and the people who live in it”.

This strategic plan is just one of several products that guide the ongoing work and conservation e orts of the RVCA. The 2016 RVCA Annual Report, 2017 Budget and Work Plan along with information sheets for each of our member municipalities show the past, present and future of Conservation Authority e orts. To see the full strategic plan or any of these products, visit our website at www.rvca.ca (under “publications”) or call 1-800-267-3504 to have a copy mailed.

Cold temperatures have slowed runoff and will cause declining water levels in watershed lakes and streams through the weekend.

There is enough water moving through the system from the melt and rain that flows are still increasing in some tributaries. This will tail off today and levels can be expected to decline through the weekend. Weather forecasts indicate another warmup with some rain next week that could cause flows to increase again.

The warm temperatures and increased flows caused the ice on all waterbodies to become unstable. With refreezing occurring, new ice will be forming. However, it will take a few days for a consistent ice sheet to develop. All watershed residents, especially children, are advised to stay off of the ice on rivers and streams and avoid icy or wet streambanks where footing can be difficult.

Conservation Authority staff will continue to monitor conditions and issue further statements as conditions warrant.

 Warm temperatures and rain could cause water levels to threaten access to lower lying communities.

This message applies particularly to Hilly Lane, Cedar Beach and Rideau Glen and other small communities along the Long Reach of the Rideau River near Kemptville that are susceptible to flooding. The Hilly Lane community could start to have water encroaching on the access road by Wednesday as a result of above zero temperatures melting the remaining snow and a two-day total rainfall of as much as 20 millimetres. Fortunately, temperatures are forecast to fall below freezing by Wednesday night which can be expected to cause flows to decline again.

As in our previous statements, an important element is public safety. The fluctuating water levels and temperatures will cause ice to weaken on all watercourses. Parents are urged to remind their children about the dangers of playing on or near ice covered surfaces or fast flowing water in ditches and smaller creeks. All watershed residents are advised to stay off of the ice on rivers and streams and avoid icy or wet streambanks where footing can be treacherous.

Conservation Authority staff will continue to monitor conditions and issue further statements as conditions warrant.

Example of a typical half-day program

Example of a typical full-day program

^*Please note that we can typically accommodate two groups of up to 30 students for a total of 60 students at a time for programming. Each group of up to 30 will be led by an RVCA instructor (programs may occur simultaneously or one in the morning and one in the afternoon depending on time restrictions).

The drought status in the Rideau River watershed is being downgraded to “Moderate” because recent precipitation has generally increased flows in area streams. 

Kemptville Creek flows are about 130% of the historical average, or normal, for the time of year as a result of October rain and November snowmelt. Other recorded streamflows are above 60% of normal which has led to the downgrade of the drought status. However, the Tay River out of Bobs Lake has not had the same precipitation and is at only 10% of the normal flow. This indicates that the drought is not fully over despite there being snow on the ground. Some of the smallest streams in the upper watershed still have minimal flows.

All watershed residents are encouraged to continue to conserve water. With the onset of cold weather and reduced recharge of groundwater, residents who take from wells could still find low supplies of water.

Along with the four Rideau Canal reservoir lakes, levels on the other lakes in the watershed have also had lower levels than residents are used to through the year. A threat to boat navigation through the summer, rocks and shoals that were exposed with the low water levels will be a threat to snowmobilers once icesheets are established.

Relevant information sources are as follows:

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

Ontario’s Low Water Response program

RVCA website

Hourly and daily streamflows and water levels

In order that we can track impacts of the drought conditions in the watershed, we request that any individuals or businesses in the Rideau Watershed who may be experiencing difficulties with their wells please contact the Conservation Authority by calling 613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504, ext. 1128 or by email (instructions at http://www.rvca.ca/low_water/index.html ). There is also the Drought Impacts Map application on the RVCA website under Watershed Conditions.

Conservation Authority staff continue to monitor conditions and communicate with water managers throughout the watershed through the Rideau Valley Low Water Response Team. An update to this message will be issued as conditions warrant.

Canada’s first and only carbon neutral radio station continues in its efforts to plant trees and maintain its efforts to offset carbon emissions. Ottawa’s LiVE 88.5 FM will see another 5,700 trees planted in the southern Ottawa area to offset the carbon dioxide produced annually at their Ottawa broadcast centre. This brings their total to 39,900 trees planted since they decided to go carbon neutral in 2011. This adds up to over 20 hectares (50 acres) of forest.

“LiVE 88.5 is proud to work with the RVCF to help grow and manage our expanding forest,” said Dan Youngs, Live 88.5 Program Director. “Carbon neutrality is a cause important to all of the staff at LiVE 88.5, and we’re very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish with the RVCF in these short years.”

The amount of carbon dioxide equivalent produced by the regular work of the 48 full time and 19 part time employees in the LiVE broadcast centre on Antares Drive in Ottawa was calculated through the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation’s (RVCF) Carbon Neutral Program. Staff commuting and travel, office heating and cooling, energy consumption of all kinds was tallied using energy bills for a one-year period. Once the total energy consumption was known, a formula converted it into the number of trees needed to absorb or “offset” that same amount of carbon dioxide.

Over the next 80 years, these trees will absorb the same number of tonnes of carbon dioxide that the employees of the station inadvertently produce each year. The growing trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air taking greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere and locking it in the wood for up to 80 years. “We are grateful to the commitment and support of the LiVE 88.5 team,” says Jason Kelly, RVCF Chair. “They have inspired others to go carbon neutral and make growing gifts to the community. The Foundation’s Carbon Neutral Program offers planting options suitable for business, events and families. I think people are surprised at how affordable it is to do such a good thing.”

In addition to carbon abatement, each LiVE 88.5 tree is a little environmental cleaning station. These trees are providing huge environmental goods and services to the people of Ottawa. The trees absorb greenhouse gas, produce life-giving oxygen, clean our water supplies, provide wildlife habitat, buffer noise and wind, improve the soil and reduce soil erosion. Collectively, they make the Ottawa area less vulnerable to the worst effects of unpredictable and unseasonal heavy storms and increasing summer droughts

LiVE 88.5 FM is one of two local affiliates of Newcap Radio Inc. headquartered in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Newcap is one of Canada’s largest radio companies employing over 800 radio professionals across the country. Newcap holds 96 licences and is heard by millions of listeners each week across Canada.

Daytime temperatures above freezing forecast for the weekend and into next week will cause melting and increased levels on watercourses throughout the Rideau River watershed.

Above freezing temperatures will cause ice and snow melt over the next several days. There is sufficient snow on the ground in the lower part of the watershed to absorb most of the meltwater. However, areas to the south and west of the City of Ottawa, where there has been less snowfall, can be expected to have more runoff. In all cases, the ice cover can be expected to become unstable to various extents with weakening ice and water on the surface. Ditches and smaller streams may begin flowing and shifting ice could cause blockages at road crossings with localised road flooding possible.

Parents should ensure that children know about the hazards of playing around watercourses in the winter and all watershed residents are advised to stay off of the ice on rivers and streams and avoid ice and snow covered streambanks where footing can be unpredictable.

Conservation Authority staff will continue to monitor conditions and issue further statements as conditions warrant.