RIDEAU VALLEY WATERSHED, July 3, 2018 — The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) celebrated the planting of their six millionth tree on Thursday, June 28.

This special tree is hidden among the over 275,000 seedlings planted this spring throughout the watershed — somewhere in the over 4,000 square kilometres of ground between the City of Ottawa and South Frontenac Township north of Kingston.

This achievement was celebrated with a ceremonial tree dedication at the RVCA’s Perth Wildlife Reserve.

Thanks to the many, community-minded funding partners, over $5.7 million has been raised to support tree planting since 1983 — much of these funds come through the continued support of key green investors including Carleton Refrigeration, the City of Ottawa, Eastern Ontario Model Forest, Forests Ontario, McGarry Funeral Homes, Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, Newcap LiVE 88.5, Pratt & Whitney Canada and the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation.

The total value of the local reforestation effort including the landowner contributions is closer to $9.8 million and has resulted in over 26.9 square kilometres (2,686 hectares) of idle or marginal land being converted into thriving, treed landscapes.

“We are delighted to share this major milestone with our municipal and community minded-funding partners,” said RVCA Chair Lyle Pederson. “We are grateful to our watershed municipalities for investing in our green infrastructure. The additional commitment from landowners and our business community is a reflection of our shared desire for a healthy, green sustainable watershed. Thank you to all our partners and especially the generous donors who support our tree planting program.”

RVCA staff are currently looking for next year’s planting partners. Landowners who are interested in having one acre or more (0.4 hectares) planted in trees can contact the RVCA to learn more about the program or book a free site visit. The RVCA’s full-service program includes free site visits with forestry experts, development of planting plans, site preparation, tree planting operations, follow-up assessments and operations to ensure long-term tree establishment. 

“As someone who has been involved in the RVCA tree planting program — I can speak to the professional staff, impressive financial incentives and the many benefits the tree planting program offers,” said Chair Pederson who encourages landowners to learn more about the RVCA’s reforestation programs by visiting the Conservation Authority’s website at www.rvca.ca or calling 1-800-267-3504 to speak to a member of the Forestry Team.

Photo caption – left to right:
Ottawa Councillor David Chernushenko, RVCA Board Member and Township of Drummond/North Elmsley Councillor Ray Scissons and RVCA Chair Lyle Pederson celebrate the planting of the RVCA’s 6 millionth tree with the dedication of a sugar maple at the Perth Wildlife Reserve.

RIDEAU WATERSHED, June 21, 2018 — How healthy is the Tay River? Readers can learn all about it in the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s (RVCA) Tay River Subwatershed Report. This information-loaded report summarizes the subwatershed’s health by looking at four indicators: forests, wetlands, shorelines and water quality. This is the second subwatershed report for the Tay River and compares baseline information collected from 2006 to 2017. Changes are small, but understanding how to prevent cumulative long-term changes is essential.

The Tay River begins its journey at Carnahan Lake, south of the Town of Sharbot Lake. From there it meanders northeast, draining water from 55 lakes into the Lower Rideau Lake at Port Elmsley. Along its way, the Tay flows through the Canadian Shield that defines many of the lakes in the area, including Long, Eagle, Crow and Bobs Lakes. From here downstream, the Tay takes on a more river-like form as it flows towards Christie Lake, before beginning the long descent through rich farmland and the Town of Perth to where it empties into Lower Rideau Lake.

RVCA’s monitoring efforts help us better understand watershed trends and help focus stewardship activities where they are needed the most. These subwatershed reports summarize RVCA information and are valuable tools for decision-makers at all levels — individuals, families, municipalities, counties and the province.

Conditions along the Tay River have remained similar to past years; however, now is always the best time to take steps to maintain, protect and improve our watershed conditions.

Efforts can be simple things like keeping shorelines natural and planting trees to more complicated municipal planning and development projects that protect surface water quality and aquatic habitat through the creation of riparian buffers, and application of stormwater best management practices. The report identifies what the RVCA, municipalities, residents, businesses, community groups and agricultural associations can do to help make environmental gains. 

For landowners looking to do their part, the RVCA provides a number of stewardship programs designed to improve watershed health. The programs provide technical expertise, grants and manpower. By connecting with landowners, the goal is to make real, on-the-ground improvements. Landowners who are interested in learning about possible projects can call the RVCA for details.

This report is part of a series including reports on the Lower Rideau (2012), Kemptville Creek (2013), Rideau Lakes (2014) and Middle Rideau (2015) and Jock River (2016), Next year, similar comparisons on watershed health will be made for the Lower Rideau Subwatershed. 

For your copy of this and other subwatershed reports, call the RVCA at 613-692-3571 ext. 1177 or visit watersheds.rvca.ca. For those looking for more scientific information, monitoring results will be available online this fall through the Tay’s 14 catchments reports.

Foley Mountain Forest School offers an alternative education in which children spend most of their time outside, playing and learning through experiential, hands-on activities that promote curiosity in an active and authentic learning environment. Students will receive the benefits of repeated and regular visits to a natural area, in a play and inquiry-based education setting.

Tuition subsidies for the forest school program may be available for those who qualify. Please contact for more details.

Location: Foley Mountain Lane, Westport, ON — Google map

Programs that we offer:

• Family Forest School
• Kindergarten for children aged 4-5
• School age for children aged 6-12
• Family drop-in programs for all ages

PLEASE NOTE — We will consider offering additional program days if there is demand!

PLEASE READ our Forest School Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

NEW PROGRAM – Family Forest School

Is your child a bit too young to join in our independent programs or are you just looking to be a part of their forest school experience? Well, this new program may be the perfect fit for you!

• The same play based, child centred learning environment as our other forest school programs. Enjoy play, stories, snack time, forest adventures, and more!
• A new forest school program for children aged 2-5 (younger or slightly older siblings are welcome to tag along) where a parent or guardian stays with the child during the program.
• Tuesdays from 9:30am – 11:30am offered in the same fall, winter, and spring sessions as our other programs. Registration is for the whole session.
• Supported by one of our skilled and experienced forest school educators.
• Cost per child is $18/morning plus HST.

To Register

Please complete the registration request form to be added to our registration list. Upon completion of the form, we will send you a registration package, including the program handbook and other necessary documents. PLEASE NOTE that filling out this form does not necessarily guarantee a space in the program but begins the registration process.

Kindergarten Program 

• Children ages 4-5 years
• Program runs from 9am – 12pm
• Cost per child is $30/morning plus HST. All prices below include HST.
• Participants must be able to use the toilet independently
• Please check out our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

To Register

Please complete the registration request form to be added to our registration list.  Upon completion of the form, we will send you a registration package, including the program handbook and other necessary documents. PLEASE NOTE that filling out this form does not necessarily guarantee a space in the program but begins the registration process.

School Age Program

• For children aged 6–12
• Cost per child is $55/full day or $30/half day plus HST. All prices below include HST.

To Register

Please complete the registration request form to be added to our registration list.  Upon completion of the form, we will send you a registration package, including the program handbook and other necessary documents. PLEASE NOTE that filling out this form does not necessarily guarantee a space in the program but begins the registration process.

Forest School FREE Family Drop In Programs 

Pack up the family and head down to Foley Mountain Conservation Area to explore, adventure, play, and learn in the forest! Thanks to the Township of Rideau Lakes, we are offering FREE family drop-in program. 

2024 Drop In Programs

• April 20, from 10-11:30 am  Waitlist Only
• May 18, from 10-11:30 am  Waitlist Only
• June 15, from 10-11:30 am Waitlist Only
• July 20, from 10-11:30 am
• August 17, from 10-11:30 am
• September 21, from 10-11:30 am
• October 19, from 10-11:30 am
• November 16, from 10-11:30 am
• December 21, from 10-11:30 am

General Information: 

• All ages of children welcome, children must be accompanied by an adult
• PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED and group size will be limited - please complete the registration request form to pre-register or be added to the waitlist.  
• FREE of cost

Our Community Partners

EASTERN ONTARIO, June 6, 2018: The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) is pleased to report that 275,000 healthy native tree seedlings have been planted in the Rideau Valley this spring. These young trees add to the total as RVCA and its planting partners strive to plant a total of 6.5 million trees by 2020. 

Tree planting is one of the most practical ways to take care of our watershed and the wider environment. RVCA’s reforestation programs are a great way for landowners to improve their property by:

• Increasing forest cover
• Improving wildlife habitat
• Increasing biodiversity
• Protecting soil from erosion
• Improving water quality and water conservation and so much more!

The RVCA offers a full-service reforestation program for landowners interested in having one acre or more (0.4 hectares) planted in trees. The land must be suitable for tree planting and the landowner must be willing to plant 1,000 trees or more. The RVCA’s full-service program includes free site visits with forestry experts, development of planting plans, site preparation, tree planting operations, follow-up assessments and operations to ensure long-term tree establishment. “Our program is focused on increasing forest cover throughout our watershed. So much of the land is privately owned so we work with local landowners to provide them with easy and affordable tree planting services,” said Scott Danford, RVCA Forestry Manager.  

Typical costs for the full-service tree-planting program are $0.15/tree ($120/acre). The RVCA and its planting partners cover all additional costs. “We have numerous community-minded partners who support our tree planting program and help reduce the costs for landowners,” said Scott Danford. Planting partners include the City of Ottawa, Forests Ontario, Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, Eastern Ontario Model Forest, Pratt & Whitney Canada, McGarry Funeral Homes, Newcap LiVE 88.5, Carleton Refrigeration, Pratt & Whitney Canada and the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation.

Trees are vital for a healthy and sustainable future; start planning now for planting next spring. If you would like to plant trees or to get more information call Scott Danford at 613-692-3571 or 1-800-267-3504 ext. 1175 or visit www.rvca.ca. 

CITY OF OTTAWA AND MONTAGUE TOWNSHIP, June 4, 2018  — The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) has completed a hazard mapping study for Nichols Creek from the Montague Boundary Road to the Jock River. Members of the public are invited to an upcoming open house to review regulation and hazard maps. 

The new mapping show areas that are subject to natural hazards such as flooding and erosion and have natural environmental features such as wetlands. The mapping will be used by the City of Ottawa and Montague Township when updating their Official Plans and Zoning Schedules and in the review of development applications under the Planning Act. RVCA will also use the mapping to guide the review of development applications submitted under the RVCA’s Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation.

The goal of this mapping is to help ensure that sound planning decisions are made — keeping people and property safe. Accurate engineered hazard mapping is the foundation of effective floodplain and resource management.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend the open house and/or provide comments on the mapping. Conservation Authority staff welcome historical records of past flood events, news clippings, photographs and even anecdotal stories to help confirm the reasonableness of calculations and resulting hazard mapping. 

Nichols Creek Regulations and Hazard Land Mapping Study Public Open House
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
4:30 to 8:00 p.m.
St. Phillip Church – Rev. Gillissie Parish Hall
127 Burke Street, Richmond

For those unable to attend the open house, mapping can also be seen online at www.rvca.ca/nichols-creek. To understand how mapping may affect your property or to provide comments, please contact an RVCA Resource Specialist at  or complete an online property inquiry form at www.rvca.ca/ general-property-inquiries.

This study is being done through a collaboration involving the City of Ottawa and the Rideau Valley, Mississippi Valley and South Nation Conservation Authorities. The City recognized a need to update its zoning schedules based on up-to-date flood risk mapping, and has provided contributions enabling the Conservation Authorities to move ahead with these studies sooner than would otherwise be possible. The RVCA is currently working on several studies in the Ottawa area. For a complete list on ongoing work, please visit www.rvca.ca.

May 25, 2018, OTTAWA — Funding partners and over 60 guests gathered to celebrate the opening of the newly refreshed and rehabilitated Baxter Pond.

Located at the Baxter Conservation Area, the Baxter ASL Pond is visited annually by over 5,000 students from kindergarten to university looking to learn about pond ecology. It is home to frogs, fish, turtles, birds and aquatic invertebrates and visited by children who get to observe the diversity of life hiding along its shores and in its cool waters. It is here where students learn about freshwater pond habitat and how animals adapt to life under water. Equipped with nets, basins and sporting good old-fashioned rubber boots, students get up close and personal with the animals that call the pond home.

Although still teeming with life, the pond wasn’t as healthy and resilient as it could be. Dry summers were taking a toll on the shallow pond. It was time to gently deepen its bed, thin-out excessive vegetation, add wood materials as habitat, plant shoreline shrubs and install new platforms for future outdoor learning. And thanks to several community-minded partners, the pond was able get the TLC it well deserved.

The project was jumpstarted with an in-kind donation by ASL Agrodrain – Earth Works Contractors. From here, additional funders were quick to jump onboard and the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s (RVCA) rehabilitation plan was put in motion.

“The pond is a remarkable, vibrant area — and these restoration efforts will only make it better,” said Jennifer Lamoureux, RVCA Biologist who oversaw the project. “Last summer was quite wet, this meant that the pond habitat was really robust and meant that over 4,000 fish, frogs, tadpoles and turtles were relocated by RVCA staff last fall before the restoration project began. This included six largemouth bass and a brown bullhead with eight yearlings. We are confident that deepening the pond will only improve its biodiversity and ensure it continues as a special spot for children to explore and learn.”

The newly restored pond now boasts a variety of side slopes that allow for more diverse plant growth and also provide safe learning areas for keen kids. Wood material, in and out of the water, now acts as homes for fish, frogs and turtles while freshly planted native trees and shrubs will add to the pond’s shoreline vegetation. 

In the meantime, educations programs are fully booked over the next few months to the end of the school year. “We are excited to welcome children back to the pond,” said Andrea Wood, RVCA Area Supervisor and Interpreter. “Our programs are interactive and provide students with a hands-on approach to learning and the Baxter ASL Pond is an important part of the experience.”

Special thanks to the funders who made the restoration project possible: ASL Agrodrain, the Canadian Armed Forces Fish and Game Club, Canon Canada, City of Ottawa, Don Maciver Memorial Fund, Kiwanis Club of Manotick, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Zone F, TD Friends of the Environment, along with Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation.

Photo: Funders of the Baxter Pond Restoration Project gather to unveil the new interpretive sign developed as part of the improvement efforts — (left to right) Jeanine Maciver (Don Maciver Memorial Fund), Michael Poliwada (RVCF Executive Director), Adrian Smith (Manager TD Bank, Manotick), Ryan Polkinghorne (Project Manager Surface Water Engineering Support Services, City of Ottawa), Bill McShane (ASL Agrodrain President), Sommer Casgrain-Robertson (RVCA General Manager), Sandro Ricci (ASL Agrodrain Vice President of Business).

Project Status: Complete

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) has completed a hazard mapping study for Nichols Creek from the Montague Boundary Road to the Jock River.

These maps are typically known as “floodplain mapping” and they show areas that are prone to natural hazards such as flooding, erosion and natural environment features such as wetlands. 

When completed, the mapping will be used by the City of Ottawa when updating their Official Plan and Zoning Schedules and in the review of development applications under the Planning Act. RVCA will also use the mapping to guide the review of development applications submitted under the Province’s Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shorelines and Watercourses Regulation.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend our open house (date to be announced) and/or provide comments on the mapping below. Conservation Authority staff welcome historical records of past flood events, news clippings, photographs and even anecdotal stories to help confirm the reasonableness of calculations and resulting hazard mapping. For those unable to attend the open house, comments can be sent to Ferdous Ahmed, RVCA Senior Water Resources Engineer at .

These mapping studies are being completed as part of the City of Ottawa Hazard Mapping Project.

These studies are being done through a collaboration — known as the City of Ottawa Hazard Mapping Project — involving the City of Ottawa and the Mississippi Valley, Rideau Valley and South Nation Conservation Authorities. The City recognized a need to update its zoning schedules based on up-to-date flood risk mapping and has provided contributions enabling the Conservation Authorities to move ahead with these studies sooner than would otherwise be possible. The RVCA is currently working on several studies in the Ottawa area. Get more details on RVCA ongoing Flood Risk/Hazard Mapping Studies here.

May 22, 2018, OTTAWA — The City Stream Watch Program is looking for volunteer “scientists” to help monitor, protect and cleanup Ottawa streams. Now is the best time to get involved — a Stream Watch Training Session will be held for volunteers on Saturday, June 2. The training session will welcome new volunteers and introduce them to the basics of stream sampling and environmental data collection. 

“The City Stream Watch program is driven by volunteer participation and gives the community a chance to contribute to the health of their local streams,” said Chelsey Ellis, City Stream Watch Coordinator. “By helping to assess these unique urban features, volunteers play a crucial role in environmental protection and enhancement.”

This year’s City Stream Watch Training Session is scheduled for Saturday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to noon along the shores of Sawmill Creek. All necessary equipment is provided and there is no cost to volunteers; however, pre-registration is required. To register or for more information, please contact Chelsey Ellis, City Stream Watch Coordinator at .

This year the City Stream Watch Program is collecting data on Taylor (Orleans), Mud (Gloucester), Black (Gloucester/Mer Bleue) and Nepean Creek (Nepean). The 2018 sampling season will focus on assessing the habitat, water and shoreline conditions of the stream, and includes fish community sampling. There are also additional opportunities for cleanups, shoreline planting and invasive species removals.

“Over the last 16 years the City Stream Watch Program has enlisted the help of over 2,400 volunteers, contributing over 14,000 hours towards conservation projects and monitoring,” said Ellis. “Anyone who wants to get involved is welcomed.” 

The City Stream Watch program is a community-based partnership, which includes the City of Ottawa, the Canadian Forces Fish & Game Club, the Ottawa Flyfishers Society, the Rideau Roundtable, the Ottawa Stewardship Council, National Capital Commission and Rideau Valley Conservation Authority. 

For more information about the program, including the reports of streams previously studied, please visit www.rvca.ca/volunteer/city-stream-watch.