Super User

Super User

August 30, 2022

EOconservation

International_Plowing_Match_banner_2022.jpgYour Eastern Ontario conservation authorities were thrilled to be back at the Plowing Match to showcase the many ways we help communities protect their natural resources while steering clear of natural hazards. On this page you’ll find links to your local conservation authority, which will take you to information about stewardship grants, planning and regulations, conservation areas and more. Below, you’ll also find some key digital resources to help you implement best practices on your own property.

Not from Eastern Ontario? Click here to search with your postal code. 

 

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 How to submit digital paperwork:

  1. Access all forms and fee information by clicking here.

  2. Be sure that the application is in PDF format (including photos). 
    • Consider using apps such as Turbo Scan that convert jpeg photos into PDF documents. 
    • Upgrading software on office desktop to Adobe Pro to be able to edit PDF documents.

2. Electronic files that accompany the email request/instruction must be applied as an ATTACHMENT.

3. Email your application to the intake email address identified by your municipality listed here.

4. Watch for payment details. Directions on how to make payment will be sent to your inbox. Please note, payments must be received to activate the permitting process.

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 When reporting a failing system or other occurrences please contact your local conservation authority. You will need to provide the following information upon calling our office for the property in question:

  • Name of Property Owner
  • Civic Address (Ex. 3889 Rideau Valley Dr.)
  • Municipality
  • Complaint (e.g., I can see sewage pooling on my neighbors’ septic bed)
  • Are you a neighbour, councillor, or installer? From the Health Unit, By-Law Office or Building Inspector?

Please note all reports are kept confidential

If you would like to receive a response from us ensure you leave contact information otherwise we will treat this as an anonymous report.

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General

NEW BOOKLET: Septic Smart - Understanding your Home's Wastewater System

Septic System/Treatment Units with Annual Maintenance Agreements

Wells

PORTLAND, July 18, 2022 – The village of Portland has been invaded by a new type of yellow fish – but this species is here to help. 

The Yellow Fish Road project is just one aspect of a larger sustainable drainage pilot program kicking off this summer, thanks to funding from the Township of Rideau Lakes and support from the Big Rideau Lake Association and Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority. The freshly painted roadside fish are meant to remind residents that storm drains are directly connected to our local lakes, rivers and streams – and that chemicals, fertilizers and feces should be kept well away for the health of the water and the community. 

This summer, staff from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) are investigating novel ways to divert and capture runoff to reduce nutrients reaching Big Rideau Lake. These nutrients – which are washed into the water system as lawn fertilizers, detergents, septic system leaks and more – can cause excessive aquatic weed growth, contribute to harmful blue-green algae blooms and reduce overall water quality.  

The project’s goal is to recommend the best sustainable drainage techniques and practices available to help the Township of Rideau Lakes protect water quality for the entire community. 

RVCA staff will sample and monitor an urban catchment drain in the village of Portland and a rural non-agricultural drain just outside the village. Staff will also research best practices for sustainable drainage and implement some new practices this fall in an effort to reduce local runoff. 

“Our hope is to implement a few demonstration sites around town to really inspire people to get involved,” said Mike Yee, co-project manager, aquatic biologist and planner with the RVCA. “We want to raise awareness among residents that a few simple actions can protect their lake for the long term.”

Many established sustainable drainage practices are easy and cost-effective for residents to embrace right now, Yee said. These include installing a rain barrel, planting a rain garden, moving downspouts to a permeable area and adding native plants to shorelines and ditches.

“If everyone does a little, we can accomplish a lot,” Yee said. 

To learn more about sustainable drainage and for practical guides to implementing best practices, visit https://www.rvca.ca/sustainable-drainage-pilot-project-portland

For more information contact  or .

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IMG 7416Township of Rideau Lakes drainage manager Dan Chant joined RVCA intern Caitlin Sommer in Portland this July to paint yellow fish on several storm drains. These fish will remind residents that stormwater goes directly to the lake.The Township of Rideau Lakes has generously funded a pilot partnership with Big Rideau Lake Association, Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority and Rideau Valley Conservation Authority to work co-operatively on a sustainable drainage pilot project in the village of Portland and the surrounding rural catchment area.

As climate change contributes to more frequent and extreme rain events, excess nutrients, sediments, harmful chemicals and pollutants are increasingly washed into Big Rideau Lake through our storm drainage systems. This contributes to increased aquatic weed growth, more toxic algae blooms and an overall decline in lake health and enjoyment. 

In summer 2022, staff from RVCA as well as volunteers from the Big Rideau Lake Association conducted a sampling and monitoring program, targeting an urban drain in the village as well as a rural drain (non-agricultural) outside the village. Research was conducted to find and recommend sustainable drainage practices that are best suited to protect water quality and lake health. 

Read the Monitoring Report/Summary.

Read the final Recommendations Report.

Read the Literature Review.

Resources:

Reducing your runoff can also begin at home – and can be as easy as installing a rain barrel. To learn more about how you can reduce stormwater runoff on your own property, check out the resources below.

VIDEO: Learn how to build a low-cost, low-maintenance rain garden on your property: https://youtu.be/dvgJXlul9Bk

VIDEO: Learn how the RVCA’s Shoreline Naturalization Program offers technical and financial support for waterfront owners to naturally reduce their runoff: https://youtu.be/j2WEnMfRZTo

BLOG: Learn all the simple, cost-effective ways you can reduce runoff on your own property: https://www.rvca.ca/view-all-blog-posts/soak-up-the-summer-storms-reducing-your-runoff-in-the-big-city

BLOG: Learn more about the RVCA’s Clean Water Grants program that supports sustainable drainage and other projects for rural residents: https://www.rvca.ca/view-all-blog-posts/grant-program-makes-clean-water-projects-affordable

INTERACTIVE: Scroll over the pins to learn how you can keep contaminants out of your storm drain: https://www.rvca.ca/view-all-blog-posts/reducing-runoff-which-side-are-you-on

INTERACTIVE: Check out this interactive graphic for sustainable drainage practices on waterfront properties: https://www.rvca.ca/view-all-blog-posts/waterfront-living-which-side-are-you-on

WEBPAGE: Learn more about how to naturalize your shoreline (whether it’s a ditch, stream, river or lake!): https://www.rvca.ca/stewardship-grants/shoreline-naturalization/how-to-naturalize-your-shoreline

Benefits of sustainable drainage:

  • Reduced algae blooms and excessive weed growth in our lakes and rivers
  • Improved water quality for local ecosystems
  • Better water quality for local tourist industries including recreational fishing and seasonal rentals
  • Safer drinking water for residents with surface water intakes
  • Improved knowledge of sustainable drainage best practices can be applied across the watershed 

More Information:

Michael Yee
Planner, RVCA 

613-692-3571 ext. 1176 

Haley Matschke
Acting Surface Water Quality Co-ordinator

613-692-3571 ext 1156

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Contact Us

Address:
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
3889 Rideau Valley Drive
Manotick, Ontario K4M 1A5

Phone:
613-692-3571, 1-800-267-3504

Email:

Hours:

Regular Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Member of: conservation ontario