A.D. Latornell November 15, 2012 By: Julie Welker

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1 A.D. Latornell November 15, 2012 By: Julie Welker

2 Outline Watershed Report Cards (WRC) quick overview Example Dingman Creek Subwatershed Community-based Watershed Strategy Action Taken Moving Forward

3 Upper Thames River Watershed

4 Stratford Local Watershed Scale In 2000 adopted a smaller watershed approach to watershed planning, monitoring, implementation, reporting London Woodstock 28 watersheds Scale that has community value Measure environmental change

5 Watershed Report Cards 1. Grades for water quality 2. Grades for forest condition 3. Local Actions needed for improvement

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10 Link to Lake Erie Issues

11 What we do with that information We are able to determine where priority work should be implemented to improve water quality and forest conditions Scaling down

12 An Example: Dingman Creek Subwatershed 170 sq.km 64% agriculture, 21% urban, 14% forest Population: 71,079 Fish: 37 fish species and 13 freshwater mussel species. Fish include Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Northern Pike and Brown Trout SAR: Rainbow Mussel, Spiny Softshell Turtle, Map Turtle, Hognosed Snake. Dingman Cr

13 Dingman Report Card WRC 2001: Surface Water Quality: D- Forest Conditions: D Rated worst water quality in Upper Thames basin Community requested action

14 Taking it to the Public Presentation of the Report Cards and other technical information (including maps and displays) Allow participants an opportunity to identify environmental priorities and concerns Opportunity for participates to volunteer for the local advisory committee

15 Local Advisory Committee Friends of Dingman Creek named Review the priorities identified at the public meeting Developed a mission statement Integrate technical team input Develop a strategy for implementation

16 Community-Based Watershed Strategy - What is it? A process that: Involves the community (residents of a specific watershed) in developing and implementing a watershed restoration strategy Marries technical and community objectives to create consensus around target areas for implementation

17 Target Areas In Dingman Creek Overlay mapping allows us to narrow our priority zones Dingman Priorities Riparian zones Large woodlots increase interior Between woodlots wildlife corridor Retired Agricultural lands Areas of high erodibility Landowner interest

18 Implementation Restoration activities designed to involve members of the community schools, events Friends of Dingman Creek works closely with the UTRCA through implementation phase.

19 Dingman Creek - on the ground projects 29 Clean Water Program projects Over 10,000 trees, 2100 wildflowers, on 15 acres 5550 students and community members involved Dingman Creek weir removed Riffle Creations Annual Dingman Clean-up events 1,000 fact sheets distributed 8 community plans were implemented that follow goals of the City of London s Dingman Creek subwatershed study Dingman Pumping Station upgrades Murray Marr Stormwater Management facility

20 Friends of Dingman Creek Funding Partners in 5 years Over $121,000 brought in from various funders Federal Provincial Municipal Foundations Banks Over $145,800 brought in as in-kind

21 Improvement 2007 Watershed Report Card Dingman Creek improved in water quality from a D- to a B Huge motivation with the community!

22 Dingman Creek Supporters Watershed Landowners Friends of Dingman Creek Royal Canadian Legion Branch #501 Lambeth Community Association Southwest Rural and Urban Association Circle R Ranch Echo Valley Golf Course Thames Talbot Land Trust Western Ontario Fish and Game Association Thames River Anglers Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Environment Canada - EcoAction, Habitat Stewardship Program Fisheries and Oceans Canada Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources CFWIP, Middlesex Stewardship Council, Lake Erie Management Unit Ontario Ministry of the Environment Lake Erie LaMP London Community Foundation TD Friends of the Environment Foundation City of London Municipality of Middlesex Centre Earth Day Canada and Suncor Energy Shell Canada Upper Thames River Conservation Authority

23 Tracking Progress Each conservation project is stored as a point of where the project was completed eg. tree planting, manure storage, erosion control, septic system improvements Using an internal web mapping application staff can collect a x, y coordinate and populate a database

24 Moving Forward MEDWAY CR. STONEY CR. TROUT CR. MUD CR. CEDAR CR Report Cards Medway, Oxbow, Trout and Mud Creeks Environmental need and interest from the community DORCHESTER

25 Some other examples Oxbow Creek Riparian planting Medway Creek High number of barriers and Riparian planting Dorchester Riparian planting Cedar Creek just starting up currently rated one of worst subwatersheds in water quality

26 Where are we going from here? Continue to monitor and support work across watersheds Use report cards to incorporate current issues, such as mitigating effects of climate change, into actions on watershed scale About to launch our 2012 Watershed Report Cards

27 Conclusion Report Cards (Review and Evaluate) Implement Target subwatershed Community Strategy Community Motivate

28 Getting The Students Involved!

29 Thank you! Julie Welker Upper Thames River Conservation Authority London, Ontario Conservation Ontario