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www.grandriver.ca Grand River Conservation Authority
The Grand River watershed newsletter
November-December 2015 • Volume 20, Number 5
What’s Inside:
FeaturesMac Coutts Tract . . . . . . . . . .1
2015 Watershed AwardsBrad Whitcombe . . . . . . . . . 2Bill Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Taking ActionVolunteer program . . . . . . . 5
Foundation Join Dan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Scholarships . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Memorial classroom . . . . . . 7
What’s HappeningDam award for GRCA . . . . . 7
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Cover photoMac Coutts with CAO JoeFarwell and the sign thatnames a GRCA property afterCoutts.
Photo by Janet Baineup. It is also close to the one-room schoolhousewhere he taught after World War II when teacherswere scarce. School officials in need of a teachercame calling for his mom, a former teacher — andwhen she turned down the job, their eyes fell onthe recent high school grad, Mac Coutts, who washome at the time.
He was first hired in 1953 as a field officer forthe Grand Valley Conservation Authority. By thistime, he had taught in Fergus for two years andhad a B.Sc. in Agriculture from the OntarioAgricultural College. He was the only GVCAemployee at the time. He received direction fromthe board of the conservation authority, whichthen had 83 members. Now there are 26representatives on the authority’s board.
Northern property namedG.M. Mac Coutts TractBy Janet BaineGRCA Communications Specialist
Gordon MacLeod Coutts set the course for
the first 25 years of the Grand River
Conservation Authority and a property in
the northern part of the watershed is being named
after him.
Coutts was the first employee of the GRCA andwas the general manager between 1966 and 1991.
The G.M. Mac Coutts Tract is in West LutherTownship and it links the Luther Marsh WildlifeManagement Area with the Keldon Source Area,a critical source of groundwater that feeds theGrand River. It is close to the farm on Highway89, just outside the watershed where Coutts grew
Share the resources – Share the responsibilityPage 2
“That meant that a lot of my work was tovisit all of these municipalities. There wereso many, I couldn’t see them all within ayear. I spent a lot of time explaining,especially in the north where I was from,that the whole watershed was connected.What people did on their land mattered toall the municipalities further south along theriver,” he explained. The connection betweennorth and south was still a relatively newidea at the time.
During those early years, many GRCAprograms of today got underway, and Couttsset the course for these. For example, theauthority was the first to plant trees onprivate land. Landowners would pay onecent a tree to the provincial Department ofLands and Forests, and the authority wouldplant the trees. This program got underwayin 1954. In 1955, 2,000 acres of trees wereplanted by the authority on private land.Because most land in the watershed isprivately owned, this broadened theopportunity and scope of tree planting, andset the course for a program that hascontinued through the decades.
Another major accomplishment wasstarting the system of conservation areas,beginning with the Elora Gorge in 1954.
A fine balanceIn 1964 Coutts became the Grand Valley
Authority’s director of operations andsecretary-treasurer. By that time there were adozen employees; half were park
By Janet BaineGRCA communications specialist
Brad Whitcombe is the recipient of a
posthumous 2015 Grand River
Honour Roll Award, the highest
award given out by the GRCA.
Whitcombe died suddenly of a rare diseasein November 2014, leaving a long record ofenvironmental service to the Grand Riverwatershed. He was a long-serving politicianin Puslinch Township and WellingtonCounty. Among his many accomplishments,he was co-founder of two very successfulenvironmental programs.
“Stewardship captures Brad’s approach tolife. He believed his role was to convene allthe forces and resources necessary to care forhis community,” said Lise Burcher,Whitcombe’s spouse and a former City ofGuelph councillor.
A lifelong resident of Puslinch Township,Whitcombe grew up on a farm on GoreRoad. He was a hog farmer in his 30s whenhe entered local politics. He became atownship councillor in 1989 because he wasconcerned about the agricultural challengesfacing farmers at that time. He remainedactive in politics and served as Mayor ofPuslinch Township for 15 years, until 2010.He also served as Wellington County wardenfor three terms — in 2000, 2005 and 2006.
Solutions to water challengesWhitcombe sought solutions to the water
challenges within Puslinch Township. Hewas the chair of the Mill Creek subwatershedstudy, which was completed in June, 1996.This identified the work that needed to bedone to improve this important, butdamaged creek that runs close to Highway401 through Puslinch and enters the GrandRiver in Galt. A broad-based committeeestablished the Puslinch Township
superintendents. In 1966 when the GrandValley Conservation Authority and theGrand River Conservation Commissionamalgamated, Coutts assumed the lead roleas the general manager of the new GrandRiver Conservation Authority. He held thisposition until he retired in 1991.
Coutts had the ability to balance politicaland administrative concerns with practicalhands-on knowledge. This helped the GRCAgrow into a leading conservation agency inthe province.
“A touchstone in Mr. Coutts’s long careerhas been his concern for other people andhis insistence on giving them credit,”according to the citation he received as the1992 Honour Roll Award recipient.
During his retirement years, it has been apleasure for Coutts to see the changes in thewatershed and at the GRCA.
“I see everything is expanded andblossoming and I look at it with great pride.It seems to me the authority has really grownin the years since I left,” he said.
A younger Mac Coutts at the gabion wall along the Grand River in Bridgeport.
Did you know?Through a quirk of history, two
organizations sprung up at different timesto manage the unpredictable Grand River.1934: The Grand River Conservation
Commission (GRCC) was formed.1948: Grand Valley Conservation
Authority formed.1966: Nearly 50 years ago, in 1966, the
two joined to form the Grand RiverConservation Authority of today.
Whitcombereceives topGRCA award
H O N O U R R O L LA W A R D
Page 3Grand Actions – November-December 2015
Groundwater Monitoring Program — thefirst of its kind in Canada. This program isstill in operation, ensuring that waterresources are understood and protected.
“Brad was the prime proponent of boththe subwatershed studies and groundwatermonitoring program, which were consideredvisionary and ground-breaking at the time,”said Larry Halyk, who wasstewardship coordinator inthe area.
In 1999, Whitcombe alsochaired the committee thatintroduced the GRCA’sRural Water QualityProgram to WellingtonCounty, bringing this new program to thesecond municipality in the watershed — theprogram originated in Waterloo Region.
He co-founded the very successful Friendsof Mill Creek in 1998. This multi-facetedprogram became a model for communityengagement in other areas. He helped bringtogether environmentalists, business leaders,landowners and local agencies to worktogether to improve the creek. In othercommunities, this would be a nearlyimpossible task. But in Puslinch, people setaside their differences when they entered themeeting room. They worked together. Manyimprovements have been made to Mill Creekand the brown trout population hasexpanded, while native brook trout haveregained territory within the watershed.
High school students are hired as Mill
Creek rangers every summer to undertakerestoration projects along the creek. Localbusinesses pay for this program.
“It has been a great benefit not only to thestream, but also to the young people. Formany, it is their first opportunity to getenvironmental experience and this likelyinfluences their career choice,” Whitcombe
said during the 10thanniversary of the program.As president, he received a2012 Watershed Award onbehalf of Friends of MillCreek. He was serving aspresident when he passedaway last year.
The second major program he co-foundedwas Wellington Green Legacy. This started asa one-time event to plant 150,000 treesduring the 150th anniversary of the foundingof Wellington County in 2004. But GreenLegacy has continued, and it has beenrecognized by the United Nations as thelargest municipal tree planting program inNorth America. Through Green Legacy,nearly two million trees have been planted inthe county over the years. Whitcombe andprogram manager Rob Johnston received awatershed award in 2010 on behalf of thisprogram, which continues to expand. Nowthere is a proposal to turn it into a province-wide program.
“We should be inspired by what is possibleand get ready to roll up our sleeves andmake it happen,” Whitcombe said.
Brad Whitcombe stands by Mill Creek, which runs through Puslinch Township and enters theGrand River in Galt.
“We should beinspired by what ispossible and get readyto roll up our sleevesand make it happen.”
-Brad Whitcombe
Award forbringing backbrook troutBy Janet BaineGRCA Communications Specialist
Bill Christmas has turned his
considerable talent to rehabilitating
small cold water streams so that they
can become nurseries for brook trout —
young ones that are way too small to be
hooked on a fishing line.
This is no small task. It takes the diverseskills of tool fabricator, motivator, teacher,partnership builder, workday planner,problem solver and even red-tape-cutter.Christmas already has a wall in hisCaledonia home filled with awards, many forenvironmental accomplishments. Now he isalso receiving a 2015 Watershed Award fromthe Grand River Conservation Authority.
He joined Trout Unlimited Canada in1972 and is a long-time volunteer. Hefounded the Ted Knott Chapter in 2005 andremains the chapter president. About 125
Award recipient Bill Christmas with his wifeHelen who has also helped out on work days.
Share the resources – Share the responsibilityPage 4
people between 5 and 85 work on streamrehabilitation in Mill Creek — a cold waterstream in the southern Grand River thatruns through Taquanyah Conservation Areanear Cayuga. The group also does work onBronte Creek in Burlington.
Strong partnershipsWhen Christmas sends out a workday
email, people drive to the Cayuga area fromMississauga, Burlington and Waterloo. Theyslog through muck, confront ticks and dothe job of the day, whether it is restoring thestream bank, creating dappled sunlight onthe stream, or planting trees. These are tasksthat require ingenuity, brute force and lots oftools and supplies, some that have beenspecifically designed by Christmas.Collectively the group has spent 2,700 hoursworking on Mill Creek.
Christmas and other group members havealso built strong partnerships withorganizations and individuals. For example,last year a Home Depot provided 70 unsoldChristmas trees to be used to restore streambanks. A property owner stored the trees,and a volunteer with a truck delivered thetrees in batches as they are required on
workdays. They were used on privateproperties where the landowners welcomedthe trees and the work crews.
“We have been blessed with a greatvolunteer community in Haldimand, andthis is really a great story. Regardless of theiraffiliations, they are passionate about theimpact we have had,” Christmas said. Lastyear when he was ill, all the workdays heplanned took place without him, thanks toother volunteers.
Christmas was on the committee thatdeveloped the Grand River FisheriesManagement Plan and he has a solidunderstanding of all the human, biologicaland technical issues at play in restoring astream.
Some thought it was going to beimpossible to bring brook trout to EmersonCreek, a tiny tributary that feeds into MillCreek, Christmas said. But Christmas andhis group found ways to bring oxygen intothe water, monitor the insects last summerwith a student crew and ensure theconditions in the stream are ideal. TheMinistry of Natural Resources and Forestryagreed that the young fry that hatch therewill have the shelter, food and temperature
Bill Christmas checks the temperature of a stream as part of a monitoring program.
to grow, and issued a permit to relocatebrook trout to the stream. Last spring tinyfry were moved there, and in October thecreek became home to bigger brookies. Thisnative species needs the cleanest, coldestwater of all trout species in order to survive.
The native brook trout of Lake Eriedepend on small streams like Emerson Creekto lay their eggs and provide a safe haven forthe young fry that hatch.
Each time there is a stumbling block,Christmas finds a way around it. Over theyears, he has come up with techniques tohelp keep volunteers safe and minimize theireffort, while maximizing the beneficialimpact on the river.
Sometimes a class of students from theUniversity of Waterloo or Centennial Collegecome to learn rehabilitation techniques.Some students have joined the work crew toget hands-on experience. Other timesparents bring their children, and Christmasknows the young people will take ownershipof the small streams they have worked on.
Christmas knows there is lots of workahead, and ensuring that young people takeownership of the stream is vitally importantto the success of the project.
“This kid is going to own that stream forthe rest of his life. He will always want tocome back here. Just like the people whohave planted trees come back to see the treesand care for the forest. Those kids are thefuture,” Christmas said.
“Even though there are now brook trout inEmerson Creek, the group has lots of workahead.
This is just one step. There is still a lotmore to be done to rehabilitate the stream,because Emmerson Creek is one small area.There is a lot more to do to rehabilitate MillCreek as it passes through Taquanyah,” hesaid.
Stories about more award recipients will bepublished in future issues of Grand Actions.
Did you know?There are three chapters of Trout
Unlimited Canada doing work within theGrand River Watershed.
The two others are the Speed ValleyChapter that has improved Marden Creek,a tributary of the Speed River, and theMiddle Grand Chapter that has mademany improvements to Whitemans Creekand its tributaries in Brant County.
Page 5Grand Actions – November-December 2015
Conservation Area in October. “It feels greatto get out, get my hands dirty, and dosomething that helps protect the naturalenvironment, which is so important for ourcommunity’s health and well-being. I had alot of fun and learned a lot with a greatgroup of people.”
Buck works with individuals such as Cote,but also with groups and companies.
The Gee family donated a memorial benchthat was placed along the trail at FWRDickson Wilderness Area, south ofCambridge, an area their parents hadenjoyed. They then contacted Buck, who setup a trail maintenance day. They sharedmemories as they worked on the trail.
A couple of companies, including the Co-operators, have helped prepare the newlylandscaped area at Guelph Lake Park thatwill surround the nature centre slated forconstruction when sufficient funds havebeen raised. They planted 36 species offlowers and grass, mulched, watered and
By Janet BaineGRCA communications specialist
The GRCA’s new volunteer
coordinator, Bronwen Buck, can
hardly catch her breath between
volunteer events that she is working on.
Buck’s email box is full of heartfeltrequests from prospective volunteers and asteady stream of proposed projects fromGRCA staff. Buck brings volunteers andprojects together, looking after the details.Judging from the response to this newprogram, volunteers really want to help out.
“I love nature. Since I was young,Canada's natural environments havecontinued to inspire and amaze me,” saidStephanie Cote, who helped plant apollinator garden at Laurel Creek
broadcast wildflower seed.
Community supportThe GRCA’s new volunteer program builds
upon strong foundation of communityinvolvement. “This program will increaseopportunities for volunteers to help nature ina meaningful way,” Buck explains. “I’mworking with park superintendents, NatureCentre staff and our natural heritage team todefine where assistance is most needed. Wewill be offering a series of volunteer eventsfocusing on tree and wildflower planting,trail work and restoration efforts.” The site ofGuelph Lake’s new nature centre will alsogive rise to a number of opportunities in thenear future.
Buck has also been connecting withcommunity organizations, such as localchapters of Trout Unlimited Canada, to helpfacilitate their restoration work.
GRCA volunteer event opportunities thatare open to the public and are listed onwww.grandriver.ca/events.
If you are interested in learning moreabout the GRCA volunteer program, checkwww.grandriver.ca/volunteer, or [email protected].
GRCA gratefully acknowledges thesupport of the Ontario Trillium Foundationin assisting with this project.
New volunteer programblossoming at GRCA
Volunteers including Stephanie Cote prepareda pollinator garden at Laurel Creek in Waterloo
in October. Volunteer opportunities such asthis one are increasing at the GRCA.
Photo by Bronwen Buck
W H A T ’ SH A P P E N I N G
One Honour Roll Award and six Grand River Conservation Awards were given out by theGRCA in October. From left (back row) are GRCA Chair Jane Mitchell, Lise Burcher (receiving aposthumous Honour Roll Award for Brad Whitcombe), Bill Christmas, Bob Scott, GRCA CAO JoeFarwell, Barry Lee; (front row) JP Bartle, Josh Shea (representing Waterloo Region Nature) andDerek Lippert. Award recipient Hugh Whiteley was unable to attend.
Share the resources – Share the responsibilityPage 6
By Cam LinwoodGrand River Conservation Foundation
Dan Schneider (affectionately known
as 'Dan, Dan The Nature Man') has
been a familiar face at the Guelph
Lake Nature Centre for more than 30 years,
helping young and old develop an
appreciation for our natural world.
“We would pull up along the woodenfence in front of the centre and there wouldbe Dan, waving and smiling at us, as if wewere being welcomed home. The days withDan were the best part of school for me,”said Rachel Greene, a former Guelph LakeNature Centre student.
Guelph Lake Nature Centre holds a specialplace in the hearts of many children andadults. Visiting students readily recall theirhike to the hugging tree, sitting silently withthe chickadees, or wading in the riverlooking for critters. A day at Guelph Lakehas always been something special.
This past spring, Schneider made a toughdecision, setting sight on his next adventure— retirement. But there was a catch — hewanted to leave the nature centre just a littlebetter than he found it.
The current Guelph nature centre has beenaround as long as Schneider has, and hasseen more than 600,000 students during thattime. A former bungalow, it is ready for itsretirement party and it’s time to give it aproper send-off.
Your support in this campaign will helpcreate a dedicated natural learning space atthe new Guelph Lake Nature CentreComplex, where students and visitors canlearn and explore an area that is very specialto Schneider.
New complexAfter more than 30 years of operation, it’s
time to look ahead to support cominggenerations of outdoor learners. The GRCAand the Grand River ConservationFoundation are raising funds for a brandnew Guelph Lake Nature Centre.
When all is said and done, the new Guelph
Lake Nature Centre will be an 8,000 squarefoot space. It will be purpose-built with oneprimary focus — to closely connect peopleto nature. One-third of the $3-million goalhas been raised. Construction is expected tobegin in June 2016, once 75 per cent of thefunds have been raised.
In any significant project, many handsmake light work. Creating a new GuelphLake Nature Centre Complex is no different.A donation to the Join Dan campaignprovides you with access to some incrediblyunique, one-of-a-kind perks. How coolwould it be to bring your ENTIRE schoolout for a movie night on the island at GuelphLake?
If helping financially isn't an option foryou, we'd really appreciate you taking thetime to share this project with your friends,family and neighbours. Each person you tellabout the new Guelph Lake Nature CentreComplex gets us one step closer to creating anew, and very special place on the shores ofGuelph Lake.
How to helpYou can get involved in the ‘Join Dan’
crowdfunding initiative until Dec. 23through a new Indiegogo campaign set up bythe Grand River Conservation Foundationthat will channel funds to this new learningspace.
“The park itself has no governmentsupport,” said Sara Wilbur, executive directorof the Foundation. “It is run like a business.That's always been a challenge for us,because people think of GRCA as agovernment organization.”
Donors to this campaign will be rewardedwith unique gift opportunities including T-shirts, engraved stepping stones that will beplaced on a trail around the new facility, oryour own private movie night on the GuelphLake island.
To donate to the 'Join Dan' campaign orlearn more, visit the “Join Dan The NatureMan” crowdfunding site. There is a directlink to this campaign on www.grandriver.ca.
Join Dan the Nature Man and helpraise funds for a new GLNC
Students assist with a project for the new Guelph Lake Nature Centre. There has been lots ofcommunity involvement in helping to prepare the landscaping around the centre.
G R A N D R I V E RC O N S E R V A T I O N
F O U N D A T I O N
Page 7Grand Actions – November-December 2015
On Oct. 3, the Nolan Melchin Memorial
Outdoor Classroom officially opened.
This special project celebrates the life ofNolan Melchin, who passed away at a tenderage in 2013 following a courageous battlewith a paediatric brain tumour.
Nolan’s family and friends, led by hisparents, Melanie Shaw and Todd Melchin,raised $30,000 to construct the outdoorclassroom at Laurel Creek Nature Centre inWaterloo.
It was designed to honour Nolan’s love ofnature and includes several special features:
• a research area, with child-size discoverytables and shade trees
• a meeting place for children andinstructors that has amphitheatre-styleseating, an instructional stage and largetrees for natural shade
• a chickadee feeding station, always a greatway to experience nature
Honour Nolan’s memory“My little hero was an amazing six-year-
old boy who loved nature, camping, bugcollecting, fishing and sports,” said MelanieShaw, Nolan’s mom. “He was vibrant and fullof life, and when he passed away after manymonths of treatments, it was devastating forus. We wanted to find an appropriate way tohonour Nolan’s memory. The Nature Centre
was a place we often hiked and bikedthrough as a family and he had visited anumber of times on class trips — heabsolutely loved it! This place holds a specialplace in my heart for the simple fact thatwhenever he was here, he was smiling.”
Laurel Creek Nature Centre providesoutdoor education programs to studentsfrom both school boards in WaterlooRegion. In addition, it is home to the LaurelCreek Nature Centre Adventure Day Camp,a summer camp for children ages six to 16.“This outdoor classroom was designed tohonour Nolan’s love of nature,” says TraceyRyan, manager of environmental educationfor the GRCA. “Thanks to the generousdonations of Nolan’s family, friends and thelarger community, this space will enhancethe outdoor learning experience for thethousands of kids who visit Laurel Creek.Nature Centre each year.”
Three environmentalscholarships in 2015Three scholarships were given by the GrandRiver Conservation Foundation to supportstudents attending post-secondaryinstitutions in the watershed. Top: The SCJohnson Environmental Scholarship of$4,000 was presented to Callee Marie Rice,University of Waterloo by Robin-Lee Norris.Middle: The Allan Holmes Scholarship of$3,000 was presented to Laura Sauder,University of Waterloo by Shirley AnnHolmes, and the McEwen Clean Water Prizeof $3,000 was presented to Joel Gretton,University of Guelph, by Norris. Scholarshipsare awarded by the Foundation each year.
Nolan Melchin outdoor classroomat Laurel Creek Nature Centre
Nolan Melchin was an active boy who lovednature and passed away in 2013.
In October the Canadian Dam Association
recognized the Grand River Conservation
Authority with a corporate award for work
in the area of dam safety.
“This is an award related to advancingdam safety and it means a lot to berecognized by your peers within theCanadian dam safety community,” said JoeFarwell, the GRCA’s CAO.
The award itself says that it “recognizesvalued contributions, commitment andsupport of advancement of knowledge andsafe management of dams.” The GRCA hasbeen improving its dam safety program overmany years to bring it to the rigorousprogram that it is today.
The GRCA operates 27 dams. Seven ofthese are actively used to manage river flowswithin the watershed and are classified asmulti-purpose dams. These dams serve twokey functions — controlling floods andsupplying water to the river when there isnot much rainfall. Other benefits includehydro production and recreation in the
Dam safety award
T A K I N G A C T I O N
Follow the GRCA:Share the resources – Share the responsibility
T H E G R A N D C A L E N D A R
This newsletter is produced bi-monthly by the Grand River Conservation Authority.
More information:Current and back issues as well as completesubscription information is available onlineat www.grandriver.ca/GrandActions.
Submission deadlines: The 15th of February, April, June, August,October and December. Submissions maybe edited for length or style. Photos andevent information is also welcome. We doour best to publish items, but we are notable to guarantee publication.
To subscribe by e-mail:[email protected]
To subscribe by mail, change yoursubscription of for information:
Janet Baine, Grand Actions editorPhone: 519-621-2763, Ext. 2302E-mail: [email protected]: Box 729 400 Clyde RoadCambridge ON N1R 5W6
About Grand Actions:Caring for your horse andfarm workshop, Dec. 5 A free environmental stewardship workshopfor horse farm owners. Learn to managehorse manure, improve pasture quality andprotect natural features on your propertysuch as ponds, wetlands and streams. MelLloyd Centre Auditorium, Shelburne10:30a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Free with [email protected] or 705-424-1479, ext.239.
Winter Adventure Days atGuelph Lake and LaurelCreek, Dec. 21 to 31
Registration is open for Winter AdventureDays Guelph Lake and Laurel Creek naturecentres starting Dec. 21. Kids 6 to 12 cancome for any or all days. Daily outdooractivities allow them to explore the fieldsand forests that surround the nature centres.The goal is to introduce children to alifetime of appreciation for the natural worldthat sustains us all. For details and to registeronline check www.grandriver.eventbrite.ca.
Guelph organic conferenceCelebrating its 35th year, the 2016 event
includes international speakers, seminarsand introductory workshops on key topics.There is a free Organic Expo/Tasting Fairwith exhibitor tables and food samples. Formore information visit
www.guelphorganicconf.ca or call 519-824-4120, ext. 56311.
Heritage Day Workshop, Cambridge, Feb. 12
Mark your calendar to attend the 19thannual Heritage Day Workshop taking placein Cambridge. The theme for 2015 is Rootsand Shoots and will focus on settlement ofBlock One, Dumfries Township, to mark thebicentennial of the settlement of this area. Itwas purchased by William Dickson in 1816,and he named it after his hometown ofDumfries in Scotland. The event issponsored by the Heritage Working Groupof The Grand Strategy. It is free, butdonations are gratefully accepted. Theworkshop takes place at Forward Church,455 Myers Rd., Cambridge. Complete theregistration form posted online atwww.grandriver.ca/HeritageDay/HeritageDay.cfm.
Order trees from the GRCAanytime before March 1
Landowners can order trees to be plantedon their own properties of 2.5 acres or more(exclusive of buildings) from the GRCAuntil March 1. Orders must be for 200seedlings or 20 saplings or more. For moreinformation or to arrange a visit to yourproperty, check www.grandriver.ca/trees,email [email protected] or call 519-621-2763.
CAO Joe Farwell with the 2015 award for theGRCA from the Canadian Dam Association.
reservoirs that are created by the damsystem.
The GRCA’s other 20 dams are generallyrun-of-the-river dams or earthenembankment dams with small head ponds.
Although the smaller dams are not used tomanage flows in the watershed, they are alegacy to the early days of settlement andimportant community features. There aremany other dams within the watershed thatare not owned by the GRCA.
Warning markersIt is the responsibility of dam owners to
take safety measures around dams and weirs,and the GRCA installs warning markers andbuoys upstream of dams where the rivers arenavigable. These are in place between May
and October at GRCA dams. Each year the province provides $5 million
in funding for dam repairs to the 36conservation authorities, through the Waterand Erosion Control Infrastructure Program.This program is vitally important to damand dike safety and these funds are matchedby local conservation authorities.
Naomi Moore, water resources projectcoordinator at the GRCA, is a member of theCanadian Dam Association’s public safetyaround dams and emergency managementcommittees. This group works to improvepublic safety at dams.
A dam safety booklet created by theGRCA for students has been reprintedseveral times. This booklet can also bedownloaded from www.grandriver.ca.
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