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Canada Nature Fund support puts plan into action to protect important species in Ausable River watershed
Local projects are to improve habitat, reduce sediment and nutrients to protect fish and mussel species at risk in Ausable River Watershed
Federal government support is making it possible to take action for nationally important fish and mussel species in the Ausable River watershed. The Ausable River supports one of Canada’s most diverse communities of aquatic animals, including 26 species of freshwater mussels and 85 species of fish. Many species are endangered or threatened.
The Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk, led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, is providing $175,000 for year two of a four-year agreement. This will support local community action by assisting the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) in supporting stewardship projects by participating landowners, monitoring of the watershed, and education and outreach to encourage positive actions by the public.
Find out more:
This funding supports implementation of the Ausable River Action Plan (ARAP).
Excessive sediment and nutrients and habitat loss are some of the biggest threats to aquatic species at risk (SAR) in the Ausable River, according to the action plan. The amount of sediment and nutrients entering the river can be reduced by restoring natural areas including wetlands, forests, and riverbank buffers.
Beneficial actions to improve aquatic habitat include tree planting, wetland enhancement, cover crop planting, installing fencing, and erosion control projects.
The federal funding will support grants to local property owners for on-the-ground stewardship projects and to promote projects and best management practices.
“Right now is a great time to look at cover crop options, following wheat harvest,” said Kate Monk, Conservation Lands and Stewardship Manager with Ausable Bayfield Conservation. “We are grateful to Fisheries and Oceans Canada for continuing to provide multi-year financial support for practical local actions, such as cover crops, to improve habitat in the Ausable River.”
The funds will also make it possible for conservation educators to provide programs that promote ways to protect species at risk, and make it possible for ABCA staff to monitor aquatic species and river habitat.
“Protecting and recovering species at risk is only possible through collaboration. The work that the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority is doing with funding from the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk will make a real difference in restoring aquatic habitats and protecting species at risk in the Ausable River watershed,” said the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard.
If you would like to take actions this year to improve water, soil, and habitat, call Ausable Bayfield Conservation at 1-888-286-2610 or email info@abca.ca to find out about what actions you can take to improve habitat for local aquatic species and funding grants that may be available as incentives to help you complete stewardship projects.
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Working Together – Protecting Rainbow Trout at the Fish Ladder in St. Joseph, Ontario
Community member Dennis Regier, of the Zurich-St. Joseph area, was fascinated when his lads told him there were Rainbow Trout in a local drain. To his surprise, they were right.
When there were problems with a local fish ladder, Dennis was concerned about their spawning ground so he contacted Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA).
Soon, ABCA staff and other partners – including Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO); Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Department of Fisheries and Oceans or DFO); and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF); responded to the community concern and each played a part in rectifying a problem and creating an improved fish ladder.
This is a story of Departments, Ministries, agencies, and the community working together with a common goal – protection of our local watershed resources.
Watch the video now:
#healthylakehuron #landtolake #pieceofthepuzzle
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Sixty-inch row corn tested south of Clinton
Demonstration project to monitor yields and soil health indicators
Things may look a little different this season on some farms in the Clinton area. Several producers have been trying different methods to get cover crops established in corn. A demonstration project, just south of Clinton, is looking at cover crops and whether 60-inch corn rows can help establish a cover crop better than 30-inch rows. Wider corn rows can increase light penetration to the ground to improve cover crop establishment but the impact on corn yield or the following bean yield is not known.
In response to a growing interest from local farmers wanting more information on this practice, a community-led demonstration project was established at a farm, belonging to participating landowner Bill Gibson, along Highway 4. The trials include 30-inch versus 60-inch corn, different corn populations, effect of different cover crop mixes tailored to the corn crop and subsequent bean crop, and effect of cover crop seeding rate.
“Twin rows of 60-inch corn were planted in early May, and the cover crop mix was drilled in at the V4 stage in early June,” said Ross Wilson, Water and Soils Resource Coordinator with Ausable Bayfield Conservation.
Find out more:
Ross provides video updates on the progress of the project every few weeks.
These videos are on Facebook and Twitter and on the healthylakehuron.ca website.
The video updates and project design are also available by visiting the abca.ca website at this web page link:
“We will be monitoring the corn yield, cover crop biomass production, as well as soil health indicators this autumn,” said Ross who is a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA). “Next year we plan to track the bean yield and the subsequent soil health indicators.”
Ausable Bayfield Conservation would like to thank project partners Claussen Farms Custom Farming Inc.; Pioneer Seeds Canada; Hensall Co-op; and Bill Gibson and Family. The project also gratefully acknowledges funding from the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation and the Healthy Lake Huron – Clean Water, Clean Beaches Partnership.
Landowners in the Clinton area, as well as the farms along the lake, are now eligible for an enhanced cost-share program that offers $30 per acre, up to 100 acres, for planting cover crops. When the program is paired with funding from the Huron County Clean Water Project, eligible agricultural producers can receive a total of $40 per acre thanks to the enhanced Main Bayfield Cover Crop Boost Program.
To find out more about grants to plant cover crops contact Hope Brock (hbrock@abca.ca) or Nathan Schoelier (nschoelier@abca.ca), at Ausable Bayfield Conservation, 519-235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
Funding is limited and some restrictions apply. Application intake deadlines are July 31 and August 31. Apply now!
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Huron County Clean Water Project offers staff, grant support to make projects possible
Are you a homeowner in Huron County considering a septic upgrade? Are you a farmer in Huron County wanting to address erosion in your field? Are you a Huron County landowner or community group member with an idea for a project to protect water quality? If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, staff are ready to help you and there may be grants to help too.
Huron County Clean Water Project has launched a three-week public information campaign to run between July and August. The message is simple: there are grants to help county residents and community groups to do water quality projects and program staff are here to help.
Find out more:
(If you are outside of Huron County, contact us about grants, through other programs, that might be available to you).
The campaign includes photos and videos posted on social media as well as website posts, advertising, and news items. Staff are using the hashtags #HuronCleanWater and #categoryaday for the campaign. The county project is to share one social media post every day for 17 days to inform county residents and landowners about each grant support category.
Conservation authority staff deliver the county program. They hope to engage more people in projects in the 17 categories. Project types include erosion control, septic systems and composting toilets, cover crops, tree planting, wetland creation, watercourse fencing, manure storage decommissioning, well decommissioning, well casing improvements, forest management plans, and community projects.
Funding in Huron County covers up to 50 per cent of project cash costs.
“The Huron County Clean Water Project helps people do practical, on-the-ground projects that make a difference,” said Jamie Heffer, Huron County Councillor and Chair of the project review committee. Water quality projects through the program help local water quality and soil health, benefit residents and visitors, and are good for the economy, he said. County residents and community groups have completed about 3,000 projects since 2005, thanks to the support of Huron County.
If you’re a seasonal resident or full-time resident, if you are living along the shoreline or anywhere else in Huron County, if you’re an agricultural producer or residential homeowner or cottage owner or a community group member, there’s a category of project you can do, staff say.
Interested in finding out more? Phone Maitland Conservation at 519-335-3557, extension 236 or Ausable Bayfield Conservation at 519-235-2610, extension 263. (You may also phone toll-free 1-888-286-2610 or email info@abca.ca)
Find out more at mvca.on.ca and abca.ca and the County of Huron at this website link:
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Erosion control, cover crops, septics are among 17 types of water quality grants in Huron County
Erosion Control, Cover Crops among 17 categories of Huron County Clean Water Project
Find out about the 17 different grant categories of the Huron County Clean Water Project, helping landowners and residents in Huron County to complete projects that protect water quality.
Watch the video:
Find out more:
#HuronCleanWater #categoryaday
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Osprey nest box one of newest cooperative projects to protect, improve Bayfield River Flats Natural Area
A new nesting platform for Osprey habitat is one of the cooperative projects happening at the Bayfield River Flats. Hydro One collaborated with the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy (HTLTC) by donating and installing the new nesting platform and box to support local Osprey populations in the area.
“One of our key environmental objectives at Hydro One is to identify and integrate biodiversity management approaches into our activities,” said Elise Croll, Director, Environmental Services, Hydro One. “At Hydro One, it is our priority to support the communities where we work and live, and we are proud to support efforts to protect local Osprey populations.”
The work on the Osprey nesting box was “quite an operation and led to great results,” said Roger Lewington, Bayfield resident and HTLTC Chair. “This good news story would not have been made possible without the community partnership from Hydro One. We appreciate the support of Hydro One, volunteers, and donors who are helping to realize the vision for improving the Bayfield River Flats Natural Area.”
Find out more:
An Osprey is a large raptor often making its habitat near bodies of water. One of the reasons this bird is important is because it is an “umbrella species,” with its presence reflecting the health of an aquatic ecosystem.
The Bayfield River Flats Natural Area is a 4.75-acre riverside property open to the public. It is preserved thanks to volunteers and donors from the Bayfield area as well as by the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy.
The Bayfield River Flats Natural Area is owned and protected permanently by the Huron Tract Land Trust Conservancy, working with the Bayfield River Valley Trails Association (BRVTA). The other properties permanently protected by the land trust are Woodburne Farm, south of Goderich; Heaman Tract, near Ailsa Craig; and Mayhew Tract, near Holmesville.
Generous citizens and community organizations raised more than $70,000 to acquire and protect the Bayfield River Flats. As reported by The Bayfield Breeze, during the autumn of 2016, almost a quarter of the population of the Village of Bayfield donated to a fundraising campaign to purchase the 4.75-acre plot of land on the river, including donors from all over North America. These efforts ensured that the river would continue to be publicly accessible.
(Photo by Jack Pal)
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Magazine article shows ways Ontario’s drinking water has been protected in 20 years since Walkerton water tragedy
Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine shares some of the ways protection has been added to Ontario’s drinking water over past two decades, reducing risk to public health
The June-July 2020 issue of Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine includes a new article about how Ontario has added protection to drinking water sources over the past 20 years since the Walkerton water contamination tragedy of 2000. To read the article please visit this link:
In May of 2000, seven people died and more than 2,300 people became ill after the drinking water supply in Walkerton, Ontario, was contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter jejuni bacteria. Severe long-term illnesses, from that contamination, have included kidney failure, arthritis, and neurological damage.
The article documents many of the needed improvements put into place since the Walkerton Inquiry, an independent Commission presided over by Commissioner Dennis R. O’Connor, a Justice of the Court of Appeal for Ontario. The inquiry recommended improvements to “all aspects of the drinking water system in Ontario, including the protection of drinking water sources; the treatment, distribution, and monitoring of drinking water; the operation and management of water systems; and the full range of functions involved in the provincial regulatory role.”
The new magazine article was co-authored by municipal and source protection staff (including program managers from local source protection regions and source protection authorities and Conservation Ontario). Elements to successful drinking water source protection, according to the article, include: sound technical information; support from landowners who understand the need for ongoing protection of our drinking water sources; and strong working relationships with local municipalities and provincial ministries.
The article focuses on one of the laws passed and enacted since the Walkerton tragedy, the Ontario Clean Water Act, 2006. The law mandates protection of drinking water sources for municipal residential drinking water systems. Nineteen local source protection committees in Ontario have put into action locally developed, provincially approved source protection plans to reduce risk to drinking water sources. The article explains some of the tools used to manage risk from activities that could pose a significant threat to drinking water. One of the ways water is protected, as outlined in the article, is through risk management plans required to manage and reduce risk from certain activities near municipal wells.
Find out more:
The June-July 2020 article also shares the science and technical work that has been completed over the past 20 years, including identification of water quality issues and mapping of municipal wellhead protection areas and surface water intake protection zones. The article shares some recent technical work including a climate change vulnerability assessment pilot study, led by Conservation Ontario, the network organization of Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities. The Municipality of Huron East assisted with the study to help municipalities gain an understanding of climate change impacts on the source water quality of their wells.
Local drinking water source protection program co-supervisors Mary Lynn MacDonald and Donna Clarkson, of Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region, and Kyle Davis, Risk Management Official with Wellington County Source Water Protection, are among the new article’s co-authors. The other authors are Carl Seider (Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Northern Bruce Peninsula Source Protection Region); David Ellingwood (North Bay-Mattawa Source Protection Authority); Amy Dickens (Quinte Conservation and Trent Conservation Coalition Source Protection Region); Melissa Carruthers (Severn Sound Environmental Association and Source Protection Authority); and Chitra Gowda (previously at Conservation Ontario).
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Love Your Greats Day 2020
Love Your Greats Day is Saturday, August 8, 2020
A day to celebrate our Great Lakes, called Love Your Greats Day, is held the second Saturday of every August, and promotes education and local action to protect our Great Lakes.
We will be celebrating this day, to Love Your Great Lakes, differently in 2020 as we practise safe social physical distancing – but there are many ways you can help to keep your Great Lake great.
Find out more:
To learn more about the Love Your Greats initiative, visit loveyourgreats.com.
Visit lakehuroncommunityaction.ca to see what actions are being taken around the Lake Huron basin.
As we all do our part to protect public health and help to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) during the current pandemic, Love Your Greats may be observed a little differently this year but there are still many things you can do to safely support the protection of Lake Huron and the Great Lakes.
For instance, you could consider donations to tree planting and stewardship and other programs that reduce impacts on Lake Huron.
From the safety and comfort of your own home you can educate yourself about Great Lakes concerns and issues.
Watch abca.ca and healthylakehuron.ca in the coming days for posts about rain gardens; rain barrels; cover crops; and erosion control.
This year you are asked to consider how 'Lake Huron Starts Here.'
#lakehuronstartshere
Although people need to keep a safe physical distance from each other at this time, families may choose to do their own shoreline cleanups.
You can make responsible choices as a consumer – finding alternatives to harmful chemicals or buying only the chemicals you need and ensuring they are stored properly.
There are lots of ways you can safely support your Great Lake and keep it Great!
Learn more:
This day encourages making changes to reduce plastic use (to reduce plastic, microplastic, and nanoplastic pollution); education about Lake Huron and the other Great Lakes and sustainable practices; and water protection projects such as rain gardens, wetlands, tree planting, and responsible purchase of products that don’t pollute.
Here is some more information about Love Your Greats - some activities may be postponed this year or adapted during the current pandemic and, as always, please practise social physical distancing and other actions, as recommended by public health authorities, to limit the spread of novel coronavirus.
Learn about tree planting, cover crops, and other best management practices online at local conservation organizations. Learn about the role of soil health in protecting water in creeks, rivers, and the lake at the Huronview Demonstration Farm near Clinton (Visit huronview.net to find out more).
Love Your Greats Day in 2020 takes place on Saturday, August 8, 2020.
Watch for updates coming soon!
Look at the videos and social media posts created to engage people in best management practices for towns, villages, and cities and for agriculture and industry.
Search these hashtags on Facebook or Twitter:
#healthylakehuron #landtolake #pieceofthepuzzle
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Conservation Dinner postponed to Thursday, April 15, 2021
Your support of conservation projects, in local communities, is still needed.
Charitable auction event postponed for first time in more than 30 years
The Conservation Dinner committee made the decision, to postpone the Conservation Dinner until April 15, 2021, at a video conference meeting.
The Chair of the Dinner Committee is Dave Frayne.
“It is a tough decision to postpone this wonderful event but it is the right thing to do,” he said.
“More than 400 people attend the Dinner each year. It is not feasible to practise social physical distancing, at this time, with that many people. We plan to return in 2021 with another great Conservation Dinner and continue our support of needed projects in our local communities.”
“We look forward to 2021 and hope we can once again share fellowship together, in support of our community, at the Conservation Dinner,” Dave said. “I thank all the volunteers who worked so hard to prepare for the event planned for this year. I also want to thank everyone who has donated and are donating to this important community fundraiser. We look forward to welcoming you back next year.”
Donations are still needed to support community projects.
This is the first time in the event’s three-decade history that it has been postponed to the next year. The Conservation Dinner is a partnership of Exeter Lions Club, Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation, and other community partners. It has raised more than $1.2 million for projects in local communities over 30 years.
The Conservation Dinner Committee will contact those who have already donated money or items in 2020 to the charitable auction. The committee hopes to carry forward 2020 donations of auction items to the rescheduled event in 2021. The Chair thanked all who have donated auction items already. The committee will also contact people who had already purchased their ticket for the Conservation Dinner.
Find out more:
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17 grant categories
in 17 seconds
There are grants and staff support for 17 types of water quality projects in Huron County.
This new, fast-paced video shows the 17 grant categories in 17 seconds. It is part of the #categoryaday campaign, for #HuronCleanWater, letting the public know about septic, cover crop, erosion control, community projects, and other categories of the Huron County Clean Water Project.
Find out more:
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Blue Bayfield wins Conservationist of the Year Award
Community group in Bayfield honoured for conservation work with Ausable Bayfield Conservation’s Conservationist of the Year Award
Ausable Bayfield Conservation has announced that the winner of the Conservationist of the Year Award, in 2020, is Blue Bayfield.
The award recipients receive a handcrafted award made by Bob Hutson, of Windbreak Farm (windbreakfarm.ca) Custom Woodworks near Fullarton, Ontario. The engraved dual-purpose board is a piece of art on one side and a serving tray on the other and is made from reclaimed wood and select local hardwoods.
In addition to the prize, Ausable Bayfield Conservation is donating towards a tree and plaque at a Commemorative Woods. The winners also received scrolls of recognition from Hon. Lisa M. Thompson, MPP, Huron-Bruce; and Ben Lobb, MP, Huron-Bruce.
Find out more:
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) has recognized outstanding achievements in conservation, since 1984, with awards. Past winners include rural landowners and residents, agricultural producers and farms, service clubs, community organizations, companies, nature groups, and municipalities.
“We are honoured to recognize Blue Bayfield as Conservationist of the Year Award winner,” said George Irvin, Past Chair. “These dedicated citizens and volunteers have worked tirelessly to prevent polluted runoff, plastics, and other pollutants from entering our waterways and Lake Huron. We congratulate Blue Bayfield and thank them for their work. They are truly making a difference in their watershed community.”
Formerly known as Friends of the Bayfield River (FoBR), Blue Bayfield was founded in 1998. It has partnered with all levels of government, citizens and community groups, Ausable Bayfield Conservation, and other partners.
Ray Letheren, Blue Bayfield Co-Chair, thanked ABCA for the award and thanked citizens of Bayfield and area.
“The board of Blue Bayfield is grateful to many citizens, eateries and other businesses in the region that have committed to reduction of single-use plastics,” he said. “In Bayfield, they are identified by stickers on their entrance windows.”
Blue Bayfield, and its community partners, have installed five water bottle refilling stations in the village of Bayfield and distributed 2,500 refillable water bottles. Over three summers, there have been more than 70,000 refills at the water stations. That’s the equivalent of keeping 70,000 disposable water bottles out of landfill sites and out of our watercourses.
Blue Bayfield provides a mobile hydration station dubbed ‘Blue Betty.’ The adult tricycle was fitted with a platform to transport tap water and compostable cups to the beach and outdoor events.
Blue Bayfield works with other local community groups, businesses and levels of government to help create a sustainable environment from land to lake. They host and take part in annual beach and park cleanups. Their volunteers have helped plant rain gardens at Pioneer Park to prevent polluted water, running off of land, from reaching Lake Huron. They have been leaders in reducing use of disposable plastics in the village of Bayfield and beyond. (Plastics – including microplastics and nanoplastics – pose a threat to aquatic life in Lake Huron and other water bodies).
These volunteers have promoted green infrastructure such as downspout disconnections, rain barrels, and rain gardens. Blue Bayfield volunteers have inspired action, taken action, and offered education to the public, such as a sustainability summit and a plastics reduction workshop. Blue Bayfield has supported initiatives such as sustainable packing and local products.
Blue Bayfield has inspired and mentored communities and groups such as science teacher Amanda Keller and her Eco Exeter students at South Huron District High School (SHDHS) in Exeter. Supported by this mentoring, six local secondary schools have developed similar eco-programs.
Blue Bayfield has been recognized by the Council of Canadians. Bayfield is the first community in North America to be recognized, in 2017, as “plastic-free” by the British ecological group Surfers Against Sewage. Blue Bayfield outreach committee members have addressed more than 25 communities in Ontario over the last two years. They have addressed a conference in Wetaskiwin, Alberta attended by eco groups from Alberta and Yukon (100 delegates). This has resulted in communities adopting the Bayfield model. Blue Bayfield has played a key role in encouraging the Municipality of Bluewater to develop an Environmental Committee comprised of representatives “from every corner of the municipality.”
Ausable Bayfield Conservation presented the Conservationist of the Year Award in Bayfield, on July 22, 2020, with social physical distancing during the current pandemic.
Learn more about the conservation awards at:
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July 31 is next intake deadline for Cover Crop boost program
– Apply now!
If you live in the Bayfield area you could get up to $40 per acre to plant cover crops! (When the Cover Crop Boost program is paired with Huron County Clean Water Project).
July 31 is next intake deadline. (After that, it's August 31). Call us or email us.
Find out more:
If you live north of Bayfield (in Bayfield North watershed); or south of Bayfield or west of Zurich or Dashwood, in the South Gullies watershed, you are also eligible for Cover Crop Boosts. Talk to us!
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Phase One of Stirling Bridge Decking Project completed
Tallula Ash, of Crediton, was one of the workers, from Ausable Bayfield Conservation, completing the first phase of the Stirling Bridge decking replacement project on the South Huron Trail.
The bridge is open again and staff will begin a later phase of board replacement once the next order of wood arrives. We thank all the donors and fundraisers who are making this project possible.
When future phases of this project commence we will advise the public on our Notices of Service Disruptions page here:
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Help reduce stress on our water
As a Level One Low Water Advisory has been issued for the Ausable River Watershed, we thought it would be appropriate to re-share this video interview about the low water and drought response program.
Find out more:
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Water Response Team issues Level 1 Low Water Advisory for Ausable River watershed
Prolonged hot, dry weather has significantly reduced streamflow
Dry weather and very low streamflow has prompted the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) Water Response Team (WRT) to issue a Level 1 Low Water Advisory for the Ausable River watershed.
The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority's Water Response Team issued a Level 1 Low Advisory, for the Ausable River watershed, on Friday, July 10, 2020.
Find out more:
As reported at automated rain gauge locations, the Ausable River watershed received about 60 per cent of the normal precipitation totals for the three-month period from April through June, according to ABCA staff. This is well within the Level 1 criteria of 80 per cent of the three-month precipitation normals, and just outside of the Level 2 criteria of 60 per cent. Due to the hot and dry conditions of June, and through the first week of July, real-time streamflows in the Ausable River watershed reflect low water conditions.
Much of the Bayfield River and Parkhill Creek watersheds have been dry as well, with the exception of a heavy rainfall event on June 23, 2020. This provided some temporary relief to streamflow in parts of those watersheds, most notably in the Grand Bend and Zurich areas.
The Water Response Team relies on both precipitation and streamflow indicators to support any decision to move into a Low Water Advisory. Indicators include one-month streamflow, and one-month or three-month precipitation. Ground conditions are very dry, and continued hot and dry weather would have a negative impact on streamflow and water availability throughout the summer, and perhaps longer, according to Davin Heinbuck, Water Resources Coordinator at ABCA.
“Some areas are reliant on water availability in streams to sustain crops through very dry periods,” he said. The focus should be on sustaining water availability through responsible management and conservation of the water resource, he said. “If a dry weather pattern continues through the summer, a recovery of the already stressed watershed will become more difficult in the weeks or months ahead,” according to Heinbuck.
Water Response Team Chair Doug Cook said everyone has a role to play in water conservation. He encourages all water users to look for ways they can conserve water and prevent further reduction in water levels and availability through the summer. “For areas that are in a Level 1 Low Water Advisory condition, we are encouraging water users to voluntarily reduce their water use by 10 per cent,” he said. For ideas on ways you can reduce water use, please visit the water quantity and water conservation page at abca.ca at this link:
If dry conditions persist, it may be necessary to for the WRT to consider issuing Low Water Advisories for the entire Ausable Bayfield watershed.
A Level 1 Low Water Advisory includes a request for a 10 per cent voluntary reduction in water use. A Level 2 Low Water Advisory includes a call for an additional 10 per cent (total of 20 per cent) voluntary reduction in water use. A Level 3 Low Water Advisory may involve mandatory water use restrictions.
The Water Response Team was formed in 2001 in response to the low water and drought conditions that year and the team has been active ever since. The WRT includes representatives of major water users (such as aggregate industries; agriculture and vegetable growers; and golf and recreation) and includes local municipal representatives and staff of provincial ministries (such as Natural Resources and Forestry; Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; and Environment, Conservation and Parks). ABCA staff will continue to monitor rainfall and streamflow data and keep the public informed of any changes in watershed conditions.
Visit www.ontario.ca/lowwater for further resources on the Ontario low water response program or the website at abca.ca for the dynamic low-water advisory tool which alerts people to low-water advisories in effect in the watershed.
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Cover Crops in 60-Inch Corn Update
Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) and Professional Agrologist (P.Ag) Ross Wilson, of Ausable Bayfield Conservation, provides a June 2020 update on the work to use #covercrops after corn and #60inchcorn in this trial south of Clinton, Ontario, Canada.
This is the second in a series of videos about the progress of this project.
Find out more:
Stay tuned for more updates over the season!
Thanks to Bill Gibson and Family; Hensall Co-op; Pioneer Feeds and Corteva Agriscience; Claussen Farms; and the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation.
Thanks to https://www.bensound.com/ for use of the music (Sunny).
#healthylakehuron #landtolake #pieceofthepuzzle
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Where to go for information on high lake levels
Lake Huron water levels are of interest to property owners along or near the shoreline and to people who visit Lake Huron.
The impacts of high water levels include erosion and unstable bluffs.
How can you find out more about water levels?
There are several sources of national and local information related to high water levels and their impacts. Canada has a newsletter that provides a monthly update, on Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River water levels, LEVELnews, at this link:
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) issues Shoreline Conditions Statements, to local municipalities, when warranted. These statements are issued when weather forecasts over Lake Huron suggest a potential for high waves reaching the shoreline and resulting in potential coastal flooding and erosion issues. These messages, in addition to flood messages, are also posted on the abca.ca website at this link:
The Shoreline Conditions Statements and Flood Messages are also posted on social media:
Find out more:
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority has resources, (including Shoreline Slope Stability Risks and Hazards Fact Sheet for Property Owners, by Terraprobe Inc.) on its website. The conservation authority, and its partners in the Healthy Lake Huron – Clean Water, Clean Beaches Partnership, are adding materials – this summer and autumn – related to water levels; water level impacts; and best practices residents can consider. These resources are to include a new fact sheet about what vegetation to plant along the shoreline.
The conservation authority wants to help the public become aware of, and to navigate, the different sources of information related to lake levels; their impacts; and best practices.
“The high lake levels are a concern to us and to property owners and we want to do what we can to connect people to current information from the relevant authorities and to helpful information to deal with the impacts of high water levels,” said Geoffrey Cade, ABCA Water and Planning Manager.
To learn more visit abca.ca and healthylakehuron.ca.
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Golf tourney postponed to 2021
New date for charity golf tourney is Monday, August 30, 2021
We hope to see you at the 2021 charity golf tourney.
The South Huron Trail Golf Tournament Committee has decided to postpone the 2020 event until 2021.
The committee hopes you will mark your calendar for Monday, August 30, 2021 and return as a supporter of the South Huron Trail Golf Tournament next year.
The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation continues to welcome donations in support of the South Huron Trail by going online at this link:
Or, you can mail a cheque to Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation, 71108 Morrison Line, RR 3 Exeter, ON N0M 1S5. A charitable tax receipt, for income tax purposes, will be issued to you for the full value of your donation.
Find out more:
This charity golf tournament is a fun, social gathering followed by a great lunch at Ironwood Golf Club.
The 2021 tourney will be the 15th year for the tournament.
The tourney was started in 2005 by friends and family of the late Gord Strang.
Gord was very involved in the initial stages of fundraising and developing the South Huron Trail which has been a much-appreciated benefit to the community and a destination for many visitors.
The golf tournament raises an average of $5,000 each year towards enhancements and the ongoing care needed on the trail, boardwalks, and pedestrian bridges. This is thanks to the generosity of golfers and attendees and the event sponsors.
During the COVID-19 pandemic this spring, the trail had to be closed temporarily, as part of our response to the pandemic, and it became very apparent how much visitors and area residents missed using the eight-kilometre nature trail.
The golf tournament committee wishes you and your family good health during these exceptional times and looks forward to seeing everyone at the 15th South Huron Trail Golf Tournament in 2021.
Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation Chair Dave Frayne says "It will be great to carry on where we left off."
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New video offers catch-and-release fishing tips, tricks
Davin Heinbuck, of Ausable Bayfield Conservation, instructs young people on some of the ways to catch and release fish
A new video, with fishing tips and tricks, features angler Davin Heinbuck, who is Water Resources Coordinator with Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA).
The video has been shared by the Foundation for Education Perth Huron, on YouTube at found4education, as part of their new Art of Life video series. The series features local personalities, artists, and community members creating content to encourage and educate young people during the current pandemic.
Find out more:
For many years, Ausable Bayfield Conservation staff have hosted fishing workshops for youth in Ausable River Watershed and other watersheds along Lake Huron’s southeast shore. This year, during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, staff teach about catch-and-release fishing through the means of the new video. It is a way to promote responsible angling and protection of our resources while not having people in the close proximity of a workshop.
The new video is part of a public awareness campaign by Healthy Lake Huron – Clean Water, Clean Beaches. The partnership works to keep Lake Huron’s southeast shore clean for recreation (such as fishing), as a source of raw drinking water for treatment, and for people to enjoy.
The Healthy Lake Huron partners say we are all a “piece of the puzzle” (#pieceofthepuzzle) in keeping a Healthy Lake Huron (#healthylakehuron) from land to lake (#landtolake).
Young people are invited to try out the sport of fishing while practising social physical distancing and other safe actions recommended by public health authorities. Youth are also asked to practise catch-and-release fishing so fish can grow to be caught again.
Anglers should visit the Province of Ontario website for licence and other requirements and follow all provincial laws and regulations.
Opportunities for great summer-time fishing exist across the Ausable Bayfield Conservation watershed.
The Ausable River is home to many sought-after species of fish, such as Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Walleye, and Northern Pike.
The Old Ausable Channel is home to Sunfish, Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike, while Morrison Dam Conservation Area provides angling opportunities for Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, and White Crappie. Parkhill Reservoir and Conservation Area offers exceptional fishing for record class White Crappie, and Largemouth Bass.
The Bayfield River is a popular spot for Smallmouth Bass, Salmon in autumn, and Rainbow Trout in the spring. The river mouth areas of the Ausable and the Bayfield rivers offer additional opportunities to catch a wide range of fish species both large and small. Fishing spots are nearly endless but remember to respect private property.
The Ausable River is one of the nationally important watercourses in our area where fish are found. The Ausable River supports one of Canada’s most diverse communities of aquatic animals, including 26 species of freshwater mussels and 85 species of fish.
If you live in Ausable River watershed, and you would like to find out about actions you can take to improve habitat for local aquatic species and grants that may be available as incentives to help you do stewardship projects, email info@abca.ca or call toll-free 1-888-286-2610.
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August 12, 2020 is deadline to complete drinking water source protection quiz
How much do you know about drinking water source protection in your region?
August 12 is the deadline to complete a fun quiz to test your source protection knowledge.
Take the quiz now here:
If you're really brave, take the test here:
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Thank you!
A big thank you to all the people who reported turtle nests to us this year, especially to volunteers Chris and Gail Hills, who took time to construct several nest protection cages. Thank you all for protecting Ontario's freshwater turtles!
Learn more:
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In the News
Print and broadcast media have recently published news stories and television news items about positive happenings in Ausable Bayfield Conservation watersheds.
Here is a couple of recent examples:
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The office is currently closed until further notice, in response to the current pandemic, but staff are available to serve you by email and phone. Programs and services, including essential services and flood forecasting and warning, are continuing. For updates and current notices of service disruptions and adaptations visit abca.ca
71108 Morrison Line,
RR 3 Exeter, ON
N0M 1S5
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Staff continue to serve you by email and phone but the office is closed until further notice at the time of this newsletter. Staff are delivering programs in the field using pandemic protocols. For this and other notices of service disruptions and adaptations, and updates, visit abca.ca
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