UTRCA Board Responds to Bill 68��

For the latest news, go to our webpage on the Proposed Consolidation of Conservation Authorities

On November 7, 2025, the provincial government opened public consultation on an Environmental Registry of Ontario () proposal to consolidate Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into 7 large regional authorities. Under this proposal, a new Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority would be created by merging eight existing conservation authorities — Catfish Creek, Essex Region, Grand River, Kettle Creek, Long Point Region, Lower Thames Valley, St. Clair Region, and Upper Thames River. This new regional conservation authority would span a large geographic area from Windsor through London, Brantford, and north of Waterloo region, and include 81 municipalities.����

The proposed consolidation follows on the heels of changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, including the establishment of a new agency, the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency, to provide leadership, governance, and strategic direction to conservation authorities (CAs). The changes to the Act were part of Bill 68, “Plan to Protect Ontario Act” which was introduced and passed without any consultation.����

At its meeting on November 25, the UTRCA Board of Directors received a staff report and presentation entitled “Provincial Announcements: Bill 68 Schedule 3 Proposed Changes to the Conservation Authorities Act and Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) Posting #025-1257 Proposed Boundaries for Regional Consolidation of Ontario’s Conservation Authorities.”��

The Board members discussed the potential impacts of the �ʰ��DZ����Գ���’s proposal on the programs and services that the UTRCA provides to their municipal residents. A key concern they identified is the importance of maintaining local Board representation that balances rural and urban priorities and interests.��

The UTRCA Board of Directions passed the following motion:

THAT the Board of Directors adopt the proposed motion, as circulated to the board at the start of the meeting, and direct staff to circulate a letter to all member municipalities of the Upper Thames watershed and First Nation communities affected by the proposed change in geographic boundaries, with a focus on the economic and legal ramifications and other relevant ramifications of the proposed legislative changes by the province.

And this was the proposed motion that was adopted:

WHEREAS the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has posted Environmental Registry Notice No. 025-1257 (“Proposed Boundaries for the Regional Consolidation of Conservation Authorities”), proposing to reduce Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities to 7 regional entities as part of a broader restructuring that would create a new Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency to provide centralized oversight and direction under the Conservation Authorities Act;��​

AND WHEREAS under this proposal, the ����ֱ�� (UTRCA) would be merged into a new “Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority” together with the: Essex Region CA, Lower Thames Valley CA, St. Clair Region CA, Kettle Creek CA, Catfish Creek CA, Long Point Region CA, and Grand River CA, forming a single organization stretching from Windsor, through London, Brantford, and north of Waterloo region; ​

AND WHEREAS the Board acknowledges and supports the �ʰ��DZ����Գ���’s goals of improved efficiency, consistency, and fiscal responsibility in conservation delivery, but find that the proposed “Lake Erie Region” configuration would create a geographically vast and administratively complex entity; dilute local accountability and municipal partnership; generate substantial transition costs, including human resources integration, governance restructuring, IT migration, and policy harmonization that would divert resources from the front-line service delivery making it hard for applicants to obtain timely local advice, resolve issues, or expedite housing and infrastructure approvals that support the �ʰ��DZ����Գ���’s goals;​

AND WHEREAS UTRCA has always worked with its member municipalities, the province, and partners to be fiscally responsible while ensuring the conservation, restoration, development, and management of natural resources within the upper Thames River watershed including modernizing its programs and services and aligning them with provincial guidance and neighbouring CAs and will continue to do so; ​

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT UTRCA Board of Directors does not support the proposed “Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority” boundary configuration outlined in the Environment Registry Notice 02-1257; and the Board instead requests that the Ministry engage directly with affected municipalities and conservation authorities to evaluate a reduced geographic scope for consolidation that better reflects established relationships and enhances cost-efficient delivery of integrated watershed management, grassroots connections, and local understanding;��​

AND FINALLY THAT this resolution be forwarded to the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, local members of Provincial Parliament, Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Rural Ontario Municipalities Association, all municipalities and CAs within the proposed Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority, and Conservation Ontario.

You can view the November 25 Board meeting on the The presentation begins at 16:20 and runs until 51:01. The Board��discussion is immediately following from 51:01–1:35:08.

The UTRCA Board of Directors strongly encourages our watershed municipalities, First Nations, partners, and other interest-holders to carefully evaluate the �ʰ��DZ����Գ���’s proposal to consolidate the CAs. This proposal has serious, long-lasting implications for local watershed management.��

For a summary of our key messages to the Province, visit our Provincial Changes Bill 68 webpage.����

The proposal is open until December 22nd for public comment here

2025 Field Surveying Season Concludes

The ����ֱ��'s (UTRCA) 2025 field surveying season has come to an end as the snowy weather settles in. Beginning in early June, the team of surveyors used a high-accuracy Global Positioning System (GPS) to gather over 18,000 point elevations for the flood modelling team to use in building flood models. Over 1,000 cross sections were collected from bank to bank to better understand the shape, size, and depth of creeks and drains across the watershed. The surveyors also compiled data for 430 bridges and culverts to determine how much water could flow through or under them before flooding would occur.��

We were lucky to have another excellent crew this year, including Julia Newton, Emily Crunican, Julian Herrell, and Anastasiya Kubrak. Arshan Shah joined us for the fall to help us finish the season strong. The team collected reservoir depths using the rowboat and acoustic doppler current profiler this year. They also assisted in using a drone to measure bed depths in Lake Victoria during the summer low-water event. The team persevered through tough field conditions, dense bush, mud, insects, and difficult weather to accurately gather key data. Their efforts are hugely appreciated!��

Thank you, Julia, Emily, Julian, Arshan, and Anastasiya!��

A Fantastic Fall for UTRCA Community Education

As the seasons start to change, we like to look back at all that Community Education staff have accomplished this fall term. Since September, education staff have worked with over 2,000 students in the watershed. This includes a variety of programs hosted on-site at our conservation areas (CAs) and in schoolyards.

One of the new programs we added this year includes Team Building, a new and exciting program for Grades 6 to 8, which aims to help students support each other and strengthen their connections to one another. Through team-building and leadership activities that are centered around understanding their local environment, students are able to work on listening, communication, and trust-building skills. We look forward to offering this program again in the spring!

Additionally, we hosted four Specialist High School Majors programs, Compass/Map/Global Positioning Systems, and Species Identification programs. These are just two of the seven specialist programs that are offered at Fanshawe and Wildwood Conservation Areas.��

Staff also hosted seven classes at Fanshawe Conservation Area for Grade 7 and 8 Watershed STEM. This program highlighted how CA staff in STEM careers survey and evaluate local ecosystem health. The program included a guided tour across the top of Fanshawe Dam, and a series of hands-on activities that mimic the water quality monitoring undertaken as part of the Watershed Report Cards, including identifying benthic invertebrates and conducting a habitat assessment. We also explored coding using Ozobot robots, and discussed threats to aquatic species at risk. This program is offered in the fall and spring and is a great opportunity to explore careers in STEM for youth!

Fall also marked the beginning of our Primary Outreach Program, which involved providing professional development opportunities for teachers through a schoolyard asset and assessment report and lesson demonstrations in their schoolyard. The first visit for this program occurs in the fall. We follow up with teachers in the winter with a virtual visit, and a final visit in the spring. The program aims to help teachers explore new ways to utilize their schoolyard assets for outdoor learning for a variety of subjects.

We also hosted a variety of on-site programs at our CAs, including a revitalized program called Climate Change in our Watershed at Fanshawe. Students learned about the local impacts of climate change and analyzed how extreme weather and water quality are impacting habitats and species. At Wildwood, we hosted a specialty Wilderness Survival program about fire-making and shelter-building that helps Grade 7 and 8 students build confidence and a “leave-no-trace” mindset in the outdoors.��

The Community Education team is so grateful to all of the students and teachers who came to Fanshawe and Wildwood this fall and are excited for the year ahead!

Nature School PA Day Success!��

Kids had a great time at the ����ֱ�� (UTRCA)'s latest Nature School Professional Activity (PA) Day!��

The UTRCA partnered with the Stratford Perth Museum once again to host a PA Day on Friday, November 21, at the museum. We brought together 16 enthusiastic participants for a full day of outdoor exploration, hands-on discovery, artmaking, and cultural learning. Campers engaged in orienteering, forest games, nature exploration, fire-making, and homesteading, making full use of both the museum's indoor spaces and its beautiful forest and meadow trails. The day's programming encouraged curiosity, teamwork, and confidence as children navigated trails with maps and compasses, learned practical outdoor skills, and experienced elements of 19th-century settler life.��

As part of our ongoing Nature School PA Day Camp series, these events continue to strengthen community connections, support outdoor learning, and highlight the value of play-based education in natural spaces. We look forward to welcoming even more young explorers at our next PA Day Camp on Friday, January 30, 2026!��

Contact:��Caroline Biel, Community Education Specialist

Fall Groundwater Sampling in the Upper Thames River Watershed��

Under the Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network, the ����ֱ�� (UTRCA) manages a total of 28 wells at 22 different sites across the watershed. The program was launched in 2001 as a partnership between the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP) in response to the low groundwater levels that were experienced in 1998. The purpose of this monitoring program is to collect long-term groundwater quality and quantity data at the predetermined sites. Ambient water levels and water quality of the major aquifers in the area are the focus for the UTRCA.��

This fall, 22 wells underwent sampling for water quality monitoring. The samples collected were analyzed for general chemistry (phosphorus, nitrogen, chloride), and metals.����

Additionally, another subset of wells chosen by Health Canada were analyzed for the presence of pesticides.��

Each well and aquifer is unique, including static water level, depth, and volume, requiring water quality monitoring staff to pay careful attention to detail in order to uphold a high quality of both monitoring and sampling protocols. Each well must be purged with a certain amount of water before sampling can be conducted. Deeper wells require longer purge times. This is because we need to ensure that we are sampling the true conditions of the aquifer. Deeper aquifers require more time to access and pump out anything that may skew results, such as anything that may leech in from the surface. The purge time for groundwater wells within the UTRCA watershed ranges from 1 hour to 6.5 hours. During purging, parameters including pH, water temperature, static level, and clarity are taken at pre-determined intervals. ��

In addition, there are multiple types of pumps used to sample the water. Some wells are equipped with dedicated pumps built in, while others require staff to bring power sources and dedicated tubing to prevent contamination from the surrounding environment and separate wells.�� Each sample is sent off to a provincial lab that conducts the analysis, and the data is then made available to the public��

GIS Day 2025 at Western University����

The ����ֱ�� (UTRCA) was pleased to participate in Western University’s annual GIS Day on November 19, joining a wide range of organizations and experts to celebrate and showcase the power of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The open-house event, hosted by Western Libraries, brought together students, faculty, professionals, and community leaders to explore the latest GIS products, applications, and emerging technologies.����

UTRCA staff presented two engaging, hands-on displays that highlighted how GIS supports flood risk management, land-use planning, and watershed science. The Flood Hazard Water Table demonstrated the critical role of flood hazard mapping in identifying at-risk areas and guiding informed development decisions within the Upper Thames watershed. Through interactive discussion and visual tools, attendees learned how this mapping helps protect people, property, and infrastructure during extreme weather events.

The second feature, an Augmented Reality Sandbox, offered a dynamic and immersive experience that illustrated how changes in topography influence the movement of water across the landscape. By reshaping the sand and watching real-time simulated water flow projected onto the surface, participants gained a deeper understanding of terrain, drainage patterns, and the impacts of natural and human-made changes to the environment. ��

This marks UTRCA’s sixth year participating in Western’s GIS Day, and we continue to value this opportunity to connect with the academic community, share expertise, and inspire the next generation of GIS professionals and conservationists. We look forward to returning again next year and continuing to support innovation, education, and collaboration in watershed management.����

Contact: Craig Irwin, Water Quality Specialist��

Live Staking on the Medway Creek��

This November, the ����ֱ�� (UTRCA) led live staking projects at two locations along the Medway Creek. Despite the almost foot of snow, students from Medway High School and volunteers from the Thames River Anglers were able to get all of the live stakes into the ground! Using live stakes cut from willow trees, volunteers and UTRCA staff hammered them into the shore of the Medway Creek in areas of high erosion.��

Live staking involves cutting stems or branches from native trees and shrubs, sharpening them into stakes, and hammering them into the streambank. Live stakes have immense benefits for local waterways, including stabilizing the banks, reducing erosion, creating habitat for native species, cooling the water (through shading), and reducing the impacts of flooding!��

Thank you, Medway students and Thames River Anglers members for your dedication to the environment!��

This project was funded by the Canada Water Agency and Enbridge.��