2022 Year in Review听听

As we settle into the new year, the 糖心直播 (UTRCA) is reflecting on many highlights and achievements of 2022.听

Watershed residents continued to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits offered by the outdoors as we welcomed more than 160,000 visitors to Fanshawe, Pittock, and Wildwood Conservation Areas. 听

With many COVID-19 restrictions lifting over the last year, we were once again able to engage with over 600 students and over 850 community members through Communities for Nature projects. Thanks to everyone鈥檚 hard work, we planted:听

• 3,144 trees, 478 of which were Memorial Trees,听
• 2,530 wildflowers, and听
• 960 aquatic plants.听

We ran the eleventh annual London Hydro Tree Power, the second Festival Hydro Tree Power in Stratford, the second Perth South Tree Power, and the first ever St. Marys Tree Power. These programs provide local residents with low-cost native hardwood trees to plant on their property.听

Demand for trees was high for the second year in a row. In 2022, UTRCA staff assisted landowners in planting:听

• 28,580 seedlings,听
• 3,054 large stock conifers, and听
• 1,050 large stock hardwoods.听

The was also active, resulting in:听

• 57 fragile land retirement projects,听
• 5 erosion control projects,听
• 3 wetland creation projects, and听
• 1,400 acres of funded cover crops.听

Species at risk work continued with Scott Gillingwater and his dedicated team. Together, they incubated and released over 10,000 turtles from five different species, as well as marking and studying over 300 endangered and threatened turtles and snakes as part of our species-at-risk research program.听

The UTRCA issued 11 flood bulletins to alert municipal flood coordinators and watershed residents of impending heavy rain, rising streams and rivers, significant snow melt, and boating bans.听听

Our Planning and Regulations Unit:听

• issued over 200 permits,听听
• responded to over 175 legal inquiries, and 听
• processed over 1000 Planning Act applications in 2022.听

Wildwood Community Education programs reached 6,000 students in-person through programs held at , in schoolyards, and in the community. They also had 89 participants in Wildwood Nature School and 35 in their PA Day program.听听

Staff delivered the educational program to 12 schools, reaching over 3,980 students. They also held two public Children鈥檚 Water Festivals. One in Stratford with 536 participants, and the other in Woodstock with 927 participants.听

Fanshawe Community Education staff reached over 19,200 students and听community members, both virtually and through in-person programs at , in London鈥檚 Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs), or in schoolyards. These included: 听

• 3,000 visitors at Western University鈥檚 Science Rendezvous day,听
• 925 students receiving the River Safety program, 听
• 35 students receiving their Specialist High Skills Major Certification,
• 795 people taking part in guided visits to the Sifton Bog Wetland, and听
• 180 people participating in events and/or hikes at Fanshawe Conservation Area.听

We also hosted a series of seven free public events in natural spaces across the watershed. The events included guided hikes with activities, displays, and presentations. Local artists and municipalities were involved, as well as hiking, naturalist, and angler clubs. All of the events were well received with nearly 2,000 people attending overall.听 The first Celebrating Natural Connections event of 2023 is at Wildwood Conservation Area on January 21st. For more info, visit 听We hope to see you there!

Responding to the First Snowmelt and Rain Event of 2023

“We have measurements of how much snow is on the ground at locations across the watershed. We also know the amount of the rain that is forecasted for the region and the general conditions of the ground. In the winter months, the ground is usually frozen or saturated,鈥� says Mark Helsten, Senior Water Resources Engineer at the 糖心直播 (UTRCA). 听

With that information, combined with historical data, Mark and the Water and Information Management (WIM) team use flood models to estimate how much water is headed into waterways, and how high the water will rise听at various locations along rivers and streams in听the Upper Thames River watershed. Modelling and historical records also help determine how quickly the water will enter a watercourse, and then how quickly it moves downstream, through the system.听

As 2022 was coming to an end, about 40 mm of rain was forecasted for the region. Since UTRCA staff collect snow measurements twice per month, they knew there was an additional 10-25 mm of water content in the snow, as well as how soon the snow would melt and release water. A winter storm had hit many parts of southern Ontario just days earlier. 听

Noticing the impending rain, the WIM team quickly mobilized, reviewing additional information to assess the flood risk. 鈥淩ainfall, water levels, and temperature are measured and recorded at remote locations at least hourly. The data comes into our databases from the field,鈥� says Mark.听

With the ground being saturated or frozen and unable to absorb much more water, the possibility of flooding was presented. This type of snowmelt and rain event is likely to happen at least once each year, and is the most common cause of flooding in the Upper Thames River basin.听

This event happened to occurred in the middle of the Christmas holidays when most UTRCA staff are away from work, enjoying time with friends and family. However, there are always eyes on weather forecasts and watershed conditions, and staff are always ready to respond to help protect people and property. 听

When it was determined that there would be enough runoff to raise water levels, the UTRCA issued a Water Conditions Statement 鈥� Water Safety flood bulletin to alert the public. The bulletin is issued directly to Municipal, First Nation, and Western University Flood Coordinators, OPP and local police, and several other agencies. It is also posted on the UTRCA website and Twitter page.听

As the rainfall continued, the WIM team paid close attention to the weather forecast and information from the field. 鈥淲e make sure that the event is progressing as predicted, and look for peak values happening upstream to get a sense of how the event鈥檚 timing will proceed downstream,鈥� explains Mark. In this event, the peak water flow upstream of Fanshawe Reservoir was 300 m鲁/sec, but Fanshawe Dam was able to reduce the flow by 40% so only 180 m鲁/sec was released downstream from the dam. A cubic metre (m鲁) fills about two bathtubs, and 100 cubic meters fills an in-ground swimming pool.

All flood bulletins were ended by January 6th. At that time, the UTRCA did not have concern for additional flooding.听

Contact: Mark Helsten, Senior Water Resources Engineer听

Local Landowner Donates 5 Acres of Land to the UTRCA 听(Published Jan. 2023)

The 糖心直播 (UTRCA) has received a generous 2.02 hectare (5 acre) donation from Ron Anderson, who inherited the land in Dorchester Swamp from his father, John, and his grandmother, Helen.听

The small lots in Dorchester Swamp were created in the 19th century to sell to local farmers to provide them with access to cedar posts and firewood. The Anderson family has maintained the property as natural habitat under the Conservation Land Tax Incentive Program and is pleased that the land will continue to be protected.听

The UTRCA now owns 279 hectares (690 acres) of this 570 ha (1408 ac) Provincially Significant Wetland.听

The donated land is located in the heart of the swamp, surrounded by mostly UTRCA land. When land is donated to a conservation authority, the donor receives a tax receipt for the appraised value.听

Dorchester Swamp provides many benefits to the watershed, including protecting biodiversity, reducing flooding through water retention, improving water quality through filtration, and sequestering and storing carbon in the organic soils and plants.听

The project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Environment and Climate Change (the Canada Nature Fund).鈥�听

Contact: Cathy Quinlan, Terrestrial Biologist听

UTRCA Biologist receives Conservation Award听

Cathy Quinlan, Terrestrial Biologist with the 糖心直播 (UTRCA), was recognized with a Conservation Award from in recognition of her听substantial and long-standing contribution over 20 years to the (TTLT).听听

Cathy has acted as the Trust鈥檚 Chair of the Land Securement Committee (LSC) since 2009. She is described as the 鈥渃onductor of the LSC orchestra鈥�, acknowledging her role coordinating the many activities involved in securing a property. During her tenure as Chair, more than a dozen nature reserves have come under TTLT鈥檚 care.

Cathy has also contributed to fundraising efforts to finance land securement including her participation in the Vision 20/20 campaign team which supported the creation of seven new reserves. Cathy鈥檚 involvement with the TTLT dates back to 2000, when as the President of McIlwraith Field Naturalists, now Nature London, Cathy was instrumental in the Trust鈥檚 founding.

TTLT staff and fellow volunteers say, 鈥淐athy goes about this work with little fanfare but, clearly, with unwavering resolve.鈥�

Congratulations, Cathy, on your award!听

Maintaining Safe Trails along Snake Creek in an Environmentally Significant Area听

Snake Creek is located just south of the Museum of Ontario Archeology in the Medway Valley Heritage Forest, one of London鈥檚 Environmentally Significant Areas (ESAs). A trail winds along the creek, enabling community members can enjoy its natural beauty. Unfortunately,听the integrity of the trail suffers from erosion, fallen trees, and other challenges.

As the City of London funds a contract with the Upper Thames Region Conservation Authority (UTRCA) to manage several ESAs, including Medway Valley Heritage Forest, UTRCA staff have made several improvements to the trail along Snake Creek.

Creek Crossing听听

To help pedestrians cross the creek, the UTRCA ESA team placed large stepping stones within the creek to offer dry passage during normal creek flows. The stones were moved into the valley and set in the creek to form a vortex-style weir. These stones will allow water to move through while also reducing erosion along the banks. 听

Trail Enhancement听听

The UTRCA ESA Team also reconstructed about 20 metres of trail that were damaged by erosion along the outside bend of the creek. Being located at the toe of a steep slope made it increasingly challenging for pedestrians to navigate the trail as it was becoming narrower over time. 听

The area was further compromised due to a large tree leaning over the trail. To rectify the problem, a timber crib wall was built on site to restore and protect the trail in the future. After three days using chainsaws, hand tools, and working alongside an excavation contractor, 15 metres of crib wall were installed. An improved trail is now available to users. 听

Contact: Cole Volkaert, Land Management Supervisor (London ESAs)听 听

Protecting Drinking Water: It’s the Season for Salt!

This winter, (CO) along with local source protection authorities and regions, have launched a 15-week public information campaign about how to .听听

New education tools include social media posts and an online mapping application about the impacts of road salt across Ontario. In addition, a Salt Responsibly Sticker campaign was developed by CO and a small working group. These stickers will be placed on salt bins located within drinking water protection zones to help reduce risk, and keep drinking water safe and clean.听

鈥淲e aim to raise awareness about the impacts of road salt on municipal sources of drinking water and promote best management practices around the storage and application of salt. We know it can be a tricky balance when salt is a critical component of winter safety in our communities and on our roadways,鈥� said Katie Ebel, Source Protection Policy and Risk Management Advisor with the 糖心直播 (UTRCA). 听

Road salt enters the environment in several ways. Snow gets plowed to the road shoulder and the resulting melted water along with dissolved salt either infiltrates through soil into the groundwater or runs off into drains, creeks, or stormwater management facilities. Eventually, these chemicals enter the natural water system, including drinking water source protection vulnerable areas (i.e., municipal drinking water wells and surface water intakes) which can impact our drinking water sources.听听

Climate change is resulting in more extreme weather patterns that may result in an increased use of winter maintenance chemicals. Now more than ever, we need to be aware of how salt impacts the safety of our drinking water.听听

Protecting Ontario鈥檚 water sources is a critical step in bringing safe municipal drinking water to Ontario residents. Remember, your actions matter!听

Contact:听Katie Ebel, Source Protection Policy and Risk Management Advisor

Fanshawe Conservation Area Hosts City of London Marine Interoperability Exercise听

In late 2022, (CA) once again played host for the annual Marine Interoperability Training Exercise. The exercise had participants and observers from London Police Services, London Fire Department, Middlesex London Paramedic Service, HMCS Prevost, Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, London Search and Rescue, and the Salvation Army.听 听

The objectives for the training exercise were to:听

• have the various emergency services showcase the variety of equipment they use in marine-related emergency situations, 听
• be placed into interagency teams and, while on the reservoir, obtain practical equipment familiarization, and听
• have all participants partake in a scenario where teams on the water and on land coordinate the search of the reservoir for a lost person (i.e., a mannequin), find them, and then transfer them to the Middlesex London Paramedic Service.听

Weather conditions for the training exercise were ideal for late November, with lots of sun and positive temperatures. The various emergency services present used the CA boat launch to get watercraft on and off the reservoir. This area was also the command center for the scenario and the water activities.听听

Members of the Salvation Army were present with their mobile kitchen, much like they could be for real emergencies, to provide coffee, a warm meal, and a warming tent for the first responders.听

Staff from the 糖心直播 (UTRCA) were involved with the planning for the training exercise, sharing their knowledge of the reservoir and surrounding area. The UTRCA always enjoys working with its partners in emergency services and, where possible, provides access to its properties for training purposes. The fine-tuning of search and rescue skills, combined with knowledge of the various properties, proves to be useful in the event of real emergency situations.听

The UTRCA looks forward to being part of future Marine Interoperability Training Exercises with members of the local emergency services community.听

Contact:听Damian Schofield, Conservation Areas Coordinator听