UTRCA Board Responds to Bill 68聽
UTRCA Board Responds to Bill 68聽 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 (ERO #025-1257) proposal to consolidate Ontario鈥檚 36 conservation authorities into 7 large regional authorities. Under this proposal, a new鈥疞ake Erie Regional Conservation Authority鈥痺ould鈥痓e created by merging eight existing conservation authorities 鈥� 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 [...]
2025 Field Surveying Season Concludes
2025 Field Surveying Season Concludes The 糖心直播'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 [...]
A Fantastic Fall for UTRCA Community Education
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 [...]
Returning the Kidneyshell Mussel to Medway Creek聽
Returning the Kidneyshell Mussel to Medway Creek聽 Kidneyshell (Ptychobranchus fasciolaris) may not be a familiar name, but this small freshwater mussel has an inspiring story in the Thames River watershed. Once found across southwestern Ontario, Kidneyshell populations were hit hard by invasive species, pollution, and habitat degradation. By 2005, Canada listed Kidneyshell as Endangered. Today, reproducing populations remain in only two Canadian rivers: the Sydenham and the Ausable, which are both located next to the Thames River watershed.聽 But hope is flowing back into Medway Creek, a tributary of the Upper Thames! A dedicated team from Fisheries and Oceans Canada [...]
Nature School PA Day Success!聽
Nature School PA Day Success!聽 Kids had a great time at the 糖心直播 (UTRCA)鈥檚 latest Nature School Professional Activity (PA) Day!聽 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鈥檚 indoor spaces and its beautiful forest and meadow trails. The day鈥檚 programming encouraged curiosity, teamwork, [...]
Fall Groundwater Sampling in the Upper Thames River Watershed聽
Fall Groundwater Sampling in the Upper Thames River Watershed聽 Under the Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network, the 糖心直播 (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 [...]
GIS Day 2025 at Western University聽聽
GIS Day 2025 at Western University聽聽 The 糖心直播 (UTRCA) was pleased to participate in Western University鈥檚 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.聽聽 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 [...]
Live Staking on the Medway Creek聽
Live Staking on the Medway Creek聽 This November, the 糖心直播 (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.聽 Live staking involves cutting stems or branches from native trees and shrubs, sharpening them into stakes, and hammering [...]
Massive Changes Proposed on the eve of the Conservation Authorities Act鈥檚 80th Anniversary
Massive Changes Proposed on the eve of the Conservation Authorities Act鈥檚 80th Anniversary聽 For the latest news, go to our webpage on the Proposed Consolidation of Conservation Authorities The provincial government has introduced legislation to amend the Conservation Authorities Act. If passed, the legislation will create the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency 鈥� a provincial, board-governed agency 鈥� to provide leadership, governance, strategic direction, and oversight of Ontario鈥檚 conservation authorities.聽 The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Chief Conservation Executive, who will lead the new agency, have also announced plans to consolidate the province鈥檚 36 conservation authorities [...]
UTRCA Online Tree Store Now Open!聽
UTRCA Online Tree Store Now Open!聽 Private landowners in the Upper Thames River watershed can now easily purchase trees online through the 糖心直播 (UTRCA)鈥檚 Tree Store. Open until February 27, 2026, the online shop makes it simple to browse and purchase a wide selection of coniferous and deciduous trees, as well as wildlife shrubs for planting next spring. For the best selection, landowners are encouraged to place orders early, as popular species and sizes often sell out quickly.聽 Trees are available through the Tree Planting on Private Lands program, open to landowners with at least [...]