New TRCA Watershed Report Cards Look at Local Ecological Health
Newswire.ca
March 22, 2018
Toronto Region and Conservation Authority
Stormwater runoff and climate change continue to put a strain on the watersheds of the Toronto region. Those are the findings of the 2018 Toronto and Region Watershed Report Cards that are being released today on World Water Day. While we are doing some great work to build resiliency to counter the strain that urbanization puts on our watersheds, the future of our watersheds is at risk without continued and increased efforts to protect and restore nature.
"Watershed report cards highlight issues and give practical advice to help address the problems in our local waterways," Angela Wallace, Project Manager, Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA), said. "Releasing the Watershed Report Cards on World Water Day is a perfect tie-in to global water issues. Without continued efforts to improve watershed conditions here and around the world, human health as well as various species, will be at risk."
You might not think about the health of the watershed you live in -- or even know what a watershed is -- but the 36 Ontario Conservation Authorities responsible for them definitely do. Simply put, a watershed is an area of land that catches rain and snow which seeps into wetlands, streams, lakes, and groundwater. In collaboration with Conservation Ontario, the 2018 Watershed Report Cards are a follow-up to the inaugural report cards released in 2013.
Watershed Report Cards look at environmental indicators to assess the health of our water and forest resources. The aim of the Watershed Report Cards is to determine the current condition of watersheds and then tailor programs to help protect and improve their condition. The report cards examine four indicators -- groundwater quality, surface water quality, forest conditions, and land cover. TRCA completed 11 report cards: Etobicoke Creek, Mimico Creek, Humber River, Don River, Highland Creek, Rouge River, Petticoat Creek, Duffins Creek, Carruthers Creek, one report card inclusive of all nine Toronto Region watersheds and the Lake Ontario waterfront.
The results of the report cards show that the indicators looked at have not changed much over the last the five years which is good news given the level of growth in the region.But, conditions are not improving and some issues not covered by the current set of indicators are becoming problematic. For example, chloride from road salt is increasing in streams even though some municipalities have taken great strides to reduce the amount of road salt for de-icing in winter
"We're pleased that there hasn't been a further degradation of conditions in our watersheds, but action is needed to ensure their long-term health," John MacKenzie, CEO, TRCA, said. "We need to address issues putting our water resources at risk. That means taking steps now, with our partners and the community, to protect and restore our watersheds for future generations."
To view TRCA's Watershed Report Cards, visit reportcard.trca.ca.
SOURCE Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
