Distribution 200,000 copies

G R A N D R I V E R

C O N S E R V A T I O N

A U T H O R I T Y

2 0 0 4 S p r i n g R e p o r t

News for Brantford, Cambridge, Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo and other communities in the Grand River Watershed

T H E G R A N D R I V E R – A C a n a d i a n

H e r i t a g e R i v e r

Along theGrand

Strategic thinkingThe GRCA’s strategicplan guides its activi-ties as it develops pro-grams to protect ourwater supply, encour-age biodiversity andprovide outdoor recre-ation.

Page 5

Big anniversaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr.is joining the celebra-tions of the tenthanniversary of theGrand River’s desig-nation as a CanadianHeritage River.

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Award winnersMany groups andindividuals take onprojects to improvethe Grand watershed.Their efforts are rec-ognized each yearwith WatershedAwards

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By David SchultzGRCA Communications Co-ordinatorCambridge

After a long cold winter, March 5 wasthe kind of day a lot of people werewaiting for -- a little wet in the morn-

ing, then clear and warm through the after-noon.

But as the temperature rose that day, sodid the activity level of the flood operationsstaff of the GRCA. They, too, welcomed thebreak from winter but they also knew that

the consequences of the rain and rapidsnowmelt could be serious.

The Grand River watershed is prone toflooding and a high proportion of watershedresidents live in cities and towns hugging theriverbanks and spreading out through thefloodplain. Every spring brings with it thepossibility of a major emergency.

As the snow melted, GRCA staff knewwhat they had to do. They had been throughthe drill many times before.

The GRCA treats flood response as a year-round responsibility and is constantly updat-ing and testing its flood response system, saidJoe Farwell, flood co-ordinator

"Good execution comes out of good plan-ning," he explained.

As the rivers rose on March 5, engineersand hydrologists kept a close eye on informa-tion from 36 river gauges. They ran computersimulations to produce forecasts on flows andpeak times. Maps were examined to seewhere flooding might affect homes and busi-nesses.

Based on the calculations, instructions wereissued to operators at the GRCA's majordams – Shand, Conestogo and Guelph – toadjust the gates to dampen the flows.

Out in the field, GRCA staff did a riverwatch. They drove the twists and turns of theroads along the Grand and its tributarieslooking for ice jams, checking the gauge sta-tions and keeping an eye out for problems.

The information was relayed to police andmunicipal officials through an emergencyfan-out system using police communicationsystems as the backbone. Advisories wereposted on the GRCA web site and relayed tothe public through media releases.

The most severe impact was along the

Nith River, which does not have a reservoirto moderate flows. In New Hamburg and Ayrwater backed up into basements, forced someroad closings and shut down some businesses.(Afterward, GRCA and Wilmot Townshipstaff examined what additional steps could betaken to reduce future flooding problems inNew Hamburg.)

However, across most of the rest of thewatershed, the high water passed by almost

Lessons learnedThe damage done by major floods 50 and 30 years agoled to the development of the flood protection andwarning systems that guards watershed residents today

Plaques on the Cambridge dike serve asreminders of past floods and possible future ones.

A truck makes its way through a floodedstreet in New Hamburg in March 2004.

Much of downtown Cambridge(Galt) was under water during the May 1974 flood.

Continued on Page 4

As you read through this edition of The Grand, you'll quickly seethat 2004 is an important year in the life of the Grand RiverConservation Authority.

It was 50 years ago this summer that the Elora Gorge ConservationArea opened to the public. This was the first conservation area in theGrand watershed and the Elora Gorge park continues to be one of themost popular in the GRCA's network of 12 active conservation areas.The celebrations for the park's anniversary include a pair of concerts inthe park.

This is also the tenth anniversary of the designation of the GrandRiver as a Canadian Heritage River, an event to be marked with a seriesof events in the Guelph area, including the Fourth Canadian RiverHeritage Conference from June 6-9

Two other anniversaries are worth noting, though certainly not cele-brating. It was 50 years ago that Hurricane Hazel left a path of destruc-tion across Ontario. And it was 30 years ago that the heavy rains ofMay 1974 resulted in serious flooding in communities along the river.These two events were critical moments in the life of the watershed andthe GRCA.

As different as these various anniversaries may be, there is a commonthread linking them together.

The GRCA, like all conservation authorities in Ontario, is chargedwith managing the natural resources of its watershed – the water,forests, wetlands, fish and wildlife.

It's impossible to manage one without also managing the others; in aphrase, everything is linked to everything else.

The Elora Gorge Conservation Area is just a small part of the land-holdings of the GRCA, which amount to more than 20,000 hectares.That's thousands of hectares of wetlands, ponds, riverbanks, forests andfields, which have to be protected if we are to have clean water andfewer floods.

Protecting the people and property of the watershed against floodinghas necessitated the building of a number of reservoirs across the water-shed. These reservoirs also play a critical role in maintaining water qual-

ity, because they provide the water needed to keep theGrand, Speed and Conestogo rivers flowing even duringthe driest summers. Without the reservoirs, these rivers would bereduced to a sliver of what we see today.

The presence of these reservoirs has also allowed new recreationalopportunities to develop. Cool water from Belwood Lake andConestogo Lake provide a habitat for brown trout, a fish favored bymany anglers. But the fish won't survive unless the water is cleanenough.

So there it is: recreation depends on water quality which depends onwater supply….and on it goes. Everything is linked to everything else.

That's why it is particularly significant that we are celebrating thetenth anniversary of the Grand's designation as a heritage river becauseof its recreational and heritage characteristics. This involved much morethan just issuing a proclamation and posting a plaque or two.

As a result of the designation, the GRCA and its many partnersthroughout the watershed – municipalities, universities, communitygroups, citizens and others – worked together to develop a series ofwatershed management plans. These established goals for enhancing thefishery, protecting the forests, developing new recreational opportuni-ties, preserving our rich cultural heritage.

The designation encouraged the people of the watershed to takeanother look at the river, to dream of what it could become.

In simple terms, these plans became our road map to a better futurefor the Grand River watershed and all of the living creatures thatdepend on it.

We hope that as the year goes on that you will join us in markingthese important events of our past and considering the impact that theyhave had on the watershed and its residents.

And, most of all, we hope that you will join us in celebrating thebright future that lies ahead of us.

L e a r n m o r e a b o u t t h e G r a n d R i v e r w a t e r s h e d a t w w w . g r a n d r i v e r . c a

Paul Emerson, Chief Administrative Officer

Paul Emerson, Chief Administrative OfficerKeith Murch, Assistant CAO, Secretary Treasurer

By Mail: GRCA400 Clyde Road, Box 729Cambridge, OntarioN1R 5W6

By Phone: 519-621-2761 or,Direct Line: 519-621-2763 + ext. By Fax: 519-621-4844Internet: www.grandriver.ca

E-Mail General Inquiries:grca@grandriver.ca

Outside Business Hours:519-621-2761 and leave message

(8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, excluding holidays)

River Information Line:519-621-2763 ext. 519

Fishing Information Line:519-621-2763 ext. 512

Planning and Permits:519-621-2763 ext. 230

Conservation Areas: 519-621-2763 ext. 250Belwood Lake (Fergus) 519-843-2979Brant (Brantford) 519-752-2040Byng Island (Dunnville) 905-774-5755Conestogo Lake (Drayton) 519-638-2873Elora Gorge (Elora) 519-846-9742Guelph Lake (Guelph) 519-824-5061Laurel Creek (Waterloo) 519-884-6620Luther Marsh (Grand Valley) 519-928-2832Pinehurst Lake (Paris) 519-442-4721Rockwood (Rockwood) 519-856-9543Shade’s Mills (Cambridge) 519-621-3697

Reserve a campsite:By phone 1-866-ONT-CAMP

Online www.grandriver.ca

Nature Centres:Apps’ Mill (Brantford) 519-752-0655Guelph Lake 519-836-7860Laurel Creek (Waterloo) 519-885-1368Shade’s Mills (Cambridge) 519-623-5573

Grand River Conservation FoundationPhone: 519-621-2763 ext. 271

1-877-29-GRANDE-mail: foundation@grandriver.ca

THE GRANDis published twice a year by the GRCA, anddistributed in newspapers to households in theGrand River watershed.Additional copies are available.

Letters and comments to:Dave Schultz, GRCA400 Clyde Road, Box 729Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5W6(519) 621-2763, Ext. 273dschultz@grandriver.ca

The GRCAHow To Reach Us

P A G E 2 – T H E G R A N D

The municipality where you live appoints arepresentative to the Grand RiverConservation Authority (GRCA) board tooversee the budget and activities of theConservation Authority. These appointedmembers, who have often been elected in yourmunicipality, speak on your behalf at theGRCA.

REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF WATERLOO

(including Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo,and Townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley,Wilmot and Woolwich)Jane Brewer, Jean Haalboom, Ross Kelterborn,Peter Krause (GRCA chair), Joe Martens,Claudette Millar, Jane Mitchell, Ralph Shantz, BillStrauss, Lynne Woolstencroft

HALDIMAND AND NORFOLK COUNTIES

Craig Ashbaugh, Lorne Boyko

REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF HALTON(including Towns of Halton Hills, Milton)Barry Lee

CITY OF HAMILTONJeanette Jamieson

COUNTY O F OXFORD(including Townships of Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich)Alan Dale

CITY OF BRANTFORDRobert Hillier, Vic Prendergast (GRCA 2nd vice-chair)

CITY OF GUELPHDavid Birtwistle, Dan Moziar

TOWNSHIPS OF AMARANTH, EAST GARAFRAXA ,EAST LUTHER GRAND VALLEY, MELANCTHON,SOUTHGATEPaul Chantree

TOWNSHIPS OF WELLINGTON NORTHAND MAPLETONPat Salter

TOWN O F NORTH PERTH, TOWNSHIP O FPERTH EASTGeorge Wicke (GRCA 1st vice-chair)

TOWNSHIP OF CENTRE WELLINGTONJean Innes

TOWN O F ERIN , TOWNSHIPS OF GUELPH/ERAMOSAAND PUSLINCHArchie MacRobbie

COUNTY OF BRANTBrain Coleman, Gord Moore

YOU?WHO SPEAKS FOR

A Message FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND THE CAO

Peter KrauseChairman

Paul EmersonChief AdministrativeOfficer

The GRCA is one of 36 conservationauthorities working together under theirumbrella group, Conservation Ontario.

Conservation Ontario co-ordinates jointprojects among authorities and representsthem in discussions with the province andother organizations.

It has adopted a new logo and tagline –Natural Champions – as a statement of con-tinued commitment to excellence in water-shed management

Conservation group has a new look

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S p r i n g 2 0 0 4 P A G E 3 – T H E G R A N D

The Grand River is one of the most historic rivers inCanada and that legacy is being marked this year withcelebrations surrounding the Tenth Anniversary of the

Grand’s status as a Canadian Heritage River.The Grand was designated a Heritage River in 1994

because of its special blend of natural characteristics, historicstructures, human history and recreational opportunities.

The Grand and its tributaries – Conestogo, Speed, Eramosaand Nith – pass through rich farmland, past thriving citiesand burgeoning towns before reaching Lake Erie.

In the last century, it has become one of the richest andfastest growing regions of the country.

Many of the monuments of indus-try that were built in the early days –dams, flour mills, textile factories –still remain along the river’s edge,providing a direct link betweentoday’s world and the one of yester-year.

There have been great changes inthe watershed’s landscape over thepast 200 years. In the 19th century,most of the forests were choppeddown and many of the wetlandsdrained or filled. This had a seriousimpact on the quality and quantity ofthe water in the rivers.

But over the past 60 years muchhas been done to restore the GrandRiver watershed with the result beingan improvement in water quality,water supply and recreational oppor-tunities up and down the rivers. TheGrand River watershed has recaptured its reputation as a greatplace to live and visit.

The designation of the Grand as a Heritage River in 1994has motivated the people of the water-shed to preserve its important naturaland historic characteristics and to workto improve the river even further.

For example:❑ Many watershed landmarks have

been preserved, cleaned up or restored,including the Caledonia Mill, theWelland Canal Lock 27 at PortMaitland, the West Montrose coveredbridge, the Guelph boat house, andthe former Riverside Silk Mills inCambridge which will become the newhome of the University of Waterlooschool of architecture.

❑ Recreational opportunities havebeen enhanced, with the developmentof dozens of kilometres of new trails,construction of new river access points and portages and theopening of the Elora Gorge to tubing.

❑ Fishing and hunting opportunities have been expanded.Brown trout are stocked in the Grand River near Fergus andthe Conestogo River. A management plan has been developedfor the Dunnville Marsh.

❑ New and expanded festivals promote the river systemand its heritage, including Cayuga Fest, the CobblestoneFestival in Paris, the Waterloo-Wellington Children'sGroundwater Festival and the Grand Opportunities Fly-fish-ing Forum at Belwood Lake Conservation Area.

The designation also set in motion a watershed planningprocess that is still at work today. Extensive public involve-ment resulted in a management plan called The GrandStrategy for Managing the Grand River as a CanadianHeritage River.

Under the umbrella of The Grand Strategy, representativesfrom across the watershed have gathered together in a num-ber of working groups to research and propose solutions towatershed issues. For example, the Water Managers WorkingGroup brings together municipal water supply systems and

others to discuss water quality issues. Similarly, groups fromacross the watershed who are involved in heritage issues meetthrough the Heritage Working Group.

The management plan also led to the development ofmajor reviews of Grand River watershed resources. TheGrand River Fisheries Management Plan, developed in themid-1990s, set a vision – and identified concrete projects – torebuild and restore the Grand River system as a thriving sportfishery.

The recently released Grand River Forest Plan has the samepurpose for the improvement of land-based resourcesthroughout the watershed.

Thus, the designation of the Grand as a Heritage Riverinvolved much more than just unveiling a plaque. It set inmotion plans and projects that will pay benefits for genera-tions.

The tenth anniversary of the designation is an occasion tocelebrate those successes and to remind people of the impor-tant role the river continues to play in the health and eco-nomic wellbeing of the communities of the watershed.

To mark the anniversary, the GRCA has prepared a reportfor the Canadian Heritage Rivers board to document thework done during the past decade and to chronicle the con-tinuing efforts to protect the river and its heritage features.You can learn more about this at the GRCA’s website atwww.grandriver.ca.

Join the celebrationHere are some events scheduled to celebrate the 10th

anniversary of the designation of the Grand River as aCanadian Heritage River:

❑ May 29: Heritage River Cleanup – Watershedmunicipalities and groups throughout the watershed areencouraged to plan community river, trail and roadclean-ups, offering residents an opportunity to activelyparticipate in a collective project which will visiblyimprove the river and its banks, increase public aware-ness. For more information check the GRCA website atwww.grandriver.ca.

❑ June 6-9: Canadian Heritage River Conference –The past and future of Canadianrivers will be the focus of discussionat the 4th Canadian River HeritageConference in Guelph from June 6-9. Keynote speaker at the confer-ence opening will be Robert F.Kennedy Jr., who has a long anddistinguished record as an environ-mentalist with a special interest inprotecting the Hudson River in NewYork State. Kennedy will speak at theopening gala at the River Run Centrein Guelph on June 6. For details about the conference,visit its website at www.riverconference2004.ca

❑ June 7: A Grand Experience – A showcase ofwatershed talent presented on the new stage at GuelphLake Conservation Area, including performances byGarnett Rogers, Nonie Crete, Tamarack, Ian Bell,Elizabeth Hill and James Gordon. The concert will befree to everyone to enjoy and celebrate the Grand’sincredible heritage. Start time 6:30 p.m. For more infor-mation see the GRCA’s website at www.grandriver.ca

The Grand: a HeritageRiver with a bright future

A plaque in three languages – English, French and Mohawk – was unveiled inCambridge in 1994 to mark the designation of the Grand and its tributaries asCanadian Heritage Rivers.

Kennedy

When the Grand became a Heritage Riverin 1994, watershed residents were inspiredto take action to protect and improve it

Dozens of kilometres of new trails have been developedthroughout the watershed in the last decade.

P A G E 4 – T H E G R A N D S p r i n g 2 0 0 4

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unnoticed. While some people were drawn to the river towatch it surge downstream, few of the 875,000 residents ofthe watershed were affected by it.

One big reason was the presence of the reservoir network.Without it, peak flows in the Grand and Speed rivers wouldhave been double – 1,000 cubic metres per second (cm/s) atCambridge versus the actual 500 cm/s. (That compares to anormal summer flow of about 15 cm/s.)

Along those two rivers, the reservoirs kept the cities dryand the people safe. All in all, things proceeded largelyaccording to the plan.

The plan, in this case, is actually a complex collection ofparts -- dam operation procedures, computer simulations,weather forecasts, a flood-warning system, the river watch,the gauge network - all pulled together with one simple goalin mind: to reduce damages and prevent loss of life.

Though the people of the Grand River watershed havelived with floods for centuries, the creation of the plan wasdriven by two key events, both of which happen to haveanniversaries this year.

Hurricane Hazel hits

The first was Hurricane Hazel, whichripped through Ontario in October1954, causing more than $20 million indamage and killing 81 people.

Though most of the damage was inthe Toronto region, Hazel was felt inthe Grand River watershed, too.

The Galt Reporter described theevents of Oct. 16 this way: "Four feet ofdark racing water rushed down (WaterStreet), cutting off homes on the eastbank for nearly a half mile."

The Grand peaked about six metersabove normal in what the newspapercalled "the worst fall floods on record.Until 4 p.m. Saturday, firemen and citi-zens battled surging, swirling water toevacuate families where homes were cutoff."

Damage was heavy throughout thewatershed. More than 60 homes wereinundated, and 200 people evacuated inBridgeport (now part of Kitchener.)Fifty homes were isolated in NewHamburg.

Things could have been a lot worse. At that time, theGRCA operated just one dam, Shand Dam, near Fergus. A1955 study estimated that Shand reduced the flows atCambridge by about 25 per cent, with the water cresting onemetre lower than without the dam.

The study also estimated that if Hazel had been centeredover the Grand, instead of Toronto, floodwaters would havebeen twice as high.

After the event, the residents of Toronto asked why therehad been no warnings. The answer was a simple one: therewas no provincial flood warning system.

The disaster "highlighted how poorly prepared theprovince was to cope with major flood events," wrote BruceMitchell and Dan Shrubsole in a study of Ontario conserva-tion authorities.

The province authorized the conservation authorities tobuy flood-prone land and to initiate policies to control devel-

opment in the floodplain, using boundaries based on a Hazel-sized storm. The province hired a hydrometeorologist todevelop a flood prediction system.

The Grand River Conservation Commission (a predecessorof today's GRCA) pressed ahead with the construction of theConestogo Dam to provide more flood protection capacity. Afledgling flood warning system was put into place.

System tested in May 1974

It was another 20 years, though, before the system was putto the test. And when it was, there were problems.

"Friday, May 17 was a sunny day in Cambridge-Galt,"Judge W.W. Leach was to write in his report on the May1974 flood. "It was deceiving. The citizens did not realize theapproaching catastrophe. They did not visualize the floodthat was descending upon them from the north."

The early part of May 1974 was unusually wet. Then theskies unloaded about 50 mm of rain on the watershed duringthe night of May16-17.

The GRCA's reservoirs were full with the water from theearlier rains and the spring runoff. There was little that could

be done to reduce the amount of waterbarreling down the river.

Warnings were issued, but didn't getthrough to everyone affected, a failingthat would be addressed by Judge Leachin his inquiry.

By 7 p.m. on May 17 the Grand wasrushing through the downtown at a rateof 1,490 cm/s, a record flow.

Bridgeport (Kitchener) and Brantfordwere hit hard, too. Dikes gave way inboth communities and for a time, theBrantford water treatment plant wasknocked out of commission, creating astate of emergency for the community.Floodwaters also affected Paris,Caledonia, Cayuga and Dunnville.

All told, damages amounted to morethan $6 million, exclusive of cleanupcosts.

There was, fortunately, no loss of life.But there were many questions asked

about what had happened.The province appointed Judge Leach

to hold an inquiry into the events sur-rounding the flood. After months ofhearings, Judge Leach found that "in1974 there was apathy throughout the

watershed, not only among the endangered, but in municipalgovernments and, to some extent, in the GRCA."

Judge Leach issued an exhaustive set of 21 recommenda-tions. He called for a better flood warning system to be testedannually. He proposed improvements in the reservoir net-work. He urged the development of a computer simulationmodel for the river. And he called on governments to pur-chase additional properties and further control developmentin the flood plain to reduce future damages.

Even with all of that in place, Judge Leach pointed out thatthe threat of flooding would never disappear.

"The potential exists for very serious flooding in the water-shed in the future, with real danger of loss of life and exten-sive property damage."

That's a reminder that GRCA staff live with constantly,said Farwell.

"It's critical that we remember that it could happen again,"

he said.And, he points out, there is a real possibility that future

floods will be far more serious than those of 1954 and 1974.As severe as they were, the water only was less than half

the height it would be if a Hazel-sized storm scored a directhit on the Grand River watershed.

The GRCA, the province and the watershed municipalitiesstarted to work on Judge Leach's recommendations immedi-ately.

The flood warning system was implemented in 1976 and istested and improved annually.

"The testing helps keep our staff and the municipal floodco-ordinators aware of their responsibilities," said Farwell. Ontop of that, four senior GRCA engineers meet weekly toreview watershed conditions and adjust reservoir operations.

Computer models updated

The computer models are working and are regularly updat-ed to reflect changing conditions. Floodplain developmentrules are enforced by the GRCA and municipalities.

About $43 million was spent on new dikes and flood pro-tection work in Brantford and Cambridge. Millions more havebeen invested in other communities, as well as in the GRCA'sdike and dam systems.

The two floods - October 1954 and May 1974 - taught thepeople of the watershed some hard and expensive lessons.The threat of flooding will never disappear, but by learningfrom these experiences, their communities have been madesafer.

‘It’s critical that we rememberthat it could happen again.’

Joe FarwellGRCA flood co-ordinator

Flood control is a year-round job Continued from Page 1

Part of the flood protection works inCambridge, showing a water levelgauge station and plaques marking theheight of previous floods.

Water resources

❑ Hundreds ofadult brown troutwere released inthe ConestogoRiver as part of afive-year programto stock the riverand create a sportfishery. The riverwill be stockedwith adult andyoung trout eachyear by theOntario Ministry of Natural Resources

❑ Steps were taken to improve access to the Grandbetween Paris and Brantford. The work is being done underthe Exceptional Waters program, which also involves scientif-ic studies of this part of the river.

❑ A plan to revitalize the Taquanyah Nature Centre prop-erty will involve replacing a reservoir with a network ofponds, wetlands and other habitats to encourage ecologicaldiversity.

❑ More than 40,000 stu-dents took part in outdooreducation programs at theGRCA's five nature centresin Cayuga, Brantford,Cambridge, Guelph andWaterloo. The program wasalso expanded to theLuther, Belwood andRockwood ConservationAreas for students in thoseareas. The Grand RiverConservation Foundationhelped to pay part of thecost of outdoor educationprograms by conducting TheLiving Classroom- Campaign foroutdoor education, which tookin about $1.6 million

❑ The GRCA’s active Conservation Areas attracted closeto 1.1 millionvisitors.

❑ After thefinishingtouches wereput on a 14kilometre sec-tion of theElora-CataractTrailway, itwas officiallyreopened forhikers, bikersand others.The trail goesfrom Elora tothe Forks of the Credit Provincial Park.

❑ A wheelchair-accessible fishing platform was constructedat the Caledonia Dam

S p r i n g 2 0 0 4 P A G E 5 – T H E G R A N D

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❑ During 2003 a major review of river water quality wascompleted which showed that water quality has improveddramatically in the past few decades, but there are still issuesto be resolved, particularly downstream of urban areas andmajor farming districts.

❑ A step toward understanding the impact of pesticides onwater quality was taken when the GRCA and the OntarioMinistry of the Environment collected water samples and ana-lyzed them for pesticides.

❑ To learn more about groundwater quality, the GRCAinitiated a groundwater quality monitoring system using 16wells, including six new ones.

❑ The Rural Water Quality Program supported 447 proj-ects worth a total of $4 million to build manure storage tanks,install fences along watercourses and other activities. Of thetotal, landowners contributed about $2.5 million and the pro-gram provided grants worth $1.5 million Financial support forthe program came from Waterloo Region, Guelph,Wellington County, Brant County, Brantford, the provincialgovernment, federal government and other sources.

The GRCA has a strategic plan which sets out itsgoals in the many areas where it has responsibil-

ities, such as water quality, flood protection, outdoorrecreation and nature education. It then developsprojects and operates programs to work toward thosegoals. Here’s a rundown of the work that was donein 2003 in some of those critical areas.

❑ About $1.4 million was spent on upgrades, maintenanceand safety studies of dams and dikes. Projects included raisingthe core of the Conestogo Dam, painting the superstructure

of the Shand Dam, completion of the Cambridge (Galt) dikeand the removal of trees from the Brantford dikes. The costwas shared by watershed municipalities and the OntarioMinistry of Natural Resources.

❑ The GRCA operated its reservoir network to reducepeak flows during spring runoff and periods of heavy rainfall.

❑ During the spring melt, the GRCA arranged to have anicebreaker clear the mouth of the Grand at Port Maitland toreduce the possibility of flooding from the river’s mouthupstream to Dunnville.

❑ The GRCA operated its network of seven reservoirs toensure minimum flows in the Grand River system during thedry summer months. At times, up to 85% of the water in theGrand at Kitchener and 50% at Brantford came from thereservoir network.

❑ In order to understand water use, the GRCA began twostudies. The first concentrates on water use by municipalities,industry, agriculture and other users. The second focuses onthe water needs of the natural environment.

❑ The GRCA co-ordinated water conservation effortsthroughout the watershed in order to cope with a continuingdrought affecting the region.

❑ In order to better protect wetlands throughout thewatershed, the GRCA approved a new Wetlands Policy.

❑ A Watershed Forest Plan was developed during 2003 toguide efforts to protect and expand woodlands throughoutthe watershed.

❑ A heritage bridge inventory was undertaken to learnmore about the architecturally and historically significantbridges of the watershed.

❑ The GRCA led or participated in groundwater studies inGuelph-Puslinch, Brant, Hamilton, Wellington, WaterlooRegion and Perth.

❑ The GRCA was a partner in subwatershed studies of theAlder Creek and Upper Strasburg Creek areas.

Terrestrial resources

❑ A project financed by Ontario Power Generation willresult in the planting of 62,000 trees over three years at theLuther Marsh Wildlife Management Area in the headwatersregion of the Grand River. The goal is to expand the size ofexisting forests, and establish new links between them.

❑ Throughout the watershed, about 100,000 trees wereplanted on GRCA property and private lands. The BurfordTree Nursery, operated by the GRCA, produces about200,000 trees a year, most of them species that are native tothe watershed.

Outdoor education programsfor 40,000 pupils

New fishing platform in Caledonia

Brown trout in the Conestogo River

About $1.4 million was invested in dams and dikes.

Strategic plan guides GRCAin developing projectsto improve the watershed

P A G E 6 – T H E G R A N D S p r i n g 2 0 0 4

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GRCA 2004 budgetRevenues

Municipal levies $6,889,000 34%($6.87 per watershed resident)

Provincial grants $2,344,248 12%Federal grants $54,000 - %Self-generated revenues(park fees, property rentals, etc) $10,792,150 54%Total Revenue $20,079,398 100%

ExpendituresWatershed management $4,648,925 22%Environmental advisory services $656,800 3%Watershed stewardship $2,378,600 12%Conservation land management $2,744,660 13%Recreation & education $4,321,450 21%Corporate services $2,191,577 11%Capital investment and equipment $3,544,379 17%Miscellaneous expense $282,000 1%Total Expenditures $20,768,391 100%

Key programs for 2004Upgrades to water monitoring equipment. . . $185,000Operation of flood forecasting

& warning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $660,500Groundwater study for Guelph and Puslinch. $330,000Continue groundwater modelling project . . . $116,000Development of a water budget,

including analysis of climate change . . . . $124,400Rural Water Quality Program grants . . . . . . $700,000Tree planting and nursery operations . . . . . $716,300Fisheries management plan,

stream maintenance and restoration. . . . . $325,700Maintenance of rail-trail and

passive conservation areas . . . . . . . . . . . $384,600Forest and woodlot management . . . . . . . . . $76,400Maintenance of rental properties,

including taxes and insurance. . . . . . . . $1.2 millionUpgrades of drinking water services

at conservation areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $235,000Operation of outdoor education programs . . $573,000Operation of community programs, camps. . . $81,000Flood control structure operation, upgrades

and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,900,000Purchase of source area lands . . . . . . . . . . $400,000

The General Membership of the GRCA has approved a2004 budget with expenditures of $20,768,391 to pre-vent flooding, improve water quality, protect water

supplies, provide environmental education, operate conserva-tion areas and trails, and manage other sensitive environmen-tal lands.

The bulk of the GRCA's revenue comes from three sources:municipal levies, provincial grants and self-generated funds.

The municipal levy totals $6 million and represents about30 per cent of the total budget. That amounts to about $6.87for each resident of the watershed. The per capita amount isdown from 2003, when it was $7.10, because of an increase inpopulation in the watershed. It is also less than it was 13 yearsago, in 1991, when the per capita cost was $7.19.

Some municipalities also contribute additional amounts forspecific programs such as the Rural Water Quality Program.Contributions to that program come from the Region ofWaterloo, Wellington County, Brant County, Guelph andBrantford and total $754,000.

The provincial government will contribute $2.4 million tothe GRCA budget, or about 12 per cent of the total budget.That includes general operating grants plus special grants forresearch, groundwater studies and capital investment in damsand dikes.

About 54 per cent of the budget, or $10.8 million, comesfrom self-generated funds. That includes park user fees, whichare expected to reach $5.1 million this year. It also includesincome from rental properties, sales of hydroelectricity gener-ated at three dams, gravel sales and donations.

The residents of the watershed are represented on theGeneral Membership board by 26 people appointed by themunicipalities of the watershed.

Where your money goes...If you live in the Grand River watershed, a small portion of

your municipal taxes goes toward a levy for the GRCA.This covers about half of the cost of the "core" activities of

the GRCA: flood protection, reducing pollution, protectingnatural areas and others. The cost, per person, is about $6.87a year.Here's how the levy will be spent in 2004:$6.87 used for Your cost in 2004Flood control dams and erosion control $1.24Flood forecasting and warning system .38Flood plain regulations .36Environmental monitoring,

planning and restoring natural areas $1.14Watershed studies .09Conservation lands property taxes .17Administration and head office facilities $1.63Resource management support costs .35Conservation information .55Reviewing and commenting on municipal plans .28Rural Water Quality Program

and stream restoration .41Forestry and tree planting .27

The per person levy was calculated by dividing the portionof the GRCA's total general municipal levy of $6,010,000 bythe estimated number of residents (875,000) in the GrandRiver watershed. The $6.87 was then applied to the net costof the various GRCA program areas that are partially fundedby the levy.

A milestone yearfor GRCA parksThe GRCA's park system reaches an important milestone

this year with the celebration of the 50th anniversaryof the opening of the first park, the Elora Gorge

Conservation Area.The park is one of 12 in the GRCA system. The parks are

open until mid-October, except for Elora Quarry, which clos-es in September.

GRCA properties showcase all the best that the GrandRiver watershed has to offer, from the quiet seclusion ofLuther Marsh to the crashing waters of the Elora Gorge.GRCA parks are great places to camp, hike, fish, swim, pic-nic, canoe, hike and bike.

Eight of the parks provide camp-ing: Brant, Byng Island, ConestogoLake, Elora Gorge, Guelph Lake,Laurel Creek, Pinehurst Lake andRockwood.

Four others are day-useparks:Belwood Lake, Elora Quarry,Luther Marsh, and Shade's Mills.

Elora anniversary concerts

The Gorge park opened on July24, 1954 as a day-use park. Theanniversary will be marked with aseries of concerts produced bythe Elora Festival.

❑ Wednesday, July 21 RandyBachman, a founding member ofthe Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, will play inthe park on the evening ofWednesday, July 21.

❑ Thursday, July 22 will fea-ture a concert in the park byCeltic folk-pop band Spirit of theWest.

❑ Friday, July 22, the percus-sion ensemble Nexus will play in the Gambrel Barn in a con-cert sponsored by the Elora Gorge Conservation Area.

Concert tickets can be purchased through the EloraFestival. For more information visit the festival web site atwww.elorafestival.com.

New brochure highlights outdoor activities

A new brochure, developed by the GRCA in partnershipwith tourism agencies from throughout the watershed, pro-vides residents and visitors to the area with a wealth of infor-mation.

There are sections on each of the GRCA’s ConservationAreas, as well as guides to hiking, canoeing and fishing. Thecommunities of the watershed are highlighted, as well as theircultural and heritage facilities. The book includes detailedmaps showing river access points, trails, heritage sites and theGrand River Scenic Parkway.

It’s available at all GRCA parks as well as tourism officesthroughout the watershed.

At the parks, day-use admission fees are unchanged fromlast year: $3.75 for adults and $2 for children. Vehicle seasonpasses, which allow unlimited entry to all 12 parks, are avail-able at park gate houses for $100 for the first vehicle and $60for the second. Walk-in passes are $40 for adults and $15 forchildren.

For more information, or to reserve a campsite visitwww.grandriver.ca or call 1-866-ONT-CAMP.

The new Grand RiverCountry brochure isavailable at GRCAparks and watershedtourism offices.

Each watershed residents contributes $6.87 toward thecost of GRCA programs.

Cost of GRCAprograms is$6.87 a person

S p r i n g 2 0 0 4 P A G E 7 – T H E G R A N D

L e a r n m o r e a b o u t t h e G r a n d R i v e r w a t e r s h e d a t w w w . g r a n d r i v e r . c a

Payment: ❑ Cheque payable to GRCA❑ VISA ❑ MasterCard Expiry ________Card No. __________________________Signature __________________________

Mail to:400 Clyde Road, P.O. Box 729Cambridge, Ontario N1R 5W6Call: (519) 621-2761 or Fax: (519) 621-4844

SUBTOTAL7% GST

8% PST (Video and Maps Only)FOUNDATION DONATION $25.00

(charitable donation receipt provided from the Grand River Conservation Foundation)

TOTAL

O R D E R F O R MName ____________________________________

Address __________________________________

City/Town ________________________________

Postal ______________ Phone ______________

TITLE QTY PRICE EA. TOTAL

Great Gifts! Whether you’re planning a canoe trip, a fishing expedition, a hike or a Sunday afternoon drive there’s something in the Grand River Collection to help you make it a Grand getaway.

the GRAND RIVER COLLECTION

The Grand River:An Aerial JourneySee the Grand River watershedas you’ve never seen it before itthis collection of beautiful andintriguing photos taken by CarlHiebert.. ($59.95)

Oak Ridges Moraine Trails.A guide to 36 trails(with maps) from thisunique region northof Toronto. ($19.95)

Guide to GrandRiver Country

Grand RiverCountry TrailsAn excellent introductionto the trails of the Grandwatershed. ($14.95)

Grand RiverAdventure

48 minutesof quietcanoeingdown theGrand.($19.95)

A detailedmap showingthe Grand,attractionsand historicsites. ($5.95)

FlyfishingThe GrandA pocket guide to helpyou enjoy some of thebest fishing areas around.($18.95)

44CountryTrailsA guide to alltypes of trailsin southwest-ern Ontario.($15.95)

Fishing GrandRiver CountryAn introduction to fishingthe Grand, its major trib-utaries and GRCA reser-voirs. ($14.95)

Canoeing onthe GrandEverything you needto enjoy a trip downthe Grand. ($15.95)

The Best of the Bruce TrailA great guide to one of Canada’s best-knownand best-loved trails.($15.95)

Books Video Map

Be a Grand River Conservation Foundation supporter How about a charita-ble donation to the Grand River Conservation Foundation? The donation will support its localenvironmental and educational work. Turn to the next page for more information.

Buying Online You can buy all of these products and more at the GRCA website store atwww.grandriver.ca. Many of them are also available in area bookstores.

Do you have anaward nominee?Do you know a group, family, business or individual

who should be applauded for their efforts toimprove the Grand River watershed?

If you know of a worthy candidate for one of theGRCA awards, get a copy of the one-page nominationform and return it to the GRCA by September 1.

Nomination forms are available from:Watershed Award Nominationsc/o Grand River Conservation Authority400 Clyde Road, Cambridge, Ont. N1r 5W61-519-621-2761E-mail: grca@grandriver.ca

The Grand River Conservation Authority honours thosewho put their time and effort into making the GrandRiver watershed a better place to live.

The GRCA presents two awards: The Honour Roll Awardis given to those who have a sustained record of achievementover an extended period of time.

The Watershed Awards are presented for outstandingexamples of conservation and environmental work.

In 2003, there were six recipients of Watershed Awards.No Honour Roll Award was presented.

Watershed Award winners

Walter Martin is a retired professor of English literature atthe University of Waterloo. During the past 23 years he hasplanted more than 15,000 trees on his Erbsville Road farm.The trees serve as windbreaks, reduce erosion and add to theecological diversity of the region.

Ontario Pork, represents 4,000 pork producers in Ontario.The organization promotes environmentally-friendly farmingpractices, using the slogan "Every day is Earth Day on thefarm." Crystal McKay, the organization's communicationsspecialist for the Wellington County area, was involved inpromoting many of the organization's activities, including anEarth Day tree planting project for children in the Moorefieldarea.

Walter Bean Grand River Community Trails Foundation.Charlie Ormston and Doug Letson received the award onbehalf of the foundation which has led development of a 78kilometre trail through Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo.The foundation raised more than $6.4 million for the project.Kiosks at trail entrances recognize donors and provide trailusers with information about the trail and the Grand River.

The Puslinch Lake Conservation Association is workingto preserve and maintain its lake, located in PuslinchTownship, just east of Cambridge. It is the largest kettle lakein North America, but silt from runoff is threatening waterquality. The association, currently led by Dr. Hank Nykamp,is using some innovative technology to dredge, clean and dis-pose of the silt. Neighboring property owners have also takensteps on their land to reduce the volume of pollutants enter-ing the lake.

Suncor Energy Products Inc. has been a primary sponsorof Earth Day activities in Kitchener-Waterloo since 1995, aswell as in Stratford, Hamilton, Newmarket, Windsor andOttawa. The annual event draws hundreds of people to takepart in tree planting and other environmental activities. In

addition, the company works to reduce the environmentalimpact of its own operations by selling low sulfur gasolineand using biodegradable soap and on-site reclamation systemsin its car washes. John Miltenburg is the retail territory man-ager for this part of Ontario.

The Waterloo Wellington Children's Groundwater

Festival annually attracts more than 4,000 children to DoonHeritage Crossroads to learn more about the importance ofwater, aquatic life, river health and other issues. Susan Reid,the coordinator, works with more than 500 volunteers toorganize the festival each May which helps children learnthrough hands-on experiences and games.

Martin McKay Ormston Letson Nykamp Miltenburg Reid

Award honours builders of a better watershed

The Grand is in our backyard.Protecting and sustaining this treasureis the responsibility of everyone who

lives on or near it.What better way to encourage this sense

of responsibility than to begin with our chil-dren.

The Living Classroom-Campaign forOutdoor Education provides an opportunityto foster a new generation of environmentallyaware citizens.

The Grand River Conservation Foundationlaunched the campaign in 2003 to raise $2.2million to support outdoor education for afive-year period. The money is being used toensure that every child continues to have theopportunity to participate in outdoor educa-tion programs a minimum of three times dur-ing their elementary school career.

By April 30 of this year, the campaign waswell on the way to success, having raisedmore than $1.6 million.

The Foundation took on the challengebecause some school boards faced reducingor eliminating their long-standing outdooreducation programs.

The campaign has already allowed for con-tinuation and, in some cases, expansion ofoutdoor education in the Grand River water-shed.

With the money raised to date, theFoundation supported outdoor education pro-grams for 30,000 children last year at schoolsfrom six school boards within the GrandRiver watershed. The money has also sup-ported visits by independent school students.

Most of the outdoor education programs

take place at five outdoor education centresoperated by the GRCA - Laurel Creek inWaterloo, Guelph Lake in Guelph, Shade'sMills in Cambridge, Apps’ Mill in Brantfordand Taquanyah near Cayuga.

One of the first benefits of the fundraisingeffort was that it allowed for the re-openingof Taquanyah, which was closed in the

1990s.The success of the campaign has also

allowed the GRCA to provide outdoor edu-cation to students at the Luther Marsh,Belwood Lake and Rockwood conservationareas. This provides students an opportunityto study nature closer to their schools in theUpper Grand District.

Some students also attend three naturecentres operated by the Waterloo RegionDistrict School Board, which is also benefit-ing from the money raised in the campaign.

Some of the campaign proceeds will alsobe used for capital upgrades at the GRCAcentres, improved equipment and to offsetfuture increases in enrollment and programcosts.

L e a r n m o r e a b o u t t h e G r a n d R i v e r C o n s e r v a t i o n F o u n d a t i o n a t w w w . g r a n d r i v e r . c a

Name:

E-Mail:

Address:

Phone:Postal Code:

Payment MethodPlease make cheques payable to the Grand River ConservationFoundation. You can use your credit card to make a contribution.

MasterCard Visa

Signature:

Card # :

Please mai l the completed form with your contribution to:

Grand Championsc/o the Grand River Conservation Foundation400 Clyde Road, Box 729Cambridge, Ontario N1R 5W6

Expiry Date:

Yes, I am interested in receiving information on planned giving opportunities, such as wills, bequests and life insurance.

The Living Classroom - Campaign for Outdoor Education

Burford Tree Nursery & Tree ReintroductionGrand Champions Endowment Fund

Trails and Conservation AreasFisheries and Stream Rehabilitation

DonationPlease accept my tax deductible donation of $

Planned Giving

Registered Charity Number: 11894 6045 RR0001

Yes,Iwould liketo become a Grand

Champion

A big boost for outdoor education

To learn moreFor more information on The Living

Classroom-Campaign for OutdoorEducation:

❑ visit the GRCA's website atwww.grandriver.ca

❑ contact the Grand RiverConservation Foundation at (519) 621-2763, Ext. 271 or 1-877-29-Grand.

❑ e-mail foundation@grandriver.ca

Six groups share Community Conservation GrantsSix groups in the Grand River watershed

are sharing grants worth a total of $10,000given out under the new CommunityConservation Grant program of the GrandRiver Conservation Foundation.

The foundation is a charitable organizationthat supports projects of the Grand RiverConservation Authority.

The grants will be used for a variety of

conservation projects such as tree planting,trail improvement, schoolyard naturalization,wetland restoration and river access improve-ment.

The money comes from the foundation'sGrand Champions Endowment Fund and theGRCA's Thiess Riverprize Endowment Fund.The grants were awarded at the GRCA'sannual meeting on Thursday, Feb. 26.

Ducks Unlimited Canada – $2,000 to sup-port the Healthy Wetlands for the UpperGrand project in Dufferin County. The proj-ect promotes wetland preservation by settingup a series of demonstration sites that illus-trate the methods and benefits of wetlandpreservation.

Friends of the Grand River – $1,000 tosupport this group's stream enhancementwork in the Fergus-Elora area. They will beplanting trees along Swan Creek, an impor-

tant coldwater tributary of the Grand.Ancient Mariners Canoe Club – $1,800 to

help this Cambridge-based club improvecanoe access points in Ayr, Cambridge,Kitchener and Glen Morris.

Upper Grand Trailway Association –$2,000 to plant trees and shrubs along a rail-trail in the Grand Valley area.

Ryerson Public School, Cambridge –$2,000 to help parents, staff and studentswith a schoolyard naturalization project thatincludes planting trees.

Brantford Community Foundation, part-nered with the Brant WaterwaysFoundation and Trout Unlimited Canada –$1,200 for the Exceptional Waters program,which aims to develop improved river accessand promote awareness of the stretch of theGrand River between Paris and Brantford.

Grant informationDoes your group have a project that

should be considered for a CommunityConservation Grant?

Information on grant applications willbe available later this year. Watch theGRCA web site for more information:www.grandriver.ca.

Students show their discoveries while on a visit to the Taquanyah Nature Centre nearCayuga. The Living Classroom campaign helped finance the reopening of the centre.