Community Plantings to end the year (UTRCA weekly, November 18, 2022)
Community Plantings to end the year (UTRCA weekly, November 18, 2022) The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) has wrapped up a busy year of community plantings, adding trees and plants to two more sites this October. The UTRCA was pleased to work with Oneida Nation of the Thames and TD Tree Days on October 7. A total of 250 new trees were planted, including pear, apple, peach, white [...]
Tracking Water Quality in Stratford (UTRCA weekly, November 11, 2022)
Tracking Water Quality in Stratford (UTRCA weekly, November 11, 2022) Earlier this week, volunteers with the Avon River Environmental Association (AREA) collected water samples from the Avon River in Stratford. The group collects samples twice a year to be tested for E. coli as part of their efforts to improve the Avon’s water quality. The results are shared with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) and included in [...]
Low Water Conditions ended in Upper Thames River watershed (media release, November 4, 2022)
Low Water Conditions ended in Upper Thames River watershed (media release, November 4, 2022) The Level 1 Low Water conditions that have been in effect for the Upper Thames River watershed since mid-July have ended, according to the local Low Water Response Team. Low water advisories are part of a three-tiered system used in Ontario to inform the public of local low water conditions. “We evaluate low water conditions [...]
Low Water Conditions ended in Upper Thames River watershed (low water update, November 4, 2022)
Low Water Conditions ended in Upper Thames River watershed (low water update, November 4, 2022) The Level 1 Low Water Condition that has been in effect for the Upper Thames River watershed since July 15, 2022, has been terminated. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) recommended the change to the local Low Water Response Team based on precipitation and streamflow indicators as of late October. 30 Day Precipitation [...]
Let’s talk soil health! (UTRCA weekly, November 4, 2022)
Let’s talk soil health! (UTRCA weekly, November 4, 2022) Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) stewardship staff recently met up with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Soil Team as well as local farmers, Jeremy O’Shea and Belinda Bowman, to discuss all things soil. The morning began at one of the water sampling stations in the upper Medway Creek subwatershed. UTRCA staff discussed an initiative [...]
Province Continues to Change Roles and Responsibilities of Conservation Authorities (media release, October 27, 2022)
Province Continues to Change Roles and Responsibilities of Conservation Authorities (Conservation Ontario media release, October 27, 2022) Newmarket, Ontario (October 27, 2022) In a bid to address the housing supply, the Ontario government released a series of new proposed legislative changes, many of which impact Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities. Among them, the Province proposes to prevent municipalities from entering into agreements with conservation authorities to review planning applications on [...]
Installing LUNKERS for Fish Habitat on Medway Creek (UTRCA weekly, October 28, 2022)
Installing LUNKERS for Fish Habitat on Medway Creek (UTRCA weekly, October 28, 2022) Approximately 12 metres of wooden fish habitat structures has been installed along a bend on Medway Creek near Thirteen Mile Road, in Middlesex Centre. The wooden cover structures, also referred to as Little Underwater Neighbourhood Keepers Encompassing Rheotactic Salmonids (LUNKERS), are set just beneath the water’s surface. They are constructed of oak hardwood which, so long [...]
Celebrating Natural Connections event at Fanshawe Conservation Area (media release, October 26, 2022)
Celebrating Natural Connections event at Fanshawe Conservation Area (media release, October 26, 2022) The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is hosting a Celebrating Natural Connections event at Fanshawe Conservation Area in London on Saturday, November 5! This free event will include: Birds of prey shows, guided hikes, snake shows, a drumming circle, pop-up library, puppet show, food trucks, and more! Date: Saturday, November 5 Time: 10 am to [...]
Celebrating Natural Connections event in Stratford (media release, October 25, 2022)
Celebrating Natural Connections event in Stratford (media release, October 25, 2022) The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is hosting a Celebrating Natural Connections event at TJ Dolan Natural Area in Stratford on Saturday, October 29! This free event will include: live raptors with WildON, guided stream hike with UTRCA staff, story walk featuring Tokyo Digs a Garden by Jon-Erik Lappano and Kellen Hatanaka, Creative Corner with artist Jenn [...]
More Celebrating Natural Connections events! (UTRCA weekly, October 21, 2022)
More Celebrating Natural Connections events! (UTRCA weekly, October 21, 2022) The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is hosting two more free Celebrating Natural Connections events in October! Celebrating Natural Connections commemorates the efforts of frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and celebrates the natural spaces that are so important for our physical and mental health. Local artists and municipalities are involved in the events, as well as hiking, [...]