Adapting Surface Water Quality Monitoring for Climate Change 

Monitoring and reporting on watershed conditions have become increasingly important. Stressors such as climate change have been having greater negative impacts on natural resources, including water quality and, therefore, must be monitored.  

The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) has been accepted into the Ontario Resource Centre for Climate Adaptation (ORCCA) Staff Capacity Program. The program provides direct capacity support to Great Lakes basin and Ontario communities towards the completion of a climate change adaptation-focused initiative. 

Over the next year, the UTRCA will work with ORCCA to review our surface water quality program to find enhancements that can better track and evaluate the impacts of climate change in the Upper Thames watershed. The program will enable the UTRCA to complete this climate adaptation project which would otherwise not be realized. Staff are excited to find ways to adapt our surface water monitoring program to assess climate impacts which will help to improve resiliency in our watershed. 

Contact: Craig Irwin, Water Quality Specialist