Western Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority

In accordance with recent changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities (CAs) will amalgamate into 9 Regional CAs on February 1, 2027. Locally, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), Essex Region Conservation Authority, St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, and Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority are preparing to merge into the Western Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority.

Regional CAs will continue to be municipally governed, with participating municipalities appointing Board members and paying CA levies.​ The definition of participating municipalities has changed, however, to include upper-tier and single-tier municipalities only.​ Lower-tier municipalities within a county will no longer be participating.

Map of the Western Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority, showing the watersheds of the four CAs within it.

The participating municipalities within the Western Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority (WLERCA) will include:

  • Upper tier – 7 counties, representing 39 lower-tier municipalities
    • Essex (7 municipalities)​
    • Lambton (11 municipalities)​
    • Elgin (3 municipalities)​
    • Huron (1 UTRCA municipality)​
    • Middlesex (7 municipalities including 3 UTRCA municipalities)​
    • Oxford (7 UTRCA municipalities)​
    • Perth (3 UTRCA municipalities)​
  • Single tier – 6 municipalities
    • Chatham-Kent
    • London​
    • Pelee
    • Stratford
    • St Marys
    • Windsor

Each regional Conservation Authority will be required to establish one or more local “Watershed Council” to ensure that watershed management decisions are informed by local knowledge and input, including from Indigenous representatives. The Province has emphasized that local programs and services will continue, and that conservation areas and assets will continue to be owned and managed by conservation authorities. Assets and liabilities currently owned by UTRCA will be transitioned via Statutory Amalgamation to WLERCA.

WLERCA Transition Process

Each respective Conservation Authority Board of Directors has appointed two representatives — the General Manager/CAO and one elected board member — to a Transition Committee. The Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency (OPCA) will oversee the transition and appoint a project executive to chair the Transition Committee, which is expected to convene in late summer.

The Boards of the four conservation authorities have all approved Guiding Principles for Transition, which outline seven high-level principles intended to guide the transition:

  • Accountable and Transparent Governance,
  • Fiscal Responsibility,
  • Commitment to Workforce Stability and Talent Retention,
  • Service Excellence,
  • Risk Management and Business Continuity,
  • Watershed-Based Science Informed Management, and
  • Transparency, Trust and Clear Communication.

The principles are not listed in order of priority. Rather all are seen as essential components of a successful transition.

UTRCA Programs and Services

There is no disruption at the local level to UTRCA’s work providing watershed protection and environmental services, including:

  • water management;
  • environmental planning and regulations;
  • conservation areas and trails;
  • drinking water source protection;
  • watershed monitoring, protection, and management;
  • stewardship programs and agricultural extension services; and
  • education and partnership programs.

Staff will continue to work collaboratively with our municipal partners through the transition period and beyond, and will reach out to the upper tier municipalities, which may have little experience with or understanding of CAs. The General Managers of the Western Lake Erie Regional CA authorities — Essex Region, Lower Thames Valley, St. Clair Region, and Upper Thames River — are meeting regularly, and program groups are being formed to assist in the transition and the 2027 budget process for each CA.

Questions?

Reach out to Tracy Annett, General Manager. 

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