Local Landowners Lead the Way in Phosphorus Reduction Efforts
Local Landowners Lead the Way in Phosphorus Reduction Efforts With funding from the Canada Water Agency, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) launched the Upper Thames Phosphorus Reduction Program in the fall of last year, to help reduce the amount of phosphorus reaching Lake Erie. While phosphorus enters the environment in many ways, one of the most challenging sources to manage is runoff from rain events, especially across large rural and agricultural areas. This program is designed to support and strengthen on-the-ground efforts by offering funding, tools, and technical guidance to implement practical solutions that work for individual [...]
Thames River Cleanup Wraps Up 2025
Thames River Cleanup Wraps Up 2025 On April 5th and 6th, the Thames River Cleanup held its 26th annual Earth Day cleanup. Over a thousand volunteers from across the watershed pitched in to clear tonnes of garbage and litter from along rivers, creeks, and green spaces. Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Partnership staff lead cleanups with the Friends of Medway Creek, Friends of Stoney Creek groups, and a volunteer group at Fanshawe Conservation Area. The Thames River Cleanup thanks all of its sponsors with special mention going to Mountain Equipment Company who put together over a thousand [...]
Spring Tree Planting on Medway Creek
Spring Tree Planting on Medway Creek This spring, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) led three days of tree planting on the Medway Creek as a part of the Freshwater Enhancement of the Medway Watershed project, funded by the Canada Water Agency. With the help of over 200 Grade 7/8 students, over 750 trees were planted on the Medway Creek, including red maple, sugar maple, willows, white cedar, nannyberry, elderberry, and white pine. Thank you to students from Princess Elizabeth Public School and Green Leaders classes from Byron Northview, Ashley Oaks, and Stoney Creek Public Schools. Green Leaders [...]
Spawning White Suckers in Medway Creek: A Springtime Spectacle
Spawning White Suckers in Medway Creek: A Springtime Spectacle On April 23, 2025, a local resident witnessed something truly special while walking along Fox Hollow Ravine—suckers during their annual spring spawning run in Medway Creek! Each spring, as water temperatures climb to approximately 10°C, adult White Suckers (Catostomus commersonii) begin migrating upstream to shallow, gravel-bottomed riffles to spawn. They're often joined by other suckers, including Redhorses: a group that includes species such as the Golden Redhorse (Moxostoma erythrurum) and the Threatened Black Redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnei). These species take turns using the same riffles as water temperatures continue to rise, [...]
Pesticides Sampling in the Upper Thames River Watershed
Pesticides Sampling in the Upper Thames River Watershed The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) has recently begun a partnership with the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), a branch of Health Canada. The PMRA is responsible for the regulation of pesticide products in Canada. It also assesses the risks to both human and environmental health associated with the use of pesticides. The UTRCA and PMRA partnership has initiated the Canadian Water Monitoring Program for Pesticides (CWMPP), which allows the UTRCA to monitor pesticide levels in surface water by collecting samples twice weekly at three different subwatersheds: Gregory Creek near Cherry [...]
London Participates in the City Nature Challenge
London Participates in the City Nature Challenge This spring from April 25 to 28, Londoners were out and about participating in London’s third annual City Nature Challenge! The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is an international effort, encouraging people to find and document plants, animals, and fungi in their cities! Using iNaturalist, the CNC is a bioblitz-style competition, where cities are in friendly contest with each other to see who can make the most observations of nature. As a part of the CNC, local organizations organized hikes through green spaces in London. Hikes were led by local naturalists and were [...]
UTRCA at 3rd Annual EarthFest
UTRCA at 3rd Annual EarthFest On April 26th, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) celebrated Earth Day by participating in London’s third annual EarthFest celebration. Held at the London Public Library Centre Branch and Citi Plaza, the festival welcomed over 2,000 attendees who wandered through interactive displays set up by over 100 exhibitors and artists who shared local approaches to sustainability, ecological justice, and the protection and health of our planet. The day also featured a Kid Zone and Climate Conversations Cafe Speakers series. The UTRCA served on the festival’s steering committee and coordinated the festival’s “Water-is-Life Zone” [...]
Heavy Rain Leads to High Water Levels Across Thames River Watershed
Heavy Rain Leads to High Water Levels Across Thames River Watershed Watercourses across the Upper Thames River watershed were on the rise in early April, thanks to heavy spring rain. With weather forecasts calling for up to 75 mm of rain on saturated ground, there was the potential for a significant flood event. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) issued a Water Conditions Statement - Flood Outlook on Tuesday, April 1st, to alert municipal flood coordinators that the rainfall could cause anything from minor flooding in low-lying areas to more significant flooding similar to the February 2018 event, [...]
Recognizing Young Conservation Innovators at the Thames Valley Science and Engineering Fair
Recognizing Young Conservation Innovators at the Thames Valley Science and Engineering Fair This April, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) staff had the exciting opportunity to participate in the Thames Valley Science & Engineering Fair, held at Western University. For over a decade, UTRCA, in partnership with Lower Thames Valley and Kettle Creek Conservation Authorities, has proudly judged the competition and presented the Conservation Award to a Junior Division (Grade 6-8) project that demonstrates outstanding conservation research with a local focus. This year’s award was presented to Annelies Luyt from London Christian Elementary School for her project, Enzymes at [...]
Progress Towards Water Quality Goals in the Upper Thames River Watershed
Progress Towards Water Quality Goals in the Upper Thames River Watershed In 2016, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) implemented a Strategic Plan to help support environmental sustainability within the watershed, with one of the key areas focusing on improving water quality. The goal for water quality throughout the UTRCA jurisdiction is to improve each subwatershed’s report card score by one letter grade by the year 2037. Conservation Authorities release watershed report cards every five years that are scored on a letter grade system. One strategy that that may help meet our goal is to encourage landowners and [...]