Hope and Action Climate Change Festival at Fanshawe Conservation Area
Hope and Action Climate Change Festival at Fanshawe Conservation Area Kick off the 2024 Green in the City event series with the Hope and Action Climate Change Festival on Saturday, September 21st from 10 am – 4 pm at Fanshawe Conservation Area! There will be something for everyone from interactive exhibits and activities by 10+ community organizations, live birds of prey shows (10:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm), food trucks (bring cash!), test riding e-bikes, hopping on the London Police Service boat, and a whole lot more! Interested in learning more about Fanshawe Dam? We're offering tours of this [...]
Fanshawe Conservation Area Hosts filming for Netflix Series FUBAR
Fanshawe Conservation Area Hosts filming for Netflix Series FUBAR The months of July and August are always busy at Fanshawe Conservation Area (FCA), but in 2024, we received an especially unique request. We were approached by representatives from a Toronto area production company to see if Fanshawe Dam and Reservoir could be used for filming portions of Season 2 for the Netflix action-comedy series FUBAR. This series features actor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a retired CIA agent called back into service, as well as Canadian actor Jay Baruchel. After some internal discussion, it was decided that Arnold Schwarzenegger in London [...]
Celebrate the Thames at Lions River Park in Thamesford
Celebrate the Thames at Lions River Park in Thamesford On Saturday, October 5 (rain date of October 6) from 10 am to 2 pm, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), in partnership with the Thamesford Lions and the Indigenous Solidarity Network, will host a free, family-friendly event in Lions River Park. In addition to celebrating and learning about the Thames River, the day will provide the community with an opportunity to enjoy recent park improvements, which include new cap-stone viewing areas, fishing stairs, and native tree and shrub planting. The day will feature the following: Lions Club BBQ [...]
Thorndale Demonstration Farm Tour
Thorndale Demonstration Farm Tour On September 5, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) stewardship staff hosted a public tour of the Thorndale Demonstration Farm, showcasing the suite of agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) implemented on the farm that are aimed at improving and protecting soil health and water quality. The tour highlighted innovative drainage practices including the contoured controlled drainage system, newly installed StormTech storm water retention system, and two Water and Sediment Control Basins (WASCoBs). The tour highlighted tree and pollinator plantings as BMPs, and field management practices including crop rotations, cover cropping, and conservation tillage. Staff shared [...]
The Multi-Barrier Approach: What goes into keeping your drinking water clean
The Multi-Barrier Approach: What goes into keeping your drinking water clean In Ontario, most municipalities have the privilege of accessing safe and clean drinking water simply by turning on a tap. This is made possible by unique legislation designed to protect municipal drinking water from source to tap. A multi-barrier approach to ensuring water safety was introduced following the tragic Walkerton, Ontario incident in 2000. This approach aims to keep contaminated water from reaching consumers by implementing multiple layers of protection. The multi-barrier approach involves a combination of processes and procedures to prevent and reduce contamination in drinking water. [...]
University of Guelph Field Tour Day
University of Guelph Field Tour Stewardship staff from the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) hosted staff from the Universities of Guelph and Waterloo as well as Environment Canada on Tuesday, August 20th to showcase a number of agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) that have been implemented throughout the watershed. BMPs included in the tour were focused on erosion control and included a water and sediment control basin, a grassed waterway, a rock chute, cover crops and windbreaks. The tour started in the Medway subwatershed and continued to two farms owned by landowners who have worked in collaboration with the [...]
World Water Monitoring Day 2024
World Water Monitoring Day 2024 Wednesday, September 18, 2024 is World Water Monitoring Day and it recognizes the crucial role monitoring plays in the conservation efforts at organizations including the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA). What is water quality? Water quality is the measure of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water. What is water quality monitoring? Water quality monitoring is the regular testing and analysis of water sources and their indicators. Indicators include temperature, dissolved oxygen, acidity, salinity, and nutrients. Water quality tests can also look for toxic chemicals like pesticides and metals. Reviewing of the [...]
Join the Community Precipitation Monitoring Project – It’s Easy!
Join the Community Precipitation Monitoring Project - It's Easy! Through the Community Precipitation Monitoring Project, you can contribute to community science without leaving your own backyard! How does it work? First, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) staff will install a simple yet sophisticated rain gauge system on your property. Each day after, you will measure daily precipitation and record the results in the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS) online platform. Thousands of volunteers across six countries participate in CoCoRaHS, with over 20 being right here in the Upper Thames River watershed. Each of these volunteers provide high [...]
Have your say on the UTRCA Lands Strategy: Online Public Survey Open
Have your say on the UTRCA Lands Strategy: Online Public Survey Open The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) is inviting comments on its new Conservation Areas and Lands Strategy (or Lands Strategy). The strategy outlines our guiding principles, goals, and objectives for the lands the UTRCA owns and/or manages, and sets the direction for our lands for the next 10 years. This is mandated by the Province, which requires all Conservation Authorities to complete a strategy by the end of 2024. We’d appreciate your input whether you are a seasonal camper, an occasional visitor to one of our many [...]
New Storm Water Retention System at the Thorndale Demonstration Farm
New Storm Water Retention System at the Thorndale Demonstration Farm This summer, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) stewardship staff installed a new StormTech storm water retention system at its Thorndale Demonstration Farm. This installation is the newest addition to a suite of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) implemented on the farm to improve soil health and water quality while maintaining productivity. The StormTech system uses hollow, bottomless chambers buried underground to temporarily store runoff. The stored water slowly percolates into the soil through a gravel bed. The system is wrapped in geotextile to prevent sedimentation in the gravel [...]