Source Water Protection- Protecting Drinking Water Before There’s a Problem
Source Water Protection - Protecting drinking water before there’s a problem When you turn on your tap, you probably don’t think much about where that water came from or everything that happened to keep it clean along the way. That’s a good thing. Drinking water should feel reliable. What many people don’t realize is that a lot of work goes into protecting drinking water long before it reaches a treatment plant. This work is called Source Water Protection and chances are, you’ve already benefited from it without even knowing. What is Source Water Protection? Source Water Protection focuses on protecting the sources of drinking water, including lakes, [...]
GREEN Leaders Program Underway and Seeking Panelists for Student Summit
GREEN Leaders Program Underway and Seeking Panelists for Student Summit This year’s UTRCA GREEN Leaders program is well underway, with 16 Grade 7/8 classes from across the watershed participating. Student teams have now selected the environmental issues they want to tackle, with topics ranging from microplastics and fish species at risk, to declining bat populations, “forever chemicals”, aquatic invasive species, and overall Lake Erie health. Classes are currently in the policy and practice research stage, where students are reaching out to local partners and community experts to learn more about their environmental issue, explore what’s already being done to [...]
Snow Surveys in the UTRCA Watershed
Snow Surveys in the UTRCA Watershed With all the snow the Upper Thames River watershed has received this winter, residents may be wondering if major flooding is in the forecast. The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) has been manually surveying accumulated snow across the watershed since 1957, as part of the flood forecasting and warning services it provides to watershed municipalities to inform residents and businesses of impending dangers. To assist us in forecasting floods - and managing our flood control reservoirs - we operate: stream gauges, snow survey sites, and precipitation and temperature measuring stations. Snow measurements [...]
SOARR Marks 2025 Achievements and Launches Its 33rd Year
SOARR Marks 2025 Achievements and Launches Its 33rd Year Our modern world often results in most of us being inundated with a constant barrage of information, responsibilities, and pressures, so it is often hard to stay focused on a single thing. Sometimes that means that we lose sight of the threats to our environment, and the wildlife within it. This is why groups and organizations that focus on wildlife conservation must stay consistent in their approach, frequently communicate their findings, and be creative in their strategies. Very few wildlife protection programs are able to last over the long-term, though [...]
P.A. Day Fun with the UTRCA and Stratford Perth Museum
P.A. Day Fun with the UTRCA and Stratford Perth Museum On Friday, January 30, the UTRCA partnered with the Stratford Perth Museum once again to provide a jam-packed day of outdoor activities and museum exploration for 20 day camp participants. This unique session brought together children ages 6–10 for an entire day of fun, making full use of the museum’s indoor spaces as well as the forest and meadow trails on the property. Participants took to the trails for snowshoeing and gathered around the campfire flames to learn practical skills through campfire cooking, marshmallow roasting, and bannock making. Beyond [...]
Mid-Winter Reminder: Salt, Snow, and Protecting Our Drinking Water
Mid-Winter Reminder: Salt, Snow, and Protecting Our Drinking Water As winter settles in and snow and ice become part of our daily routines, road salt and snow removal play an important role in keeping sidewalks, driveways, and roads safe. However, mid-winter is also a key time to pause and think about how these winter practices can impact our drinking water sources. Why Winter Matters for Source Water Protection It’s easy to assume that frozen ground protects our water, but winter conditions can actually increase risks. When salt is applied to roads, parking lots, and walkways, it doesn’t simply disappear. Instead, it builds up in snowbanks and on hard surfaces. During warmer days, rain [...]
2025 Water Quality Monitoring Summary
2025 Water Quality Monitoring Summary The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) assesses water quality through surface water and groundwater monitoring programs. These programs test multiple parameters at sites throughout the watershed, providing a good overview of long-term data and trends in water quality.
UTRCA Tree Planting on Private Lands Program
UTRCA Tree Planting on Private Lands Program Visit the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) website to order your large stock trees and seedlings to plant next spring. We have a wide variety of coniferous and deciduous trees and wildlife shrubs available. Trees ordered through this program can be planted by the landowner or through our full planting service (if minimum order requirements are met). Planting projects include: windbreaks, retiring highly erodible land, treed buffer strips along watercourses, creating wildlife habitat, and more. The deadline to order is February 27, 2026. Please note that this program is open to landowners with a minimum of [...]
Phosphorus in our Watershed
Phosphorus in our Watershed This January, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), with support from the Canada Water Agency, launched "Phosphorus in our Watershed," a specialized educational initiative for local Grade 9 Science students. In this three-part program, UTRCA Community Education staff reached nearly 100 students across four classes in the northern part of our watershed at Stratford District Secondary School and St. Michael Catholic Secondary School. Phosphorus in our Watershed invites high school students to examine how agricultural phosphorus fertilizers run off into local waterways and result in harmful algae blooms in Lake Erie. The program [...]
Christmas and Winter for the Animals
Christmas and Winter for the Animals In December and January, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) Education staff were delighted to host over 600 Kindergarten, Grade 1 and 2 students for our Christmas for the Animals and Winter for the Animals programs at Fanshawe Conservation Area. The wintery weather certainly cooperated with us, leaving a snowy landscape for the students to explore and enjoy! Students made lasting memories of meeting new forest friends during a puppet show, who shared with the students their winter survival strategies. Then there is a read aloud story time and, depending on the program selection, [...]