Tracking Water Quality in Stratford (UTRCA weekly, November 11, 2022)
Earlier this week, volunteers with the Avon River Environmental Association (AREA) collected water samples from the Avon River in Stratford. The group collects samples twice a year to be tested for E. coli as part of their efforts to improve the Avon’s water quality.
The results are shared with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) and included in the UTRCA’s Watershed Report Cards. Every five years, the UTRCA produces report cards that summarize local environmental conditions in each of the 28 watersheds within the upper Thames watershed. These reports summarize extensive environmental information, with the goal of tracking change and guiding local action.
Each of the 28 report cards grades surface water quality and forest conditions, using a province-wide standardized grading system. The report cards also summarize watershed features, provide recommended actions for improvement, and highlight progress made since the previous report cards. Watershed residents can see how the watershed where they live was graded in the 2017 report cards. The UTRCA will be releasing a new edition early in 2023.
The UTRCA has collaborated with AREA and other community partners on several other projects to improve the water quality of the Avon River, including an Accessibility and Restoration Project and a cribwall in 2019.
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