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Kettle Creek Conservation Authority Kettle Creek Conservation Authority
  • Home
  • Watershed Programs
    • Environmental Monitoring
      • Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring
      • Wildlife Monitoring
      • Surface Water and Groundwater Monitoring
      • Watershed Report Card
    • Stewardship
      • Kettle Creek Clean Water Initiative
      • Elgin Clean Water Program
      • How Can You Help?
    • Tree Planting & Forestry
      • Seedling Program
      • Greening Communities
      • Community Forest
      • Elgin County Woodlands Conservation By-law #05-03
    • Source Water Protection
      • Source Water Annual Report 2016
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Conservation Areas
    • Camping
      • Dalewood Conservation Area
      • Lake Whittaker Conservation Area
    • Seasonal Camping
    • Fees
    • Hiking Trails
    • Day Use/Picnicking
    • Kettle Creek Dog Park
    • Pavilion Rentals
    • Signage and Access Policy
  • Planning and Regulations
    • Permits
    • Planning Services
    • Regulation Services
    • Natural Hazards
    • Flood Forecasting and Warning
      • Flood Forecasting and Water Levels
    • Elgin County Shoreline Management Plan
    • Regulation Limit Mapping Request
  • Education
    • Book a class
    • Environmental Youth Corps Program
    • St. Thomas-Elgin Children’s Water Festival
    • Carolinian Forest Festival
    • Scholarship
  • About Us
    • Board of Directors
    • Meetings & Minutes
    • Financial Overview
    • RFPs
    • Staff Directory
    • Careers
    • Volunteer
    • News
    • FAQs
    • Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
  • Contact

Stewardship

A watershed is defined as a geographic area bounded by topographic features that drain waters to a shared destination. Within the geographic boundaries of a watershed, ecological functions are interconnected and interdependent; and when one component is altered, other components may experience the consequence. Watershed stewardship therefore focuses on enhancing, monitoring and conserving the ecological health and biodiversity within a given watershed.

A watershed follows natural boundaries; the environment does not recognize political boundaries. As a result, effective watershed stewardship requires collaboration among communities and all levels of government. In order for watershed stewardship to be successful and the full benefits felt by the environment, the related programs must be transparent, accessible and easily applied by watershed residents. In other words, the programs must be community-based and ensure community involvement.

Why Watershed Stewardship?

(Adapted from Langley Environmental Partners Society et al. 2003)

  • Watersheds are the best unit to monitor natural processes. Since a watershed’s natural elements are connected and interdependent, cause and effect actions are not isolated. Therefore conservation, enhancement and monitoring are most effective at a watershed scale.
  • Watershed stewardship is economically efficient. A growing concept in environmental management is that prevention is more cost effective than remediation. Watershed stewardship allows for the conservation, enhancement and preservation of natural features before human induced degradation and costly actions occur.
  • Watershed stewardship conserves, enhances and/or assists ecological services. Watershed stewardship programs educate watershed residents and institutes practices that can benefit ecological services. For example, programs can aid in providing a clean reliable water supply through public education and practical guidelines.
  • Watershed stewardship provides social services. Watershed stewardship builds a sense of community and encourages people to work together, learn together and reach a common set of goals that benefit both the watershed. As well, by increasing a watershed’s ecological integrity, the surrounding area becomes more “attractive” and benefits by means of increased business, employment opportunities, education, civic involvement, recreation and tourism.
  • Watershed stewardship supports international commitments. One cannot view watershed stewardship and its associated benefits as an isolated cause and effect solution. On a national and global scale, the environment faces the same challenges and is in need of similar solutions adapted to the area of concern. When initiating watershed based projects and programs, benefits are contributing to international targets and adding to the betterment of the global environment.

Staff Contact

Office Hours
8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Betsy McClure
Stewardship Program Supervisor
Tel: (519) 631-1270 ext. 229
Email: betsy@kettlecreekconservation.on.ca

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Send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

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  • Kettle Creek Conservation Authority
  • 44015 Ferguson Line
  • 519.631.1270
  • 519.631.5026
  • info@kettlecreekconservation.on.ca

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