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The RVCA is in the business of "Watershed Management", and uses a process called "Watershed Planning" to decide how best to deliver on its mandate under Section 20 of the Conservation Authorities Act, which is:

"to establish and undertake, in the area over which it has jurisdiction, a program designed to further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources other than gas, oil, coal and minerals".

Water management is best done on a "watershed" basis.   And Watershed Planning is the basic guiding tool of watershed management.   It allows municipalities to plan at lower cost and with the full pre-arranged support of all stakeholders.   It means seeing what's happening in the entire river basin.   It means getting taxpayers, councilors, developers and other stakeholders together as a watershed community to identify development constraints and opportunities.   It allows us to make mistakes early on paper where they are much easier and less costly to correct.   Carpenters have their own saying: "measure twice, saw once".   Simple concept.   The many users of a shared resource agreeing in advance instead of taking each other to municipal council meetings or court.   A healthy environment and a sound economy is our goal.

The ongoing and continuous watershed management cycle has four phases:

Plan— identifying issues, setting objectives and targets, considering options and   selecting the best course of action

Implement— acting on the results of the planning process,   

Monitor— observing the watershed's response, and measuring the effectiveness of watershed management efforts

Review — re-examining the objectives and targets and adjusting the plan as required

To understand more about the planning process, click here or click here to enter WIS now!