What is a Watershed? A watershed is an area of land that drains to a given river stream or watercourse. It is sometimes known as the river's valley or natural drainage basin. Because it is a natural feature, the watershed is not made up of straight lines. In fact, the watershed boundary cuts across many man-made lines such as municipal and county boundaries.
What are Watershed Plans? A Watershed Plan is simply a document that describes the actions that should be taken in the watershed, to achieve a desired degree of protection and/or restoration of the water and water-dependent natural resources. A Watershed Plan is developed cooperatively by government agencies and non-government stakeholders (watershed residents, landowners, business interests) in the watershed. The plan is intended to be used as a guide for managing human activities that can affect water, land/water interactions, aquatic life and aquatic resources within a particular watershed. The health of the watershed ecosystem will be protected as land uses and management practices change. How is the RVCA Involved in Watershed Planning The RVCA works on Watershed Planning at two scales:
By early 2004, Watershed Management Plans will have been developed for four of these major tributary subwatersheds, as indicated by the asterisk (*) in the above list. Eventually every one of the subwatersheds will have its own watershed management plan. Each plan will be reviewed and updated every six years. At this scale, watershed management plans provide strategic direction at the program and policy level. Coordinated and effective watershed management results when the Conservation Authority, municipalities, other government departments, and interested non-government organizations make use of the plan and its recommendations when putting together their own corporate business plans and defining their own corporate policies. All other Subwatersheds and Lakesheds RVCA also actively collaborates with other organizations in watershed planning on smaller subwatersheds and "lakesheds" within the major tributaries of the Rideau, and on subwatersheds of the Ottawa River that are within the RVCA area of jurisdiction. Often, these Plans are initiated by municipalities or local community-based organizations. Subwatershed planning at this scale may be necessary when the potential impacts of major land use changes or infrastructure projects on local water and water-related resources need to be determined, or when the local community wishes to make advances in local watershed, lake or stream restoration initiatives. Ottawa River Subwatersheds
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©
2003 Rideau Valley Conservation Authority