Media Release
August 15, 2019
Ottawa Greek Fest goes carbon neutral!
Aug. 15, 2019 – Ottawa Greek Fest is one of the capital’s hottest summer festivals, but this year it’s keeping it cool with a pledge to go carbon neutral through the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation. The charitable foundation helped the festival calculate its estimated carbon footprint from the gas, propane, diesel and electricity used over the course of its 11-day food, music and art extravaganza at the Hellenic Centre near Hog’s Back Falls. That calculation will translate into 120 trees planted locally across the Rideau Valley watershed, adding to Eastern Ontario’s forests and natural spaces and offsetting the event’s carbon…
Published in
Media Release
August 15, 2019
Minor Low Water Conditions in Rideau Valley Watershed
August 15, 2019 — As the warm, dry weather continues, conditions in the Rideau Valley Watershed now meet the threshold for Minor Low Water status under the Ontario Low Water Response Program. Watershed residents and businesses are encouraged to conserve water during dry conditions. After a cool and wet spring with very significant flooding in some areas, July and August have been mostly warm and dry across the Rideau Valley watershed, with some localized rainfall in early August. The average 90-day rainfall measured at climate stations in and around the watershed is just shy of 80 per cent of normal…
Published in
Media Release
August 14, 2019
Fight the invaders! Free workshop taking aim at invasive species
Aug. 14, 2019 – Did you know? Your beautiful backyard garden could be harbouring dangerous enemy invaders: sneaky, ruthless agents of destruction, ready to launch a coup at any opportunity. We’re talking, of course, about invasive species. They can be hard to spot – sometimes distracting you with their gorgeous blooms or glittery shells – but a workshop this weekend can help you identify these interlopers and keep them under control. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17, Rideau Valley staff will lead a free, public workshop at the conservation authority’s headquarters in Manotick. Participants can get up…
Published in
Media Release
August 07, 2019
Wildlife reclaiming restored wetlands near DND campus
August 7, 2019 —You know what they say: "If you build it, they will come." But that old adage isn't just for haunted baseball fields – it also applies to wetland projects right in the heart of Ottawa's greenbelt. Last fall, staff at the RVCA and the National Capital Commission created 10,000 square metres of new wetland habitat along Stillwater Creek, just south of the new DND headquarters off Moodie Drive and Highway 417. Thanks to observations from the Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre, which is located nearby, staff at the NCC and RVCA discovered the wetland had been suffering annually from extreme low water conditions. Most of the year the wetland was completely dry, dominated by long, reedy…
Published in
Media Release
July 29, 2019 – Custom-built smartphone apps are changing the way staff at Rideau Valley Conservation Authority get their work done – and saving time, money and headaches in the process. This spring, the RVCA launched its latest app, this one for classifying shorelines – something no other conservation group is doing digitally. Gone are the bulky clipboards and windswept papers of previous surveys. And vanquished are the days of tedious data entry after a long season on the water. These days, with the tap of an app staff can quickly analyze a shoreline, take a photo and input all the relevant data into a digital database, all from the…
Published in
Media Release
July 18, 2019
Stay safe this summer: stay on the trails!
July 19, 2019 – It’s a great time to be outdoors, but be aware: certain pests and poisonous plants are getting in on the action, too. As you hit the trails, remember to stay on the path and dress appropriately to protect against ticks, poison ivy, wild parsnip and other hazards. Ticks: Black-legged ticks are on the rise in Eastern Ontario and can carry Lyme disease, which is passed to humans through tick bites. Left untreated, Lyme can cause chronic neurological and physical problems including memory loss, mobility issues and heart conditions. But don’t let that keep you inside! Reasonable…
Published in
Media Release
June 24, 2019
We’ve got the relaxing beaches you’ve been dreaming of
June 24, 2019 – Ah, summer: a time for relaxing with friends, soaking up the sun and, of course, hitting the beach. But sometimes beach days are more hassle than relaxle: fighting traffic, circling for parking and dodging rogue frisbees while you defend your tiny square of sand from the hordes of other beachgoers. Some fun! But there’s a solution: instead of wasting 30 minutes parking, spend it heading to Baxter Conservation Area in Osgoode, Rideau Ferry Yacht Club Conservation Area near Smiths Falls or Foley Mountain Conservation Area in Westport for a beautiful beach day away from the crowds.…
Published in
Media Release
June 21, 2019 – Twelve classes of low-income students will experience the natural world first hand – some for the very first time – thanks to a generous grant from the Ottawa Community Foundation. The Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation is campaigning to help 50 disadvantaged classes access its outdoor education programs during the 2019/2020 school year. The grant of $9,420 from the Ottawa Community Foundation will cover tuition and transportation costs for 12 schools from the city of Ottawa. Each year, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority welcomes more than 10,000 elementary and secondary school students to its Outdoor Education programs…
Published in
Media Release
June 19, 2019 – Our hardworking forestry team has wrapped up another successful tree planting season, and they’re already looking ahead to next year. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) is now booking site visits with landowners wishing to reforest their retired farm fields or otherwise empty and idle lands. The low-cost, full-service program includes free site visits, custom planting plans, site preparation, tree planting, follow-up assessments and maintenance to give the seedlings the best chance of survival. All of this is available for only $0.15 per tree, or $120 an acre! “Increasing forest cover is critical to watershed health,…
Published in
Media Release
June 14, 2019 - Everyone wants a nice, quiet spot where they can get away from it all, without driving hundreds of kilometres into the woods. That will become a reality this summer at Chapman Mills Conservation Area with the installation of a new, accessible public dock. Thanks to a generous donation to the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF) from Cabela’s Canada Outdoor Fund, the installation will replace the conservation area’s old dock in a more accessible location, creating a better place to catch a fish, launch a canoe or just dip your toes in the mighty Rideau River. The…
Published in
Media Release
June 10, 2019
Shoreline program now booking to protect against floods
June 10, 2019 – Planting trees and shrubs along your shoreline can protect your property from flood damage – and the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority is now booking site visits to help get the job done. The RVCA’s Shoreline Naturalization Program offers landowners low-cost technical guidance, project management and all the native trees and shrubs you need to build a robust natural buffer along your waterfront. These strategically-placed plants have hearty roots that hold soil in place so it doesn’t wash away during periods of high water, or in high-wake areas. There’s no need for expensive rock “rip rap” or…
Published in
Media Release
JUNE 6, 2019 – A new batch of butternut seedlings have been sent into the world to help pull the endangered tree back from the brink – but this spring’s lot may have been the last. Landowners flocked to the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s specialized cold storage facility on Dilworth Road this spring to pick up their baby butternut trees, carefully grown at the Ferguson Forestry Centre from resilient seeds harvested across Eastern Ontario. Butternut trees in Canada and the US have been decimated by the butternut canker, an incurable fungal disease scientists believe originated in Asia. Since 2005, the…
Published in
Media Release
June 4, 2019 – The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) is maintaining a High Water Safety message for properties around Bobs Lake and Christie Lake. The water levels on Bobs and Christie Lakes continue to decline slowly but both lakes are still above average for this time of year. This water levels are expected to gradually drop down to seasonal levels soon. Parks Canada staff are closely monitoring the water levels in these lakes. Operations at the Bolingbroke Dam will take place as required to balance the levels in Bobs Lake and Christie Lake. Water levels continue to be at…
Published in
Media Release
June 03, 2019
RVCA to update Ottawa flood, hazard maps
June 3, 2019 — More of the Rideau Valley watershed will be mapped for flood risks and other hazards thanks to a new agreement between the City of Ottawa and the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA). Over the next three years, the RVCA will update existing hazard mapping reports and map new areas along four waterways inside the City’s boundaries: Mud Creek in Manotick, Stevens Creek in North Gower, Mosquito Creek in Riverside South and Monahan Drain in Kanata South. Previously known as “floodplain mapping” or “regulations mapping,” these studies show areas that are prone to natural hazards such as…
Published in
Media Release
MAY 31, 2019 — Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA), in conjunction with the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) and South Nation Conservation (SNC) is TERMINATING the FLOOD WARNING issued on April 19, 2019 for the areas under our jurisdiction along the Ottawa River. A Watershed Conditions – High Water Safety message is in effect as all areas are still well above normal for this time of year and conditions are expected to remain that was for at least the next two weeks. The most recent analysis from the Ottawa River Regulation Committee (ORRC) indicate that water levels along the lower Ottawa River from Chats Lake to the…
Published in
Media Release
