INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT APPROACH FOR SMALL SOUTHERN ONTARIO RURAL/URBAN WATERSHEDS

Abstract

Watershed Management is rapidly evolving to address the concerns regarding environmental impacts from land use changes and other activities within watersheds. Policy documents being developed for resource management reflect the belief of regulatory agencies that, to be effective, management must involve local issues and conditions and be carried out on a watershed basis. Effective watershed management must utilize an integrated approach including water resource and environmental conditions in developing local policies and guidelines. Consideration must be given to surface hydrology, hydrogeology, water quality conditions and environmental characteristics (ie. fisheries, vegetation, wetlands, etc.).This paper outlines the approach being used in two recent watershed studies, 14 Mile Creek and Laurel Creek in southern Ontario. Comprehensive watershed management strategies are being developed for these watersheds involving an integration of the characteristics outlined above. Policies are being developed to meet the characteristics of the watershed to permit the development of the watersheds in a sustainable fashion. Integration of issues is carried out in two levels: first, the technical analysis, which includes various flow regimes and environmental impacts, and second, the management issues which include policy, planning, legislation and stakeholder interest. The goal of the strategy is to merge the interests of the stakeholders with the constraints and characteristics of the watershed.