 We are dependent on water - we drink it, wash with it, and use it for transportation or recreational purposes. The County of Huron recognizes that protecting our water sources is important to ensure that there is enough safe water for all our uses - now and in the future.
Huron County supports a series of initiatives developed to preserve the quality and quantity of water within this region. Research projects, public education and funding opportunities to improve environmental conditions are available for property owners, municipal Councils, and organizations.
Water Protection Steering Committee
The Water Protection Steering Committee is a group of partner organizations, within Huron County, working together to protect the quality of our water - both groundwater and surface water.
This multi-stakeholder group, which meets quarterly, was formed in 2004; it includes:
- Representatives from Provincial, County and Municipal government
- Conservation Authorities
- Agriculture, manufacturing and tourism associations, and
- Citizen groups
This partnership has undertaken and supports many projects ranging from research studies, planning initiatives, monitoring, outreach and education. If you are interested in learning more about the Water Protection Steering Committee, or would like to know what you and your group can do to protect local water quality, please contact Susanna Reid, Planner, Planning and Development Department at 519.524.8394, ext 3.
Huron Clean Water Project
The Huron County Clean Water Project provides financial and technical assistance to improve and protect water quality on Huron County farms and rural properties.
Huron County citizens are leaders in water quality improvement by completing more than 800 projects in the first four years of the program. Highlights include fencing cattle out of 15 kilometres of streams, planting 60 hectares of trees (127,327 trees) and establishing 37 kilometres of windbreaks. Groundwater is protected by upgrading 180 faulty private wells and eliminating the link to the aquifer by decommissioning 200 unused wells. Fixing individual sources of pollution contributes to healthy environment and community.
The Huron County Clean Water Project is one of the most successful on-the-ground water quality improvement projects in the province. Funding from the County of Huron is combined with other cost-share programs and landowner contributions. The projects have a total value of more than $2 million - that's good for the environment and the economy.
The Clean Water Project has been available since 2005. A presentation summary of the stewardship projects completed in 2005 and 2009 is available.
Limited funding assistance covering up to 50% of the costs of eligible projects is awarded annually to county residents. Farmers can combine this funding with the Canada-Ontario Environmental Farm Plan cost-share program, Trees Ontario tree planting subsidy programs, Every Kilowatt Counts Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program, and the Green Communities ecoENERGY Retrofit Incentive Grant.
| Project |
Maximum Grant |
| Erosion Control – Grassed waterways, catch basins, terraces and berms to reduce soil and riparian erosion |
$5,000 |
| Special Projects - Innovative projects that demonstrate improved water quality and/or are accessible to the public |
$5,000 |
| Clean Water Diversion – Berms and eavestroughs to divert clean water from manure and exercise yards |
$3,000 |
| Livestock Fencing – Fences, crossings and watering devices to eliminate watercourse livestock access |
$3,000 |
| Manure Storage Decommissioning - Properly decommissioning manure storage to prevent water contamination |
$3,000 |
| Community Projects – Stewardship and educational projects by community groups |
$3,000 |
| Fragile Land Retirement – Planting trees and shrubs on erosion-prone land. Buffer strips along watercourses |
$2,000 |
| Wellhead Protection – Pitless adapter caps, grading, sealing and upgrading well casings to prevent contamination |
$500 |
| Well Decommissioning – Properly decommissioning abandoned wells to eliminate the link between surface and ground water |
$500 |
| Stewardship Guide Implementation - Water quality improvement projects to implement action plans identified in the Lake Huron Coastline (PDF) or Rural Landowner Stewardship (PDF) Guides |
$500 |
To apply for funding, or to obtain further information, call Maitland Valley Conservation Authority at 519.335.3557 or Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority at 519.235.2610 or 1.888.286.2610.
Landowner Stewardship Guides
Two Landowner Stewardship Guides have been produced to assist landowners, residents, and cottagers become better stewards of the Lake Huron coastline and the rural countryside.
A Stewardship Guide for the Lake Huron Coastline
Working together we can protect the quality of our water - both groundwater and surface water such as streams, rivers, ravines, creeks, wetlands and lakes.
A new workbook-style guide developed by the County's Water Protection Steering Committee and citizen's groups emphasizes the role of lakeshore residents and non-farm property owners in protecting this precious resource in a responsible and collective way.
The publication - A Stewardship Guide For The Lake Huron Coastline - helps participants assess their property, buildings and structures, and identify areas where they are impacting the local environment and water quality. By protecting water quality, you are also protecting your investment as a property owner or resident in this landscape.
The guide is divided into three sections including:
- Introduction to Local Ecology, a look at the cultural and physical geography of the Lake Huron landscape;
- A Workbook, which includes 12 worksheets for rating activities on your property;
- And an Action Plan for analyzing potential problem areas and ways in which you can reduce the potential for environmental damage and water contamination.
Workshops on using this guide and property assessment tool are available during the summer months and can be arranged by contacting Susanna Reid, Planner, Planning and Development Department at 519.524.8394 ext 3. If you are a non-farm resident, cottager or property owner along the Canadian shore of Lake Huron, from Tobermory to Sarnia, you can become involved by:
- Helping to organize a workshop for shoreline residents in your area;
- Taking part in a workshop;
- Promoting the workshop to other members in your cottagers' association;
- Becoming a water quality steward.
Rural Landowner Stewardship Guide
The Rural Landowner Stewardship Guide Program was developed as a response to the awareness that the health of the rural landscape depends upon the actions of all rural landowners, and not of farmers alone.
The overriding goal of the Rural Landowner Stewardship Guide is to protect and enhance the quality of our natural environment - both groundwater and surface water such as streams, rivers, ravines, creeks, wetlands and lakes, and the natural landscape features that support these ecosystems.
Both Landowner Stewardship Guides were developed by Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority; County of Huron Planning & Development; Friends of the Bayfield River; Huron Stewardship Council; Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation; University of Guelph.
Payment for Ecological Goods and Services
Farm land offers environmental benefits to all of society-by providing important services like maintaining natural buffers along waterways, as well as protecting water quality by filtering, recharging groundwater aquifers and enhancing wildlife habitats.
A workshop called Valuing Nature and Your Land was held in Brussels on November 23, 2007. Speakers explored a stewardship model that may potentially provide land owners with annual payments for land that is providing environmental goods and services.
Presentations included:
- Alternatives for Dealing with Agri-Environmental Issues. Ian Campbell, Agriculture Canada
- Valuing Ecological Goods and Services: Why a New Approach is Needed. Bob Bailey, Delta Waterfowl
- A Farmer Driven Approach to Ecological Goods and Services - The Norfolk County Pilot Project. Dave Reid and Bryan Gilvesy, Norfolk Pilot Project
- Putting Environmental Goods and Services into Context. John FitzGibbon, University of Guelph
Participants at the Payment for Ecological Goods and Services workshop indicated strong support for this approach. A committee is exploring a pilot project for Huron County.
Anaerobic Digester Demonstration Project
A feasibility study has been conducted for an anaerobic digester on a Huron County hog farm, under the direction of the Huron County Water Protection Steering Committee. Funding was provided from a Canada-Ontario Agreement grant awarded to Huron County for various water protection projects. The project goal is to establish a farm-scale anaerobic digester in Huron County to demonstrate its potential financial and environmental benefits.
An anaerobic digester captures methane from manure and burns the gas in a diesel engine connected to a generator to produce electricity for sale to the grid. The digester processes the manure into digestate which reduces its odour, preserves the nutrients, and virtually eliminates pathogens. The digestate can be applied to crop land as fertilizer with more precision than untreated manure because the nitrogen has been converted to its inorganic form which is more readily taken up by the crop.
The next phases of the project include:
- Securing capital funding/financing
- Obtaining an inter-connection assessment with Hydro One
- Developing the digester recipe (added organic matter is required to optimize gas production)
- Final engineering and construction
A copy of the study may be borrowed or purchased (cost recovery for printing) from the Huron County Planning and Development Department.
Sinkhole / Zurich Drain Water Quality Enhancement Project
A sinkhole is a depression in the land surface which provides a direct pathway for surface water to move quickly into the bedrock system. Areas with sinkholes, such as those located in the Municipalities of Bluewater and Huron East, are typically highly susceptible to groundwater contamination; which pose potential threats to the quantity and quality of groundwater resources.
This project monitors two local ecologically sensitive water drainage areas in the county - the sinkhole region and the lands surrounding the Zurich drain - and works toward a plan that addresses potential groundwater quality concerns throughout the region. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Hope Brock, Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority at 519.235.2610.
Circle Process
The circle process is a communication tool for bringing people together in conversations on shared issues in an atmosphere of respect and concern for all. Trained facilitators encourage dialogue with an aim at addressing issues surrounding water quality; their goal is to create the opportunity for ongoing dialogue between the lakeshore and farm communities.
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