Making Waves: Integrated Watershed Management Projects
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In April 2021, The Province announced an initial investment of over $4 million to fund twelve projects aimed at examining the existing conditions in the Watershed and exploring ways to reduce the impacts of flooding and to address the health of the Muskoka River Watershed. The District of Muskoka is leading all these projects, in partnership with the Muskoka Watershed Council.
Background |
The Muskoka River Watershed is facing pressures due to increased development, severe weather events resulting from the changing climate, increased contaminants (e.g., nutrients and road salt), management of invasive species, loss of species at risk habitat, and shoreline erosion. Residents are also concerned about water quality and quantity management and the impacts of flooding. The Muskoka Watershed Advisory Group (MWAG) was appointed to advise the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) regarding priority geographic areas and issues in the Watershed. MWAG provided recommendations for projects across three key themes:
In 2020, the MWAG provided a report to the Minister, highlighting important issues facing the Muskoka River Watershed, including severity and risk of flooding, erosion and siltation, threats to water quality, threats to biodiversity and natural habitat, and the need for integrated watershed management. |
Anticipated outcomes from projects |
The outcomes of these projects will set the stage to design a comprehensive approach to watershed management under which land-use decisions, environmental projects, infrastructure projects, and broader public policy options can be determined. The initiative will support and advance the implementation of an Integrated Watershed Management approach for the Muskoka River Watershed by gathering information to:
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Community Roundtable |
The Community Roundtable (CRT) was established by the Muskoka Watershed Council (MWC) in 2021. Its mission is to promote and support the initiation of IWM in the Muskoka River watershed by 1) providing the District with input and advice on its initial suite of projects; and 2) engaging and educating the watershed community and contributing local input, knowledge, experience and guidance in the development of an integrated watershed management strategy for the Muskoka River Watershed. The CRT includes MWC members, representatives from municipalities with lands within the Muskoka River Watershed, and members drawn from a variety of business interests, organizations, and communities across the watershed. CRT meetings are also open to the public. For more information about the Community Roundtable or to participate, contact crt@muskokawatershed.org. |
Project overviews and findings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Frequently Asked Questions
Watersheds and the Muskoka River Watershed
What is a watershed? |
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Where is the Muskoka River Watershed located? |
The headwaters of the river originate on the western slopes of Algonquin Park and flow southwesterly for approximately 210 kilometers to discharge into the southeast corner of Georgian Bay. |
How big is the Muskoka River Watershed? |
The watershed measures over 62 kilometers at its widest point and is approximately 120 kilometers long, encompassing an area of approximately 5,100 square kilometers. The watershed contains over 2,000 lakes and almost 7,000 km of shoreline. |
What are the major rivers and subwatersheds in The District Municipality of Muskoka? |
There are three main watersheds within The District Municipality of Muskoka.
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What municipalities are included within the Muskoka River Watershed? |
A watershed is not defined by municipal or administrative boundaries. The Muskoka River Watershed includes four upper tier and 13 lower tier municipalities. Upper Tier:
Lower Tier:
* Part of The District Municipality of Muskoka |
Are there any Indigenous Nations within the Muskoka River Watershed? |
Yes, eight Indigenous Nations have traditional ties or ongoing interest in the lands that now encompass Muskoka. Actively involved Nations within the Muskoka Area Indigenous Leadership Table (MAILT) include:
Learn more about Indigenous Nations within Muskoka and MAILT: www.engagemuskoka.ca/mailt |
How are watersheds managed? |
Watersheds are managed through watershed management plans. |
Does Muskoka River have a watershed management plan? |
No, the Muskoka River does not have a watershed management plan. |
What is the Muskoka River Water Management Plan? |
The Muskoka River Water Management Plan is a legally enforceable strategy outlining how the 42 dams in the watershed operate to manage the flow and water levels in the Muskoka River with a focus on maintaining water levels for navigation, fish and wildlife, and hydropower generation. The plan was created in 2006 and is managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF). The Muskoka River Water Management Plan is not a holistic watershed plan. It considers some aspects of the watershed (like lake level and fish habitat) but does not address all aspects of a watershed - including human health, ecological health (including land, forest, soil) and economic health. |
How was the Muskoka River Water Management Plan created? |
The plan was created from:
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What is the Hackner-Holden Agreement? |
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What is a Conservation Authority? |
Conservation Authorities are local watershed management agencies, represented by Conservation Ontario, mandated to ensure the conservation, restoration and responsible management of Ontario’s water, land and natural habitats through programs that balance human, environmental and economic needs. |
Does Muskoka have a Conservation Authority? |
No, Muskoka does not have a Conservation Authority. |
What activities can I do to make a difference in my watershed? |
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Integrated Watershed Management (IWM)
What is IWM? |
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What is the difference between IWM and the Muskoka River Water Management Plan? |
IWM is a holistic approach to watershed management that considers human, ecological and economic health. It includes the water and land throughout the watershed and how these things are managed (i.e., development policy). The Muskoka River Water Management Plan is a small component of an IWM plan approach. The Muskoka River Water Management Plan guides dam operators on the operation of water control structures in the Muskoka River Watershed. It considers related aspects such as recreational lake levels, river flow fluctuations and base flows, and fish habitat, but is limited to the usage of dams for water management. |
What are the benefits of an IWM approach? |
By taking an IWM approach, we can develop plans that support:
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What are the advantages of having an IWM plan? |
IWM enables a host of interconnected issues to be addressed collectively with several benefits:
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How does IWM benefit the local environment? |
Benefits include:
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How does IWM benefit the local economy? |
Benefits include:
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How does IWM benefit local society? |
Benefits include:
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Where is IWM being implemented in Ontario? |
There are 36 Conservation Authorities across Ontario that rely on an IWM approach – 31 in southern Ontario and five in northern Ontario. Municipal partnerships or other organizations can also implement IWM. A few examples of this include:
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What is the long-term goal for IWM in Muskoka? |
The long-term goal is to adopt the principles for an IWM approach. The principles are:
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How could IWM be implemented in Muskoka? |
IWM could be put into action through a series of planning steps that include:
Some of the tools used when implementing IWM include:
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What is the governance structure of IWM? |
While this is not currently within the scope of the current projects, collaborative governance at many levels for shared decision and priority setting is a core principle of IWM. |
Integrated Watershed Management Projects (IWM projects)
How did the IWM projects come about? |
Muskoka is particularly vulnerable to flooding, having experienced three 100-year floods in the last decade. Extensive flooding has had widespread impacts on Muskoka’s community, economy, and environment. To address this, in 2019, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) appointed the Muskoka Watershed Advisory Group (MWAG) to advise on priority geographic areas and key issues confronting in the Muskoka River Watershed.
Following consultations with the community and key stakeholders, MWAG provided recommendations for projects across three key themes:
The MECP considered MWAG’s recommendations and identified several projects for Provincial support. |
What is Muskoka Watershed Advisory Group? |
The Province of Ontario established the Muskoka Watershed Advisory Group in August 2019 to protect and conserve the Muskoka River Watershed and support economic growth in the region. The Advisory Group included nine members with experience environmental protection and conservation, resource management, urban and land use planning, municipal government, natural and applied sciences, and finance. The Advisory Group has concluded its mandate and has been terminated. |
How many projects are there and what are they? |
There are twelve projects.
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What is the goal of the IWM projects? |
To lay the foundation to design a comprehensive approach to watershed management to address land-use decisions, environmental projects, infrastructure projects and broader public policy options. These projects aim to identify the existing conditions within the Muskoka River Watershed, characterize the watershed and lay the foundation for the future development of an IWM Plan. |
How will these projects help to address flooding events in the Muskoka River Watershed? |
The projects seek to understand the causes of flooding in Muskoka and what can be done in the future to mitigate flood events by:
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Who is funding the projects and how much funding did the District receive? |
The Province of Ontario announced an initial investment of $5 million to examine the existing conditions in the watershed, explore ways to reduce the impacts of flooding and address the health of the Muskoka River Watershed.
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Who is leading the projects? |
The District of Muskoka is leading the majority of the projects with support from the Muskoka Watershed Council and the Community Roundtable. |
What is the Muskoka Watershed Council? |
Founded in 2001 and incorporated as a non-profit organization in July 2019, the Muskoka Watershed Council is an initiative of The District Municipality of Muskoka and the Muskoka community as an advisory (not a regulatory or enforcement) agency. The Council, comprised entirely of volunteers, makes evidence-based recommendations to municipal governments, decision-makers, managers, and the public on ways to protect and restore the resources of the area’s watersheds. Learn more: www.muskokawatershed.org |
What is the Community Roundtable? |
The Community Roundtable (CRT) was established by the Muskoka Watershed Council (MWC) in 2021. Its mission is to promote and support the initiation of IWM in the Muskoka River Watershed by 1) providing the District with input and advice on its initial suite of projects; and 2) engaging and educating the watershed community and contributing local input, knowledge, experience and guidance in the development of an integrated watershed management strategy for the Muskoka River Watershed. The establishment of the Community Roundtable was one of the recommendations from the Muskoka Watershed Advisory Group. |
Who is involved with the Community Roundtable? |
The Community Roundtable includes:
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Are Indigenous Nations involved, engaged or consulted with on the projects? |
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Where can I find the final reports for each of the projects? |
Links to the final report for each of the 12 projects are linked above (see "Project Overview and Findings"). |
Will more funding for additional IWM work be forthcoming? |
There is currently no additional or guaranteed funding in place. |
How can I get involved? |
You can participate in the Community Roundtable:
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