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Credit Valley Conservation releases watershed report card

March 30, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

In conjunction with Conservation Ontario, Credit Valley Conservation is launching its 2023 Watershed Report Card.

The Watershed Report Card provides a snapshot of the environmental health of the Credit River Watershed.

“Our watershed monitoring program helps us understand environmental conditions in the Credit River Watershed,” said CVC’s Jon Nodwell, program manager of watershed monitoring. “We monitor surface water quality in streams, groundwater quality, and forest conditions throughout the watershed. Measuring these features helps us identify areas to protect and issues to address.”

Similar to school report cards, letters A through F are used to demonstrate where the Credit River Watershed is thriving and where it needs improvement. Areas with an A (excellent) grade are typically found in parts of the watershed with natural land cover, such as forests and wetlands. Lower grades of D (poor) and F (very poor) identify watershed areas that can benefit from continued restoration, environmental enhancement, land stewardship and management.

Land cover and land use influence grades achieved by different areas. The more urbanized, lower watershed tends to score on the low end, ranging from C to F. The more rural, middle, and upper watershed areas are typically graded as B and C.

Groundwater quality was more variable across the watershed, ranging from A to F, although mostly A grades were issued.

According to the CVC report card, land use change and climate change remain the most significant stressors impacting the health of the Credit River Watershed. The report also highlights aquatic invasive species, including what they are, how they affect the watershed, how individuals can help stop their spread and what action CVC is taking.

You can read the 2023 Credit Valley Conservation Watershed report at cvc.ca/watershed-report-card.

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