As it nears its twentieth anniversary, conservationists who oversee the Huron Clean Water Project (HCWP) are looking back at the achievements they've made across the region.
The fund was enacted in 2004, and its first project was completed the following year. It was created to support water quality projects in Huron County by protecting the health of soil, water, and people by keeping bacteria, harmful chemicals, and nutrients out of creeks, rivers, and Lake Huron.
The HCWP has since grown into one of the most successful on-the-ground water quality improvement projects in Ontario. The project provides financial and technical assistance to residents to improve and protect local water quality. It is funded by the county, and service delivery is provided by the Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley conservation authorities.
Nathan Schoelier, the Stewardship and Conservation Lands Manager with Ausable Bayfield, said after nearly two decades, many projects have remained the same, but some new trends have also emerged.
"We've seen less livestock access restriction over the years, and we're trending towards more cover crops and erosion control," said Schoelier. "Some of this can be attributed to less livestock on the landscape and some of the areas where the cattle were previously in water courses. People have done some excellent projects to exclude them from the water courses."
Another project Schoelier explained is working out well, is the project's cover crop incentive. He said it's a relatively recent concept that encourages farmers to try new cover crop mixes and techniques and demonstrate their use.
"[Cover crops] are a cost-effective way to cover a large amount of the watershed, and they work by covering the soil during the vulnerable off-season period and keeping that sediment and nutrients on the landscape and out of our water courses."
To date, HCWP has helped residents complete over 3,600 projects, and funded $14.5-million in total reported costs. The conservation authorities have assisted in planting more than 600,000 trees, upgraded 432 wells, and placed 232 kilometres of windbreaks, among other projects.
Schoelier said Huron County has become a leader in the Clean Water Project, and they're very excited about celebrating the upcoming twentieth birthday and some of the great work done over the years.
More information about the HCWP can be found on the County of Huron's website.
