RBC Bluewater and the Couchiching Conservancy are teaming up for a second year to monitor the water quality of critical streams and rivers in our region.
Thanks in part to a grant from RBC Bluewater last year, the Couchiching Conservancy was able to establish seven monitoring sites and train 4 volunteers to monitor water in the Carden Alvar. This year, a $10,000 grant from RBC Bluewater will allow the Conservancy to recruit more volunteers and add sites in Ramara and the City of Orillia. the teams test for temperature, water clarity, alkalinity, pH, phosphates, nitrates, and the amount of oxygen in the water.
There will be a kick-off event on June 2nd, which is RBC’s Clean Water Day nation-wide. Local RBC staff will join the Conservancy at Grant Wetland on Bay Street to watch our Water Team in action, learn how to test water themselves, and understand wetlands and watersheds.
All lives depend upon clean water and everyone lives in a watershed. The way we use water and our activities on the land adjacent to waterways impact how swimmable, fishable, and drinkable our water will be now and in the future.
Grant Wetland has two tributaries of Fittons Creek flowing through it which merge near Fittons Road and Maple Drive and empty into Lake Couchiching. It is part of an important wildlife corridor and is habitat for fox, coyote, marsh birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
Recently the Couchiching Conservancy’s Water Team discovered an ancient and unique species of fish in Fittons Creek called a Trout-Perch. Dating back over 35 million years, this species is the last link between Trout and Perch, before they branched off into two unique species. Observations such as this highlight the importance of regular water monitoring. Watch a video of the Trout-Perch here
Want to get involved? We will be training new volunteers over the next two months. More details on what’s involved here.
For more information contact dorthea@couchconservancy.ca (705) 326-1620.
For more information on the RBC Bluewater program click here
To see a photo album of the Water Monitoring Project click here