6.0 Glen Tay Catchment: Accomplishments/Activities
Achievements noted by the Friends of the Tay Watershed Association (FoTW) are indicated by an asterisk.
In-stream/Fish Habitat
17.9 kilometres of the Tay River in the catchment have been surveyed and 19 headwaters sites are sampled once every six years by the RVCA using the Ontario Stream Assessment Protocol.
The report "Fish Habitat of the Tay River Watershed: Existing Conditions and Opportunities for Enhancement" was prepared in 2002 by MNR, RVCA, Parks Canada and DFO. A number of specific fish habitat enhancement projects are identified in the report to improve the fishery along the Tay River (see pp. 79-92).
Septic Inspections
58 voluntary septic system re-inspections have been conducted by the Mississippi Rideau Septic System Office on 59 properties in the Glen Tay catchment, as a service provided to Tay Valley Township since 2004.
Tree Planting
39,650 trees have been planted at seven sites in the Glen Tay catchment by the RVCA Private Land Forestry Program, resulting in the reforestation of 21 hectares.
Water Quality
Three stream monitoring sites in the Glen Tay catchment - two on the Tay River; one on the Scotts Snye - are sampled yearly by the RVCA for 22 parameters at each location, six times a year, to assess surface chemistry water quality conditions.
One Ontario Benthic Biomonitoring Network site on the Tay River in the Glen Tay catchment is sampled by the RVCA in the spring and fall of each year with three replicates, to assess instream biological water quality conditions.
Twenty-seven Clean Water projects were completed by the RVCA Rural Clean Water Program.
Water Taking
OMYA corporation reports annually to the public on its water-taking over the past 12 months - a condition of their Permit to Take Water (PTTW) for the withdrawal of water from the Tay River and company-owned wells. The taking of water began in accordance with the conditions outlined in the PTTW (and other permits) obtained in September 2003. At the first public meeting held to fulfil a condition of the water taking permit - to hold one public meeting in a calendar year to present a report on the company's water taking - there was great interest in the results presented by OMYA. Subsequent meetings have kept the community well-informed about its activities and adherence to the permit conditions, thus helping to alleviate public concerns about the water taking.
The Friends of the Tay Watershed Association help promote OMYA's report to the public about its water taking activities over the previous year.*
OMYA has installed a state-of-the-art digital water meter on the Tay River (one of the PTTW conditions). The data collected provides valuable information regarding Tay River water flows and facilitates future environmental and scientific study of the river.
Waterway Planning and Management
The Tay Watershed Management Plan (2002) brought together a diverse group of watershed stakeholders to exchange information and opinions on the challenges facing the watershed. This forum focused the community on the need for managing the Tay Watershed, requiring positive cooperation amongst a range of stakeholders and helped develop a foundation of data and information on the watershed and resources against which later developments and trends are being measured and decisions are being made.
The Plan also led to the formation of the Friends of the Tay Watershed Association, who have been instrumental in implementing 20 of 24 management plan recommendations. In the opinion of the Association, one of the most significant measures of success for the water protection activities carried out in the Tay watershed is that there has never been a serious environmental pollution incident that threatened the area’s drinking water or its recreational waterbodies. To this day, the Friends of the Tay Watershed remain committed to preserving and enhancing the health of the Tay River watershed through their work.*