Posted: August 30, 2013
Hot Summer Issues
Ottawa Riverkeeper is keeping busy with a never-ending list of issues to solve and an amazing network of Riverwatchers who keep us informed and active in communities up and down our great river.
The summer has been hot and dry but great for swimming! The Waterkeeper Swim Guide has been widely used across North America and Jessica Jaja, Ottawa Riverkeeper’s Swim Guide Coordinator, has added over 150 beaches in the Ottawa River Watershed to the guide and followed water quality results all summer. Soon you will hear the scoop on Ottawa River beaches; how often are they closed and do we monitor them often enough to really know if water quality is good for swimming most days?
Ottawa Riverkeeper is keeping busy with a never-ending list of issues to solve and an amazing network of Riverwatchers who keep us informed and active in communities up and down our great river. The Petawawa River is threatened and Ottawa Riverkeeper is involved, fighting to keep this tributary free-flowing. The Federal government has weakened environmental protection and now many projects that will have major impacts on our lakes and rivers are no longer required to undergo federal environmental assessments. Riverkeeper continues to work with the Friends of the Gatineau River and mayors to keep poorly treated septage waste out of the river and find a more sustainable and progressive regional solution. Speaking of sewage, the City of Ottawa continues to dump it in our river and is choosing to blame the federal government instead of taking responsibility and fixing the problem. The good news is that the newly signed national wastewater effluent regulations will force the City of Gatineau to upgrade their wastewater treatment plant that continues to dumps untreated sewage into the river when it rains.
A proposed quarry and asphalt plant in Plantagenet has locals scratching their heads – how did the zoning get changed without amendments to the Official Plan? Mississippi Riverwatchers are taking action to protect their local river and have made excellent recommendations for how to improve the water management plan for the Mississippi River. Norway Bay Riverwatcher Virginia MacLatchy has made outstanding strides in her region, working with Ottawa Riverkeeper and the Province of Quebec to enforce floodplain development laws on land bordering the Ottawa River.
A hearty thanks to everyone who is involved and spending precious time and energy to protect our water. Fall is the season for shoreline cleanups, so why not explore your local shoreline and get involved!
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