Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) has released its Watershed Plan Characterization Report—an important step forward in collaborative and science-based environmental planning across one of Ontario’s most rapidly growing regions. The report is available to read at cvc.ca/WatershedPlanReport.
“The Characterization Report is a critical milestone that will guide future actions to protect, enhance and restore the health of Credit River Watershed,” said Behnam Doulatyari, Watershed Plans and Source Water Protection at CVC. “It captures the story of the watershed—where we’ve been, where we are, and what needs to be done to ensure its resilience for generations to come.”
The Characterization Report provides valuable data, tools, and mapping products to support science-driven decision-making by local municipalities. It will help municipalities integrate watershed science into their official plans, climate and natural heritage strategies, and park, stormwater and natural asset management plans.
“Our municipal partners play a key role in protecting watershed health,” said Kata Bavrlic, Supervisor of Watershed Plans and Analytics at CVC. “The Characterization Report provides a shared foundation of science that municipalities can use to make informed planning decisions now and into the future.”
The report also offers insights for residents of the watershed. It emphasizes the power of individual and community-level actions—like planting trees, reducing stormwater runoff, or protecting native species and greenspaces—in contributing to a healthy and resilient watershed for everyone.
What’s in the Report
The Characterization Report presents a detailed analysis of current watershed conditions and how they have changed over time. It’s based on decades of environmental monitoring data, advanced modelling, and the latest geospatial and analytical tools. The report identifies key threats to the watershed, and their impacts on natural hazards, water resource and natural heritage systems. Understanding the condition of the Credit River Watershed, and the threats it faces, is the first step to identify actions to protect and restore the local natural environment.
It’s organized into six sections:
- Human Dimension and Social Fabric: A social analysis of who lives in the watershed, how they interact with the land, and how their behaviours influence watershed health.
- Study Area and Physical Setting: An overview of the watershed’s geography, geology, climate, and land use trends.
- Water Resource System: Assessment of groundwater and surface water systems, including quantity, quality, and stream temperature.
- Natural Heritage System: Analysis of ecosystems and biodiversity, with a focus on the current state of forests, wetlands, grasslands and streams. This section also includes a look at the benefits nature provides to people, such as clean water, flood protection and recreation.
- Conclusion: Highlights key findings, identifies data gaps, and sets the stage for the next phase of watershed planning.
Future phases of the Watershed Plan will explore how land use, climate change, and the actions we take will influence watershed health. These results will shape the final Watershed Plan, which will include targeted management recommendations and strategy for implementation. For more information about CVC’s Watershed Plan, visit cvc.ca/WatershedPlan.
About Credit Valley Conservation
Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) is a local conservation authority established by the Ontario government in 1954 to protect, restore and enhance the natural environment of the Credit River Watershed. Our watershed is defined by the area of land where all rainfall, snowmelt and runoff drains into lands and waters flowing into the Credit River. CVC creates connections between people and nature, knowledge and action. We inspire a deep appreciation for the role of nature in keeping people connected, healthy and happy. CVC is a member of Conservation Ontario.