SUMMARY Watershed organizations in Canada are developing watershed report cards in growing numbers, ostensibly to inform watershed and municipal planning decisions.¹ However, their effectiveness as planning tools is unconfirmed and ambigu- ous. Research to investigate the perceived value and influence of watershed report cards in Canada was conducted in 2009– 2010. This article summarizes the general findings and recommendations of this research.²
RÉSUMÉ Des organismes d’examen des bassins d’alimentation du Canada élabo- rent un nombre croissant de rapports sur les bassins d’alimentation, officiellement pour éclairer les décisions sur les bassins et l’urbanisme municipal¹. Leur efficacité en tant qu’outils de planification reste toutefois non confirmée et ambiguë. Des recherches pour étudier la valeur et l’influence recon- nues des rapports sur les bassins d’alimentation au Canada ont été menées en 2009 et 2010. Cet article résume les conclusions générales et les recommanda- tions de ces recherches².
BOLSTERING THE ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF WATERSHED REPORT CARDS IN PLANNING
BY BARBARA VEALE, PHD, MCIP, RPP THE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AGENDA
A watershed is an area of land draining into a common water body such as a river or lake. Throughout centuries, the manipulation and consumption of natural resources by human civilizations have dramatically altered the hydrological, ecological, and biochemical func- tions of watersheds. The outcomes, including increased flooding, erosion, sedimentation, and pollution, have resulted in adverse effects to human health and safety. Today, escalating global populations and land use changes, combined with the implications of climate change, exacerbate the situation. Watershed management as a means of addressing regional water and land management issues is actively pursued by the United Nations and the European Union and is endorsed at the triennial World Water Forums.³ In Canada, Ontario and Manitoba were early adopters of watershed management. Provincial legislation in 1946 (Conservation Authorities Act ) and 1972 (The Conservation
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