Keeping Lake Huron Clean - McGuinty Government Working To Protect Lake Huron

NEWS	July 21, 2011

Ontario is helping to improve water quality in Lake Huron.

The partnership with Conservation Authorities, health units, and the Counties of Lambton, Huron and Bruce will support three new projects around Lake Huron.

• The Huron County Clean Water Project provides up to 50 per cent funding to owners of farms and rural properties to build livestock fences and plant trees along waterways, and properly decommission old manure storages and abandoned wells.
• The Garvey/Glenn Watershed Project, which will increase water storage capacity and control erosion that adds sediment to the water in the Maitland Valley.
• A water management strategy for the Main Bayfield River watershed.

Ontario is making investments to protect and conserve water while building a strong, sustainable future for our agri-food industries and rural communities.

QUOTES

"Ontario farmers have always been excellent stewards of the land. This investment will help our farmers and our communities continue to protect Lake Huron and our surrounding water resources to keep them clean and protect them for generations to come. "
- Carol Mitchell, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

"Moving ahead with actual on the ground projects is critical to the success of this watershed strategy. This funding will be used to help construct erosion control berms and create wetlands in the headwaters this fall. These projects will benefit everyone downstream."
- Wilf Gamble, Chair, Maitland Valley Conservation Authority

"Today is a great day to share information about this grant as the community celebrates the 40th anniversary of the addition of the Bayfield River Watershed to the conservation authority's area of responsibility - this grant from the Province of Ontario will support practical steps to improve water quality in the Main Bayfield River Watershed, in partnership with the community, and support positive actions by landowners."
- Jim Ginn, Chair, Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority Board of Directors

"The province's funding is a welcome addition to Huron County's Clean Water Project, which funds water quality improvement projects such as erosion control, tree planting, and watercourse protection. The County's program has consistently resulted in a 3-fold investment in the community for every dollar of water protection funding, so this money not only benefits the environment, it also stimulates the local economy."
- Huron County Warden Neil Vincent

QUICK FACTS

• A total of $150,000 is being invested in these projects as part of Ontario's commitment to improving water quality in all the Great Lakes.
• In June, Ontario had an increase of more than 40,000 jobs and the unemployment rate declined to 7.7 per cent.

LEARN MORE

Find out more about Lake Huron.

Keeping Our Water Clean