Excerpt
THE Maitland Valley Conservation Authority is 1 of 38 such bodies in Ontario formed under the Conservation Authorities Act of 1946, which sought to integrate the management of renewable natural resources at the local level. The stimulus for this movement was a concern for the issues of erosion, reforestation, and flooding. Conservation authorities are established at the request of counties and urban centers. They function on a watershed basis and funding is shared by local and provincial agencies.
Management on a watershed basis and local involvement are vital precepts in addressing nonpoint-source pollution issues. Jurisdiction within a basin enables conservation authorities to link soil and water problems within a logical and consistent framework while being able to respond to local priorities (4).
The Maitland watershed encompasses 1,164 square miles (3,015 square kilometers) and drains into the Maitland and Lucknow River systems on the eastern shore of Lake Huron. The basin is mainly rural in nature, containing some of the best agricultural land in the province. As in other highly productive agricultural areas, farms have expanded and intensified, using new markets and technologies. The result has been greater impacts on water resources, particularly sedimentation. In certain areas of …
Footnotes
Mike Puddister, formerly resources planning technician with the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority, Wroxeter, Ontario, now is employed by the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, Meadowvale, Ontario, LOJ 1KO. The author thanks Jane Taylor, Engineering Services Technologist, who provided original data compilation and comments on earlier versions of this paper.
- Copyright 1985 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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