Watershed Planning

A watershed plan recommends how water resources are to be protected and improved as land uses change, and allows for smaller sub-watershed or site management plans. A watershed plan can be initiated by any individual, group, provincial ministry, municipality, or conservation authority for a variety of reasons, such as:

• future resource extraction threatening water or related resources;
• future urban development;
• environmentally sensitive watershed conditions; or
• rehabilitation of watersheds.
   

A watershed plan often contains the following information:

• watershed management strategy;
• identification of form and function of natural systems;
• relationship of watershed plan to sub-watershed plans;
• watershed issues;
• plan recommendations; and,
• implementation plans.

MNR and CAs, through the watershed planning process protect water quantity and quality through environmentally friendly municipal land-use and development procedures and wetlands preservation.

Note: A watershed plan does not take the place of other planning processes such as Lands for Life or Municipal Planning under the Planning Act.

For more information, click on to the “watershed planning” guidelines listed below.

• Watershed Management
• Subwatershed Planning
• Municipal Planning