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Home My WebLink AboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-12-25, Page 19Environment's Showcasing Water Innovation Program and in-kind con- tributions from other partners. llealthy Lake Huron is a partnership of federal and provincial ministries, county and local government, public health and conservation agencies, landowners and community groups, and other partners working to protect and improve water quality in Lake lluron. For more information visit healthylakehuron.ca and ruralstorm- water.com. Background on the Rural Stormwater Management Model Protect llealthy lake l luron's Rural Storm - water Management Model (RSWMM) Project has already improved long- term monitoring of water quality, quantity, and weather through instal- lation of five new or upgraded moni- toring stations in drainage areas along Lake !futon's southeastern shoreline. The project is also creating a new com- puter model to better understand the impacts when water runs off land dur- ing a storm event and to mitigate or eliminate those Impacts. A new com- puter model would help municipali- ties and field staff to work with Land- owners. The model would also show which projects would work best to manage stormwater runoff, water quantity and quality from a watershed perspective, the ideal scala for projects, and the hest locations to place them for the best results. The model, when completed, can also help landowners and funders to decide where limited stewardship dollars can he invested for the most henefit. Urban areas already use computer models to manage stormwater runoff but no single model currently exists Lig J Wednesday, December 25, 2013 • Lakeshore Advance 19 Farmers, rural landowners share their best management practices in new videos about working together to manage stormwater runoff Videos show landowner projects keeping soil on the land and sediment out of creeks, rivers, and Lake Huron; community groups doing watershed plans; and children planting dune grasses Lakeshore Advance Healthy Lake Huron has released three online vid- eos to share some of the good work local groups, farmers and other land- owners, community part- ners, and students are doing in a largely rural area that stretches from Sarnia to Tobermory. The local people in the videos are working together, along the shoreline, to better manage runoff during storm events and to keep sediment out of creeks, rivers, and Lake Huron. The videos were pro- duced as part of the Rural Stormwater Management Model Project and can be viewed at ruralstormwater. coin and by clicking on 'Videos' or by going to this link: http://www.rural- stormwater.com/page. php?page=videos "These videos were only possible thanks to the land- owners who took part, the local groups and people doing great things in the community, schools and Care -A -Van of hope rolls through Goderich Scotiabank matches donations Ryan Goodyear For NI Agency The United Way Care -A - Van of hope rolled through 'oderich, collecting dona- tions, and eager to help those in need. The Huron -Perth initiative saw United Way members travel to different communi- ties in the counties. This year the campaign benifitted from the help of Scotiabank, which volunteered to be a partner and matched dona- tions up to $15,000. Wayne Smith, who helped spearhead the mission, said with Scotiabank as a partner this year, there has been extra motivation. "Scotibank stood up as a partner and said if you raise $15,000 we will double it for you. So we published that, that's why we are coming around to different ban and, •doao invade pickir4015 hi itheaVd+4bty J«••lite Smith explained. "It's been an excellent motivator." The event has been run- ning for three years now. It started in September, with the formal wrap up Dec. 15. The Care -A -Van made seven stops; Goderich was the third. Members travelled in a bus donated by Cherrey Buslines and heard stories from member agencies and received greetings from local dignitaries. While the members enjoy the trip and collecting dona- tions, Smith said it's meeting the people and explaining to them what the goal is all about that he enjoys most. "One of the things that I really enjoy about this cam- paign is meeting people and sharing what the United Way is all about, and what we do for the community," Smith said. "We have been getting a tremendous response. l find that when you can sit down with people and talk to therm, and explain what's being 1ti�1�,t� ', students, parents and guardians, staff, the videographers, and the members of the llealthy Lake Huron partner- ship;" said Tim Cumming, Communi- cations Specialist with Ausable Bay- field Conservation and Healthy Lake Huron's Rural Stormwater Manage- meint Model (RSWMM) Project. "11 is very powerful to hear local people share their personal stories and we hope their work and their vision will give other residents ideas of some things they can do to protect and improve water quality in their local creek or river." The main video is about ten min- utes in length. It is called Working Together for Clean Water, Clean Beaches. The video features Landown- ers and conservation staff from five priority areas along the lake Huron shoreline. Property owners in the video talk about projects they are doing to keep soil on the land and to keep bacteria, chemicals, and sedi- ment out of watercourses. The video covers five sentinel watersheds along Lake Huron's southeastern shore, including the Latnbton Shores, Main Bayfield, Bayfield North (Gullies), Garvey Creek - Glenn Drain (North Shore), and Pine River watersheds. The second video is only two and a half minutes long and it features stu- dents from l.ucknow Central Public School planting dune grasses along the shore through a project by the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation. 'The third video is about three min- utes in length. It is shot at Bannock- burn Conservation Area and it focuses on the work the community around the Bayfield River is doing to create the new Main Bayfield Watershed Plan and put the plan into action. Healthy Lake Huron: Clean Water, Clean Beaches is developing a new Rural Stormwater Management Model. The project is funded by a grant from the Ontario Ministry of the New to (:rand Bend and area? Had a New Baby? Getting Married? First Time Grandparents? Starting a Business? Be stare to call... 'sl .COMP IS' AGON'n. SIPA lt 19111 Faye Van Oss 519-238-8048 1.866417 i-9941 Welcome Wagon has free gifts and information on behalf of (irand Bend & area businesses. Ben iIler Intl c`z. Sha 1 Cv Christmas Day Brunch 10am-Noon • $26.95+ Christmas Day Dinner Buffet 5pm-7pm • $30+ New Year's Eve Gala $75+ per person ReArtvat$ons Recommended '1I11 1►c tntatillt r Ittn .\ )1►.1 H I . Il„ttt1 111 t t tttt 1 ...414 tt, '11'1 I ''It,' 11 t ,'1111,111' 1 (.I with all the features needed to under- stand and manage stormwater runoff effectively in rural areas like Lake l luron's southeastern shoreline. That's why llealthy Lake Huron identified the need for this project. For more information, visit ruralstornnwater. con and healthylakehuron.ca. "The model will be a new tool to give peo- ple more detailed information about how their projects can reduce the impact of runoff during storm events;' said Alec Scott, manager of the RSWMM project. "When people can see the benefits created by a wetland, or herrn, or natural harrier, or a plant- ing prosect, or a change in cropping practices, they may be more likely to consider doing that project, or adopt- ing that practice, 00 their property.” Two firms are working together, with Healthy Lake Huron, to create the model: Computational l lydraullcs International ((:111) and Emmons & Olivier Resources, inc. (EOR). The model will build upon the US Envi- ronmental Protection Agency's Storm - water Management Model (SWMM) and the i'(:5WMM software which is a powerful support package for SWMM modeling. The new model will com- bine urban modeling features with rural features such as agricultural best management practices; understand- ing of changes from season to season or even within a season (such as changes in crop cover); modeling of roads, ditches, and culverts; slope and terrain types; dynamic travel of water running over land; tracking of key pot lutatnts (sediment, phosphorous and nitrogen); and other features. •✓A :: srl: LIoN BRANCH 498, GRAND BEND BINGO Tuesday - 7pm (Age of Majority Only) MEAT DRAWS Fridays Spm - 7pm FREE WI -FI TO ALL PATRONS ENTERTAINMENT NEW YEARS EVE & JAN 1sT ``MIDLIFE CRISIS" New Years Eve Party $25 Advance tickets only! "You're only a stranger here once." EVERYONE WELCOME Hall Rentals call the Legion yy . at 519-238,212Q . aa --;a—