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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-11-25, Page 28Valleys & Peopie - Fail 1987 -- Page 4 Itland VaIIey Conservation Auth First formed in 1951 the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority works for the pro- per management of the natural resources of the Maitland Valley. Over the past 36 years the MVCA has developed a number of programs from flood forecasting to private land reforestation to meet the re- source management needs of our area. Authority programs continue to evolve to meet today's resource management con- cerns. The problems of flooding and erosion 1utve been evident since people first began settling along rivers and streams. In the 19.40.s growing concern about these prob- lems brought conservationist groups and government together to design a new tramewors tor managing natural re- sources: The Conservation Authorities Act. This Act allowed local residents con- cerned by flooding erosion and other re- source management problems in their area to petition the government to form a "Conservation Authority". A Conservation Authority is a unique organization that is, in effect, a public cor- poration working in partnership with its member municipalities and the Province of Ontario. The boundary of the Conserva- tion Authority is defined by the valley or watershed: the area drained by a particu- lar river system. Each of the 33 munici- palities wholly or partly within the Mait- land Valley watershed appoints a repre- sentative to the Authority. The members represent the views of residents in their municipality, by, providing local input into the operationsand projects of the Author- ity. Working capital for the MVCA comes throughmunicipal levies, provincial grants, operational revenues, private donations and government employment programs. Since the initial recorded flood in 1834, the residents of the Maitland Valley have been subjected to periods of high water of varying severity in almost every month of the year. To try to remedy this situation repre- sentatives from 13 municipalities met in Listowel in 1951 to petition the government to form the Middle Maitland Valley Conservation Authority. In 1961 the Authority was expanded to cover the entire Maitland watershed and was renamed the Maitland Valley Con- servation Authority. MVCA programs continue to evolve to meet today's resource management concerns Through the 1970's and 1980's townships along the Lake Huron shoreline joined the Authority to gain assistance with lakefront and gully erosion, and flooding problems along the Lucknow River. By 1986, 33 mu- nicipalities were members of the Authority. The control of flooding remains as one of the MVCA's major concerns. The most flood prone areas of the watershed are the headwater sections of the Maitland and Lucknow Rivers, including Listowel, Har- riston, Wingham and Lucknow. But the Authority has had to deal with a number of resource management problems in addi- tion to flooding. A look at the natural re- sources of our area reveals the need for current MVCA programs. The Maitland Valley Natural Resources In Our Watershed The Maitland Valley covers approxi- mately 1,200 square miles. Within this area there is an abundance of natural resources from the Maitland River itself to forest and wetland areas. Undoubtedly the greatest single resource of the valley is soil. It forms the basis for the local farm economy and way of life. In fact 80 per cent of the land area ,is used for agriculture. Rivers, forests and wetlands cover 18 per cent with urban areas making up the re- maining two per cent. Left alone, soil and water resources will stay in constant balance. But when man interferes with this balance, problems are created including flooding soil erosion and water pollution. Most of the towns and villages in our watershed are located along the Maitland and Nine Mile Rivers. As a result over a dozen urban and rural municipalities are subject to flooding. Along the Lake Huron shoreline many buildings are threatened by bluff and beach erosion. Flooding and erosion can have a serious impact on towns and villages. The large amount of residentialndevelopment in'flood prone areas presents the potential for loss of life and property damage. Erosion is a slow process that does not threaten lives, but the potential for property damage is great, particularly in z 0 cr 2 areas along the Lake Huron shoreline that are subject to bluff erosion. With agriculture playing such a promin- ent role in the watershed, it is to be ex- pected that agricultural land management practices will have an impact on soil and water. In the last 20 years, agriculture in the Maitland Valley has evolved from mixed farming towards intensive row crop pro- duction and livestock operations. These changes in agricultural practices have in- creased the problems of soil erosion and water pollution from rural sources. Q v w h w s dr The MVCA's Membe l r %maw®gro®®.ems 1011. Rrd®®ie GOOERI CLINTON •010\ SEAFORTH FLOODING—on Wallace Avenue North, Listowel, March 19, 1948.