Adaptive Management Strategies - Making It Work - Brian Kemp GM Conservation Lands Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority Ontario, Canada PRESENTATION OVERVIEW Abridged version originally presented at River Rally 2015 in New Mexico, USA Lake Simcoe Watershed Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority Our Story Adapting to Change Key Lessons Lake Simcoe Watershed Close to southern border of Canada in Province of Ontario One hour north of City of Toronto Largest inland lake in Southern Ontario Lake Simcoe Watershed 25km 3,300 km 2 watershed, including the Lake km 2 35 rivers and creeks 400,000 people Diverse land use Experiencing rapid urban growth Lake Simcoe Watershed Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority Local watershed management agencies Base funding from local government 36 across Ontario Diverse size and responsibilities small to very large Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority Growing and changing since the 1950s Approx. 100 staff Diverse responsibilities - planning, permitting, research, stewardship, education Winner of 2009 Thiess International Riverprize Twinning Partnership: Ayuquila-Armeria River Basin, Mexico Our Story Adapting to Change Too much phosphorus leading to... Excessive aquatic plant biomass Low DO levels contributing to a decline in coldwater fish species such as Lake Trout Impact on recreation Aggressive phosphorus load target of 44T/yr (LSPP) Our Story Adapting to Change Some past successes... Phosphorus loads from Sewage Treatment Plants have been capped Significant investment in rural land stewardship Since 1995 all new development required stormwater ponds (80% TSS removal) Need to adapt our management approach to achieve target Our Story Adapting to Change 2014 Urban Area = 25,128 ha Approved growth of 9,990 ha from 2014 to 2031 = 35,028 ha Additional growth of about 2,300 ha to 2041 Challenging Phosphorus load targets Mitigating or minimizing human impacts - achieve a balance between future growth targets and watershed ecological requirements EvaluatePlanActMonitor Demonstrate how effective implementation of an adaptive management strategy can make positive change to your organizations restoration and protection efforts. Adaptive Management Strategies Making It Work Case Study Stormwater Management in Lake Simcoe Watershed Our Story Adapting to Change Monitoring and Evaluation Extensive monitoring program Tributary status & trends Stormwater pond assessment Research and Assessment Assess effectiveness of new approaches/BMPs Our Story Adapting to Change Subwatershed Plans Characterize condition of natural environment Identify stressors on watershed health Develop roadmap for future protection and rehabilitation Recommendations Implementation Our Story Adapting to Change Implementation Plans Steps to achieve recommendations Tools (SPOT) Training Policy Changes Pilot Projects Workshops Communication Strategies Our Story Adapting to Change Stewardship Undertaking restoration and protection activities Adapting to changing needs (keeping it relevant) Increase awareness, knowledge and understanding Sustain the program Lessons Learned Moving Forward Need to have and sustain an environmental monitoring program Do your research Test and monitor in real world conditions Evaluate problems/issues you have to overcome Lessons Learned Moving Forward SMART recommendations Multiple strategies Structured plans Monitor and report on progress (report card) Periodic meetings (check in, adapt) Create simple mapping tools (priority setting) Lessons Learned Moving Forward Increase community awareness (demo projects) Build new knowledge and skills Build new partnerships Develop new funding models Demonstrate success !!! Wrapping It Up... Can take a lot of time and resources to adapt your program Consequence of not adapting not achieving desired outcomes Need to take sufficient risk from which to learn and adapt EvaluatePlanActMonitor Not a clean and simple process, keep anchored in the basic steps of the cycle Acknowledgements and Thank You Colleagues from LSRCA Ben Longstaff David Lembcke Bill Thompson Phil Davies International RiverFoundation