By: Saeed Akhtar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeshore News Reporter
Following a significant funding announcement, the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) is set to launch several initiatives to improve the health of Lake Erie and the Detroit River Area of Concern. MP Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water, along with Irek Kusmierczyk, MP for Windsor-Tecumseh, revealed the financial support that will enable ERCA to carry out these critical environmental projects.
“This generous funding from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Changes’ Great Lakes Fresh Water Ecosystem Initiative will have a profound impact on the well-being of our local watershed region,” said Jim Morrison, ERCA Chair.
Two habitat projects will be implemented in the Detroit River area of concern. A former wetland that disappeared south of Fighting Island will be restored with the construction of off-shore rock berms to improve nesting wetland bird and fish habitat and slow erosion of the island. As well, the dyke which protects the River Canard wetlands – the most significant wetland complex remaining on the Canadian side of the Detroit River – will be rehabilitated to protect habitat for fish and wildlife populations.
“These two important projects will enable the habitat Beneficial Use Impairment of the Detroit River to be removed, bringing it one step closer to being delisted as an Area of Concern,” Morrison adds.
In Leamington, the Hillman Marsh Restoration Plan will focus on restoring and revitalizing the degraded protective barrier beach at this Provincially Significant Wetland. The project will utilize a combination of traditional engineering and nature-based solutions to address the challenges posed by climate change and fluctuating lake levels. A new barrier will be constructed based on climate and lake-level projections to endure prolonged lake-level extremes and storm events. This restored barrier beach will help dissipate waves, protect the marsh, and support vegetation planting, ultimately enhancing the ecosystem’s health.
The Essex Region Nutrient Reduction Program will also be implemented across the region. Through this effort, ERCA will work collaboratively with the agricultural community to reduce nutrient loadings. This will include a significant outreach effort to construct several agriculturally focused BMPs while enhancing water quality sampling to monitor nutrient concentrations in six local watersheds.
A total of $15 million has been allocated to implement these projects over the next four years.
“Without this significant investment from the Government of Canada, these major projects would not be able to proceed,” Morrison said.
“With increasingly violent storm events, erosion and other issues related to our rapidly changing climate, the importance of expediently implementing these protective and restorative measures cannot be overstated.”
The Essex Region Conservation Authority is a public sector organization established by the Province of Ontario in 1973 and governed by local municipalities. For more than 50 years, it has delivered programs and services that further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources in watersheds in the Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island region.
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