WEST CARLETON – Seven Constance Bay property owners received grants in 2018 for projects designed to bring stability to their shoreline.

They were part of 49 “small-scale projects aimed at protecting Ottawa’s waterways, wetlands and groundwater in 2018,” Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee (ARAC) members heard today (July 4) in the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program (ORCWP) year-end wrap up presented to ARAC by City of Ottawa project manager Julia Robinson and the South Nation Conservation Authority’s Ronda Boutz.

The ORCWP is a partnership between the city and area conservation authorities including Mississippi and Rideau valleys. The ORCWP provides cost-sharing grants to farmers and other rural property owners to adopt best management practices that protect Ottawa’s streams, rivers, wetlands and groundwater. The 2016-2020 program was approved by council in September 2015, based on a review of the 2011-2015 program. The program is required to report annually ARAC.

The city has provided more than $152,000 in grants over the last two years, most of which involved developing forest management plans, undertaking erosion control work and decommissioning unused wells. The program also supported the first ever controlled-tile drainage project to receive a city grant. This relatively new technology will help farmers manage water levels on their fields.

Robinson told West Carleton Online shortly after the conclusion of today’s ARAC meeting the program received seven grant requests from Constance Bay in 2018 and all of them related to 2017 flood issues.

“They weren’t priority projects for these landowners recovering from the 2017, but the money was available when they were ready,” she said.

All seven applications the program received from Constance Bay in 2018 were approved. Six are now completed and the seventh is underway.

Robinson said the total funding provided for those projects totaled $50,000 – there is a $7,500 cap on application requests.

Robinson said they have received some feedback from some of the projects following 2019 spring flooding.

“So far they are holding up,” she said.

Robinson says a big part of her job is making sure landowners are aware of these grants.

“We wanted to make sure, when it comes time to stabilize your shoreline, this is a grant that can support that,” she said.

 The city is now accepting applications for 2019 grants. Learn more about eligible projects and how to apply at ottawa.ca/cleanwater.