Dufferin Rural Water Quality Program renewed for five years

Dufferin County has renewed their commitment to the Rural Water Quality Program (RWQP) for another five years.

The Dufferin RWQP supports landowners who undertake on-the-ground projects to improve and protect water quality. The program, which is led by the Grand River Conservation Authority and is in partnership with neighbouring conservation authorities, helps protect the headwaters of the Credit, Grand, Saugeen, Humber and Nottawasaga Rivers and downstream communities. Since 2017, $198,000 in grants have been provided to support the completion of 140 projects in Dufferin County.

Through the program, eligible landowners can receive grants for a variety of projects including:

• Fencing to exclude livestock from watercourses
• Cover crops to protect fields from wind and water erosion over the winter
• Crop nutrient planning
• Erosion control structures such as water and sediment control basins
• Tree planting, wetlands and natural area restoration
• Properly decommissioning or upgrading water wells.

In addition to benefitting water quality, these projects offer additional environmental, economic and social benefits. They help to improve landscape resilience to extreme weather, sequester carbon, maintain healthy soils, and enhance wildlife habitat and biodiversity.

The program renewal comes with changes to grant rates and eligibility of the projects. One of these changes is to the cover crop category. The cost share amount was increased to $60/ac up to a program maximum of $4,800 per farm business. Applicants who participated in the program previously are also now eligible to re-apply and RWQP grants can be combined with grants from other programs, where available.

“One thing that I have always valued is the soil,” says Scott Caughill, a Melanchthon cash crop farmer and RWQP participant. “I continue to look for ways to improve the soil, to build up a better growing medium, and to preserve the land we require to produce our crops. The RWQP is designed for producers to learn more, do better, and develop longevity in protecting the soil while also benefiting water quality.”

For more information on the program contact Maria Ramirez Giraldo, Conservation Specialist at the GRCA at 519-621-2763, Ext. 2242 or by emailing mramirez@grandriver.ca.

Media Contacts:

James Clark, Senior Communications and Marketing Advisor
Phone 519-621-2763 x2240  |  Email jclark@grandriver.ca

Lisa Stocco, GRCA Manager, Strategic Communications and Environmental Education
Phone 519-621-2763 x2316  |  Email lstocco@grandriver.ca