Historical documents

There is a long history of watershed planning in the Grand River basin.

Over the past century, many plans have been implemented to deal with critical problems such as flooding, low water quality and low flows.

The studies were a response to the serious problems threatening the health and economic vitality of communities in the early part of the 20th century.

The documents available below are photocopies of old reports. The files are large and in some cases images are poor quality. Please note the following documents may not be accessible to people with disabilities. If you have a disability and require a document in an alternate format, please contact us. 

Report on Grand River Drainage (1932)

As a result of pressure from community leaders in the Grand River watershed, the provincial government commissioned the Report on Grand River Drainage (13.4MB PDF), also known as the Finlayson Report or the Mackintosh Report.

The new Grand River Conservation Commission implemented many of the recommendations including construction of the Shand (1942), Luther (1952) and Conestogo (1958) reservoirs.

Grand River Hydraulics Report (1962)

The Grand Valley Conservation Authority was created in 1948 to undertake conservation programs in the Grand River watershed. The Commission and the Authority existed side-by-side until 1966 when they merged to form today's Grand River Conservation Authority.

The Hydraulics Report (10.4MB PDF) was issued in 1954 and updated in 1962. It was considered the "owner's manual" for the watershed and guided decisions by the Authority and the Commission.

Review of Planning for the Grand River Watershed (1971)

The continuing deterioration in water quality and continuing problems from flooding led to a comprehensive study of water management by the provincial government. The study is often called the Treasury Board Report (16.7MB PDF). It recommended, among other things, construction of the Woolwich (1974) and Guelph (1976) reservoirs.

Royal Commission Inquiry into Grand River Flood 1974

The flood of May 1974 inundated communities along the Grand River including Kitchener (Bridgeport), Cambridge (Galt) and Brantford, causing millions of dollars in damages. Judge W.W. Leach investigated the causes of the flood and the response of the GRCA, municipalities and other agencies. The 1974 Flood Royal Commission Report (6.0MB PDF) includes recommendations on reservoir operations and other issues.

Grand River Basin Water Management Study (1982)

The 1971 Treasury Board Report and the 1974 Flood Inquiry both recommended that a comprehensive water management plan for the Grand River basin should be developed. Work on the Grand River Basin Water Management Study (5.7MB PDF) began in 1978. It contained more than 20 recommendations on water quality, flooding and water supply. Most of them were implemented in the following decades.

The Grand Strategy (1994)

The Grand River and its major tributaries were declared Canadian Heritage Rivers in 1994. As a result, a watershed management plan, called The Grand Strategy (6.0MB PDF), was developed.

State of the Watershed (1998)

The State of the Watershed Report (7.0MB PDF) provided detailed background information on the watershed, such as population, land use patterns, water consumption, dam operations, flooding history, etc. It was developed as a reference document for watershed managers, educators, community groups and others.

Focus on Watershed Issues (1998)

The Focus on Watershed Issues (2.0MB PDF) provided watershed residents with a plain-language overview of issues and the work needed to address them.