GRCA Strategic Plan

The population in the Grand River watershed is growing at a rapid pace. Coupled with climate change, this growth will put stress on the Grand River its natural features and inhabitants.

The prospect of high growth and the impact on water and natural resources and the quality of life present an enormous challenge to the GRCA, municipalities, and all watershed residents. It creates an urgent need to work collaboratively to care for the Grand River watershed and its natural resources

More than ever, the role of the Grand River Conservation Authority - and the relationships with our partners - will be critical to the health and vitality of our communities.

Guided by our strategic plan, we are continually enhancing and building on our programs, services, and relationships with external agencies to provide watershed-based resource management and protecting the land and waters.

Our Commitment 

At the GRCA, we focus on teamwork, development, engagement, and positive change. Our staff teams are committed to providing transparent public service to our many stakeholders.

In 2023, we updated our strategic priorities (180KB PDF) and provided a detailed overview of our progress on key actions identified in our 2019-2023 Strategic Plan.

Through this update, we identified two additional priorities that are now providing extra guidance in our commitment to transparent and accountable stewardship of our watershed-based programs and services. 

We operate a wide range of programs in engineering, planning, land management, recreation and education in order to:

1. Protect life and minimize property damage from flooding and erosion.
2. Improve the health of the Grand River watershed.
3. Connect people to the environment through outdoor experiences.
4. Manage landholdings in a responsible and sustainable way.
5. Comply with and implement the amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act and new regulations.
6. Enhance our Indigenous awareness, understanding and relationships.