Thread by @eyeonthefly

I wrote a blog for @envirodefence summarizing info from Ontario conservation authorities and municipalities about impacts to wetlands following changes to OWES.

Learn more about which specific wetlands are at risk of losing protection in your watershed👇 environmentaldefence.ca/2023/01/17/flo…

I took the 📸 in the blog header last summer at the Sifton Bog, a wetland in #ldnont 10,000 years in the making that @UTRCAmarketing says is no longer guaranteed protection as a Provincially Significant Wetland complex under revised OWES rules. Which other wetlands are at risk?

Ontario has 36 conservation authorities @conont. I summarized what some of them have said in reports and statements about anticipated losses of Provincially Significant status to wetlands in their jurisdictions. See the blog for references. I'll compile some maps/quotes in a 🧵

Map showing locations of existing Provincially Significant Wetlands (light blue) within the jurisdiction of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority @TRCA_HQ where "9,000 of its 10,000 wetlands could be at risk from the proposed changes"

The Kawartha Lakes watershed (which includes @DistrictMuskoka) is made up of approximately 14 per cent wetland cover, including 55 Provincially Significant Wetlands. Flow direction is shown on the map from the 2008 Watershed Report Card @KawarthaConserv

Nottawasaga Valley is home to 33 provincially significant wetlands. @NottawasagaCA said: "the evaluation score of the Minesing Wetlands will be greatly diminished, and many wetlands, including the Mad River portion of the complex will not meet PSW status.”

.@RegionofHalton report: "99% (approximately 6500 hectares) of provincially significant wetlands in Halton Region that are part of ‘wetland complexes’ could be re-evaluated on a standalone basis and determined not to be provincially significant"

In @cityofhamilton, @Hamilton_CA said: "...nearly 75 per cent of Hamilton’s provincially significant wetlands could be re-evaluated — and potentially lose default development protection.”

.@grandriverca circulated a staff report from @cityofguelph which says: "This will likely result in most of the existing Provincially Significant Wetlands (totaling over 600 ha) in Guelph no longer being identified as such." Map shows PSWs in Guelph.

.@UTRCAmarketing serving @CityofLdnOnt @OxfordCounty and numerous other municipalities: "the percentage of PSW within our watershed would drop to 1.3% which equates to an approximately 20% reduction in area considered PSW". Map shows remaining PSWs in #ldnont in blue.

In the Niagara watershed, @NPCA_Ontario serving @NiagaraRegion @HaldimandCounty @cityofhamilton said: "...would result in 70 per cent of ‘provincially significant’ wetlands in [the Niagara Peninsula] watershed losing the status that gives it stronger protection from development."

In @ottawacity, a staff report said: "changes would expose most of Ottawa’s provincially significant wetlands to potential loss of PSW status and bring complex lands into consideration for urban boundary expansion."

.@quinteca prepared a map showing the extent of wetlands in their watershed at risk of losing PSW status. A councillor from @BellevilleON said: "we have precisely 100 PSWs in the watershed area. Under this new act, 99 of those provincially significant wetlands will vanish"

What does this mean for you? As wetlands disappear, so will the many benefits they provide, such as absorbing stormwater, limiting flooding and producing clean water and air. Climate change is bringing more extreme weather that puts people, property and natural resources at risk.

The Auditor General of Ontario warns there is little provincial attention on flooding. Without Ontario’s wetlands to protect us, we are always just one bad storm away from unmitigated disaster. auditor.on.ca/en/content/ann…