Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 2412 | 2016 lake Stewards newsletter Managing Water Quantity Communications in 2016 and Beyond by Terry Rees & Ken Grant of FOCA FOCA and our many member associations have a long- standing interest in the appropriate management of water levels in Ontario’s lakes and rivers. The safety and security of residents of rural Ontario will rely increasingly on forward-looking management, and effective responses to a changing water quantity dynamic, as evidenced by the high flows across large swaths of central Ontario in the spring of 2016, followed by drought in early summer. In the face of compelling information about extreme precipitation swings, it is prudent that resource managers and emergency responders at all levels have a common understanding of the roles and responsibilities of all, and that the public who ultimately are at risk are also appropriatelyinformedinareliable and timely manner. Forward planning with public input and buy-in will contribute to better resource management, and more effective emergency coordination and response. The important role of keeping the community informed (and ultimately safe) requires a collaborative approach by all parties. However, FOCA and the public have been excluded from water quantity management in Ontario. Despite repeated and pointed questions in written correspondence to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, it remains unclear how a lake association or a member of a Citizen’s Advisory Committee can trigger a Water Management Plan discussion with MNRF, or if in fact there is any such thing anymore as a Citizen’s Advisory group, especially: • in the case of suspected non-compliance with the operating regime or other substantive aspects of an existing water management plan • in the face of new or emerging information or conditions that would necessitate a review of the existing operating regime and guidance (such as new climate information, or changes to infrastructure). Who Manages Water Quantity? Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry operates a Surface Water Monitoring Centre (SWMC) to: • assess the severity of drought • predict when and where there is a risk of flooding • providegovernmentandotheragencieswiththeinformation required to put emergency response plans into operation with respect to flooding or drought • identify sensitive and risk-prone areas for flooding and drought throughout the province. The centre also contributes important information to water management planning and water power compliance monitoring. These two activities used to be formalized, public matters, but since the 2012 review of the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act, the public—including lake associations— have effectively been shut out of the process. An understaffed bureaucracy that has been sworn to silence on water management plans hardly seems an appropriate response in an era of changing climatic conditions, and with respect to such an important natural resource and public safety issue. FOCA has been vocal in recent months about our unresolved concerns over the questionable new practice by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MRNF) of requiring permits for small in-water works (docks). This issue erupted in 2015 after a Superior Court ruling related to permits for structures over Crown lands (including boathouses) that are larger than 15 square metres. At present, many shoreline projects across Ontario are reportedly on hold or delayed, businesses are disrupted, and property owners—especially those impacted by flood damage this Spring—are unnecessarily inconvenienced. On June 27, 2016, FOCA wrote to the new Minister, saying: The new MNRF approach to the permitting of structures (e.g., docks) over or abutting Crown Lands presents confusion among property owners, has questionable resource management outcomes, and creates a needless and undue workload for the civil service. Several member Associations have also written letters to the Ministry in recent months, and we encourage members to keep up this effort and copy FOCA on your correspondence! To follow this issue, visit: https://foca. on.ca/municipal-authority-over-boathouses-decision/ Dock Permit Dysfunction