INTRODUCTION

Great Lakes Connections (Chereine Vieira, Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, on behalf of Luca Cargnelli, Environment Canada)
Thames River Clear Water Revival & Showcasing Water Innovation Projects (Tara Tchir, UTRCA)

FIRST NATIONS

First Nations Traditional Ecological Knowledge & Land Use Studies – Aamjiwnaang First Nation (Sharilyn Johnston) & Walpole Island First Nation (James Jenkins)

WATER QUALITY

Water Quality Assessment Project (Karen Maaskant, UTRCA)
The project goal is to better understand nutrient source areas and delivery throughout the Thames River system to help in targeting implementation programs in the watershed and for Lake Erie.

Developing and Demonstrating Innovative BMPs (Brad Glasman & Craig Merkley, UTRCA)
Innovative BMPs are being implemented on watershed farms. These BMPs are being monitored and evaluated to make recommendations regarding future implementation processes. Projects include phosphorus filters, controlled drainage/sub-irrigation, on-farm stormwater management, and wetland restoration.

WATER QUANTITY

Introduction to Water Management Issues Related to Flooding and Climate Change (Mark Shifflett, UTRCA)
The UTRCA’s and LTVCA’s comprehensive flood control program for the Thames River watershed includes flood control infrastructure, flood forecasting and warning, and development policies in flood hazard areas. The program is being impacted by ageing infrastructure as well as changing technology, land use, population and policy, not to mention climate change, prompting a need for re-investment. A local context of climate change will be presented.

Water Quantity Data Management – WISKI (Mark Helsten, UTRCA)
The UTRCA requires accurate and reliable time-series data from various sources in the watershed in order to carry out its mandate of flood forecasting and warning. These data include water levels of rivers and reservoirs, hourly precipitation totals, air temperature and other meteorologic data, from various locations throughout the watershed. This presentation gives a brief overview of how time-series data are managed.

Merging Rain Gauge & Weather Radar Data to Estimate Precipitation (Jack McKee, UTRCA)
Hydrologists and engineers rely on accurate, spatially distributed quantitative precipitation estimates – how much precipitation and where is it – for hydrological modeling and flood forecasting. Rain gauges and weather radar are the most widely used instruments for estimating rainfall accumulations, but their accuracy is limited. The project goal is to develop a reliable automated process for obtaining precipitation estimates for the purpose of flood forecasting and warning, using state-of-the-art techniques for estimating spatially distributed rainfall fields.

Upper Thames River Stream Flow Statistics (Mark Helsten, UTRCA)
This study examines the stream flow statistics of the Thames River and its major tributaries. The methodologies and results of the analysis are presented and compared with estimates from previous studies. The effect of dams in reducing flood damage is also considered.

Digital Elevation Mapping (Phil Simm, UTRCA)
This project is using new technology and software to develop a methodology for creating elevation data across the watershed to support updating flooding/hazard mapping. The elevation data will also improve and update mapping of wetlands, watercourses, and waterbodies using three dimensional editing capabilities.

Hydraulic Modeling using GIS, Digital Elevation Mapping and Survey Data (Mahmoud Pejam, UTRCA)
One SWI project goal was to develop, and begin implementation of, an approach to modernize watershed hydrologic and hydraulic models. These models support various critical watershed analysis and planning activities, most notably activities related to flood risk management. Updated hydrologic and hydraulic models are also important tools moving forward to allow evaluation of the effects of future climate change scenarios on watershed processes.

RELATED PROJECTS & NEXT STEPS