Ottawa River watershed study: closed consultation

The Ottawa River Watershed Study was undertaken in response to Private Member’s Motion M-104, which was passed by the House of Commons in May 2017. The purpose of the study was to examine current knowledge about the Ottawa River watershed, in collaboration with implicated groups, including:  

• working to understand barriers to the effective management of the Ottawa River watershed
• looking at opportunities to enhance watershed management in the future
• examining the need for a watershed council or collaborative body
• gathering information related to existing and potential indicators to understand the health of the Ottawa River watershed
• exploring natural, historical, economic and cultural values in the Ottawa River watershed and possible threats to those values

Who was the focus of this consultation

The Government of Canada engaged with:

• Canadians living in the watershed or relying on the watershed
• Indigenous People who live within or near the watershed
• non-government organizations
• businesses and Industry associations
• academics and researchers
• diverse groups representing identity factors like gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, mental or physical disability
• other interested citizens

Key questions for discussion

Ideas and input were sought around the following questions:

• What is your main connection to the Ottawa River Watershed?
• What do you value most about it?
• Do you have any specific concerns about this watershed?
• Is there something happening in the Ottawa River watershed that we need to know about for this study?
• What is needed to assist those involved in managing the watershed to collaborate more effectively? 
• Should a new collaborative body be created to manage the Ottawa River watershed?
• How should historical, cultural, natural and economic values be represented in watershed governance?
• Are there existing citizen science initiatives we should be aware of?
• Motion M-104 identifies some themes for assessing and monitoring the health of the Ottawa River watershed.  Are there other themes or specific indicators that should be considered?
• Where are the information gaps related to the health of the Ottawa River watershed?

What we heard

Environment and Climate Change Canada analyzed the input received through consultations and the summary storyboards of input can be found on our consultation site PlaceSpeak.

Information gathered through our research and from the input received, resulted in a report titled An Examination of Governance, Existing Data, Potential Indicators and Values in the Ottawa River Watershed (PDF). The report contains six chapters:

1. Background
2. Methodology
3. Watershed Management approaches
4. Data, monitoring and potential indicators
5. Significance of the watershed
6. Future challenges and opportunities.

This report will contribute to a better understanding about the Ottawa River watershed and discussions on how to protect it. It will also add to discussions about watershed management and collaboration across Canada.

Related information

• Ottawa River watershed: report summary
• An Examination of Governance, Existing Data, Potential Indicators and Values in the Ottawa River Watershed
• Consultation site: PlaceSpeak

Contact us

Ottawa River Watershed Study
Environment and Climate Change Canada
200 Sacré-Coeur Blvd, FON-1318
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3

Email:  ec.etude_bvro-orw_study.ec@canada.ca