The Greater Peterborough Area is well known for its abundance of lakes and rivers. Also home to the Trent-Severn Waterway and the world’s largest hydraulic lift lock, water navigation has played an important role in shaping the Greater Peterborough Area’s identity. Conservation Authorities, groups such as the Kawartha Lakes Stewards Association, Cottage and Lake Associations, and many others are working diligently to keep our lakes and rivers clean and healthy. However, overdevelopment, invasive species, nutrient loading, climate change, and more are persistent threats to the integrity of our aquatic ecosystems. Water is a precious resource, to be valued and cherished, and we must work collectively as a community to ensure that we protect this resource in perpetuity.
Our Goal:
We will make wise use of our water to enhance its quality and quantity, ensuring that future generations will be able to use our water to drink, fish, and swim.
Strategic Directions:
- Protect watersheds to ensure healthy water quality and quantity.
- Conserve the amount of water we use.
- Recognize and protect the ecological functions of the shorelines of water bodies.
- Maintain public access to our lakes and rivers for recreation and enjoyment.
Priority Actions:
- Establish a water conservation and efficiency program that motivates water consumers and makes available resources for water conservation.
- Find funding that will enable the inventorying and identification of shoreline and wetland areas in need of ecological restoration.
- Establish an integrated watershed management plan to promote ecological health and sustainability within the Greater Peterborough Area watersheds.
Further details on the Water Theme Area can be found in this section of the Sustainable Peterborough Plan.