The Grand River Conservation Authority has approved a 2011 budget that calls for a 3% increase in spending over last year.
The budget has expenditures of $33.6-million (compared to $33.4-million in 2010) to pay the cost of programs.
It was approved at the annual general meeting on Feb. 25. The board is made up of 26 members appointed by municipalities throughout the Grand River watershed.
Chairman of the board Jane Mitchell said it was a “hard budget year” for the GRCA. Municipalities had to pick up more of the cost of operations because some provincial grants have been frozen for years.
“Members worked hard this year to lower the percentage increase” of the municipal share of the budget, she said.
“With a provincial election looming, we must make our elected provincial representatives understand the importance of water quality and quantity and flood control.
“It must not take a serious incident to make them pay attention.”
About $9.47-million, or 28 per cent of the cost, will come from residents of the watershed who pay either through their local property taxes or their municipal water bills.
That works out to about $9.90 per person. The amount charged to municipalities will rise three per cent compared to 2010.
The GRCA will bring in revenues of about $13.3-million (40 per cent) from fees charged for services ranging from camping to planning. The GRCA also raises revenue from land rentals, hydroelectricity generation, and payments by school boards for outdoor education programs.
Government grants, mostly from the provincial government, will amount to $8.3-million this year (25 per cent of the budget).
The bulk of that, about $4.6-million, is being spent on development of source water protection plans under the Clean Water Act. The plans are scheduled to be completed in 2012. Other government grants cover part of the cost of core programs such as flood warning and dam maintenance.
The remainder of the budget, about $2.5-million (7%), comes from GRCA reserve funds, which consist of money set aside in earlier years.
Some notable projects scheduled for this year include:
– planning the reconstruction of the Drimmie Dam in Elora. The dam is a scenic highlight of the community and supplies water to a privately-owned hydro plant.
If approved, the project would cost $1.2-million, with the GRCA paying one-third of that cost. Centre Wellington and the provincial government may also contribute to that project.
– Continuing a three-year project to develop a watershed-wide water management plan that looks at flooding, water quality, and water supply issues. The cost this year is estimated at $320,000.
– Completion of a major upgrade to Conestogo dam near Drayton, to improve its capacity to safely handle high flows.
– Completion of three infrastructure projects under the federal-provincial stimulus program: new washrooms at Elora Gorge and Guelph Lake conservation areas and a new gatehouse at Brant Conservation Area.
– Construction of a new workshop at the Conestogo Lake Conservation Area
– Completion of a project to restore the Harris Mill ruins in Rockwood Conservation Area. That project was paid largely by a federal government grant.
– Watershed studies of the Upper Blair Creek area in Kitchener and the Hopewell-Chilligo subwatershed near Kitchener and Cambridge.
– Spending $745,000 to protect water on the farm through the Rural Water Quality Program.
– Purchase of environmentally significant lands worth $300,000.
