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Given the vast size of the Ottawa River Watershed and the number of people who live here, it is no surprise that the river is under pressure from many different activities. Given our dependence on our natural resources these pressures will always be real. However, if we are to preserve and protect the ecological health of our river system, we must begin to understand and predict what the cumulative impacts of our actions are and find solutions that enable our future generations to safely eat fish and drink water from the river.
Currently, there is no understanding of the total loading of pollutants to the river system from known sources such as municipal and industrial wastewater, let alone from non-point sources such as urban stormwater, agriculture runoff or boating. In addition, there is limited understanding of how the river operates as a system – how the river is shaping itself, responding to the presence of many dams, and increasing impervious areas or resource extraction (forestry, mining) for example. Our baseline data is sparse at best. As an inter-provincial river, these issues are not fully addressed by either province on its banks in terms of a comprehensive watershed study.
Our toll-free pollution hotline (1-888-9KEEPER) is a great resource to report pollution or development issues in your local area that may be impacting the aquatic system.
Some of the issues and impacts Ottawa Riverkeeper is currently working on include:
To learn more about the local issues Ottawa Riverkeeper worked on in 2009, click here.
If you have an issue that you would like to bring to our attention, please contact us.