Watershed governance: A selection of case studies for informing integrated watershed management in the Muskoka River watershed

Canadian Water Network (2023)

Challenge

Watershed governance in Muskoka is not an issue of a lack of governance but rather one of too many governors. The current decision-making approach is fragmented and distributed among lower and upper-tier municipalities and the provincial government. First Nations and the federal government also play a role in the Region. They emphasize that no one body provides comprehensive oversight or leadership for the watershed.

The natural environment in Muskoka underpins its economic vitality. Many permanent residents and seasonal homeowners in the region value the environment deeply to live, work and play. Given the perceived ‘pristine’ condition of the environment in the Muskoka area, the general public may lack understanding of watershed issues except for flooding. Recent flood events experienced in 2019 have brought the fragmented approach to the management of the environment to the forefront.

However, given the deep value of the natural resources in the Muskoka River watershed and the desire for integrated management, knowledge and understanding of the environmental issues represent a mechanism to coalesce support to develop a shared sense of the importance of managing the natural resources of the area.

Project

Canadian Water Network (CWN) worked with the Muskoka Watershed Council and the Muskoka Community Roundtable to review integrated watershed management frameworks used in various jurisdictions and identify governance approaches that may be appropriate for the Muskoka River Watershed.

Outputs

Based on the findings of the review undertaken, CWN developed a report that:

• Summarizes the current context of governance and management of natural resources within the Muskoka River Watershed.
• Provides six case studies that best describe community-based watershed management.
• Summarizes opportunities for the Muskoka Watershed Council and CRT to consider as they develop an integrated approach to watershed management.

A copy of the full report is available here.