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Policy Id:

SPR/SPA:

Risk:

CG-NB-18

Grand River

Significant

Implementing Body

Legal Effect

Policy Tool

Threat Type

Status

Comment

OMAFRA

Strategic

Education / Outreach

Future & Existing

Implemented

In 2016, Source Water Protection updates were made to the nutrient management courses offered by OMAFRA through the University of Guelph. Slides with source water protection information were added and course workbooks were updated to include links to the MECP interactive maps of vulnerable areas and to the OMAFRA source water protection page. These courses are required for the following certification: Brokers (required for people who transport or store Agriculture Source Material), Prescribed Materials Application Businesses, and individuals pursuing an Agricultural Operation Planning Certificate, Agricultural Operation Strategy or Plan Development Certificate, and Non-Agricultural Source Material Plan Developer certification. Furthermore, OMAFRA continues to make publically available online factsheets (updated in 2015) that specifically address source water protection including: Source Protection Plans on the Farm(http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/19-005.htm), Understanding Groundwater (http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/15-041.htm), Managing the Quantity of Groundwater Supplies (http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/15-043.htm), and Protecting the Quality of Groundwater Supplies(http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/15-045.htm). The OMAFRA source water protection webpage (http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/environment/water_swp.htm) also identifies links to tools that individuals can use to find their local source protection assessment reports, which identify the location of Wellhead Protection Areas. Educational materials do not directly provide information on the Environmental Farm Plan. Instead, all farm operators, regardless of whether they are located within a vulnerable source protection area or not, are encouraged to participate in an Environmental Farm Plan workshop to complete an assessment of areas of risk and strengths associated with their farm operations. Environmental Farm Plan educational workshops are delivered province-wide by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, and the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association actively promotes participation in Environmental Farm Plan workshops through farm media, social media, farm shows, etc.as part of their role as delivery agent of Environmental Farm Plan under Growing Forward 2 .

Policy Text:

To provide further guidance to the agricultural community about the importance of source water protection to ensure the application or storage of agricultural source material ceases to be and/or never becomes a significant drinking water threat, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is requested to review and amend, if necessary, the information provided to the agricultural community to include information about source water protection, the location of Wellhead Protection Areas and the appropriate use of agricultural source material within vulnerable areas where this activity is or would be a significant water threat. The information provided should encourage farm operators located within these vulnerable areas to complete an Environmental Farm Plan.

Monitoring Text:

N/A