Renée Davies: Protecting the Ottawa River

Renée Davies of the Ottawa Riverkeeper of the Ottawa Riverkeeper outlineswhat we as boaters can do to help protect the river and its watershed. Ottawa Riverkeeper is an independent voice for the Ottawa River, working to protect, promote and improve the health of the Ottawa River and its tributaries. 00:00 Introductions 02:00 About Us 04:40 Where is the Ottawa River Watershed? 07:00 What is a watershed? 08:56 Industrial Pollution 09:55 Agricultural Pollution 11:00 Hydro Dams 17:22 Collaboration between jurisdictions 20:00 Riverwatch Network 22:00 Monitoring 24:00 Salt impact on water systems 28:10 How to get involved 33:00 Question and Answers 34:40 What about alternatives to salt? 36:30 Do I really need to wash my boat? 37:40 Do you work with politicians? 39:40 What are your long term goals? Eel Gates. 41:40 What about plastics and business involvement? 43:30 How can boaters help the environment? 45:45 Anti fouling chemicals 47:30 Historic logging clean up. 49:40 Public consultations and funding 51:40 What parts of the river are more important? 53:00 Thank you to Renee Davis 54:30 Final Remarks The presentation will be an introduction to the watershed and Ottawa Riverkeeper, the organization, and the work they do. Renée will discuss some of their scientific initiatives like road salt monitoring and watershed health indicator tracking and volunteer opportunities. She will cover some invasive and endangered aquatic species and the why it is important to clean off boats when bringing them from another venue or returning from a regatta or training event on another body of water. The meeting is free to attend, but we ask that you consider making a small donation. All proceeds will go to the NSC Legacy Fund, which supports competitive sailing for youth and Able Sail members.