Province Provides Funding for Flood and Erosion Control Works
On June 8, the Essex Region Conservation Authority received $296,500 in funding from the Water & Erosion Control Infrastructure Capital Funding Program announced by Bruce Crozier, MPP for Essex. Crozier was joined by ERCA Board Member Charles McLean, and Ken Schmidt, General Manager of ERCA. Mr. Crozier remarked that he was pleased to present funding for the important work done by the Conservation Authority right across the riding.
The Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure (WECI) program, funded by the Province through the Ministry of Natural Resources, provides 50% funding to Conservation Authorities for works involving updating or maintenance to projects previously carried out by the Conservation Authority. The Essex Region Conservation Authority has been very successful in recent years in obtaining funding for member municipalities through this program. The funding announced will go toward several current projects across the region. These include Detroit River Shoreline Protection and Improvements at Legacy Park in the City of Windsor, which along with the major project to the west in 2006, results in the completion of about 600 metres of shoreline works in the vicinity of Legacy Park, providing erosion protection, fish habitat enhancements and improved public access and safety. Also in the City of Windsor, the East Riverside Flood Control Project will be wrapped up, which will result in the completion of all of the flood control works identified in the 'East Riverside Storm Water Management and Flood Protection Plan' prepared jointly by ERCA, the City, and major developers several years ago. The project provides flood protection for over 2000 older homes and the Pollution Control Plant, and also permits the future development of the East Riverside Planning Area.
In the Town of Essex, Lonsberry Beach Shoreline Protection Projects will allow major maintenance of shoreline protection and bluff stabilization works constructed by ERCA in the mid 1980s.
In the Municipality of Leamington, the Southeast Leamington Management Strategy and related studies received 50% funding from this program, and provides recommendations regarding long term management strategies for the flood prone and erosion prone areas of southeast Leamington.
Crozier made his presentation in the Town of Lakeshore, which was granted funding for the Belle River Flood Control project, which is currently underway. The work consists of improvements and repairs to dykes and other flood control works constructed by ERCA in the early 1990s.
Board Member Charles McLean expressed his gratitude to Mr. Crozier and the Province of Ontario for their continued financial support through this program. "Protecting people and property from the dangers of flooding and erosion continues to be a top priority for ERCA and all Conservation Authorities, and we are thankful for the funding that allows these important works to happen."
Of the total $5 million per year available province wide, in the past 2 years, ERCA has been successful in obtaining over $2.7 million for local projects. This has enabled ERCA to carry out over $5 million worth of important flood control and erosion control projects in partnership with municipalities and others.
