Evaluating the groundwater management capacity of conservation authorities.

摘要

As senior levels of government step back from groundwater management activities in Ontario, some local agencies, such as conservation authorities, have become more involved. Despite their history of surface water management, conservation authorities' ability to manage groundwater resources is unknown. The capacity of a local agency to manage groundwater resources is determined by a variety of factors relating to the characteristics of the institutional environment, the community environment, and the agency itself. Based on a survey of all 38 conservation authorities in Ontario, and an in-depth analysis of the Upper Thames and Ganaraska Region conservation authorities, groundwater management capacity was found to be variable. Key considerations include limited senior government support for local groundwater management, and the importance of watershed residents' and municipalities' support for a role for conservation authorities in local groundwater management.