The Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan was endorsed by Durham Region on June 23, 2021, and approved by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) Board of Directors on September 24, 2021. Implementation of the watershed plan is now underway.
Explore the Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan
You can explore the online, interactive Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan and a map viewer with useful mapping layers on TRCA’s new Watershed Planning Hub.
EXPLORE THE WATERSHED PLANNING HUB
You can also visit TRCA’s Watershed Plan Implementation Tracking Hub to see how we are putting the Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan into action.
About the Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan
The 2021 Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan (CCWP) outlines current and potential future watershed conditions and identifies the priority actions needed to protect, enhance, and restore watershed health.
These actions aim to improve community well-being over the long term, build resilience to land use and climate changes and inform decision-making within the watershed.
The development of the CCWP was a collaborative effort between TRCA, the Region of Durham, Town of Ajax, and City of Pickering.
TRCA also worked closely with local stakeholders, residents, and the public to share information about the watershed plan and to gather feedback.
The CCWP will be in effect for 10 years from 2021 to 2031. Watershed plans are reviewed regularly for 10 years after approval so that new scientific approaches can be included, and to deal with new issues that may come up.
To achieve the vision for the watershed, a comprehensive, coordinated, and collaborative approach will be essential to effectively implement, track, and report on plan implementation.
An Implementation Steering Committee with representatives from the above groups will guide and support implementation.
Watershed Plan Timeline
Watershed planning is a multi-year, highly collaborative process. The timeline for the preparation of the CCWP is outlined below.
Stage 1: Preparation and Scoping 2015 – COMPLETED
PURPOSE:
- Initial scoping, review of existing data, final data collection, and preparation of preliminary mapping resources.
- Identification of Steering Committee, and development of an Engagement Strategy.
STATUS:
 |
COMPLETED. |
Stage 2: Watershed Characterization 2015-2017 – COMPLETED
PURPOSE:
- Technical analyses identify the current conditions and trends of the watershed, including habitat quality and quantity, water quality, flooding and erosion issues, stormwater management infrastructure, and restoration planning.
- Based on this information, key issues in the Carruthers Creek watershed are outlined in the Characterization Reports.
STATUS:
|
COMPLETED. |
Stage 3: Future Management Scenarios 2018-2019 – COMPLETED
PURPOSE:
- Compare and examine potential future land use and climate change scenarios and different levels of watershed enhancements to understand how watershed conditions may change.
- Scenario analysis does not result in land use decisions but informs the management framework and priority actions, as well as decisions concerning future land use and infrastructure development.
- The key results and findings from scenario analysis are outlined in the Future Management Scenarios Analysis Reports.
STATUS:
|
COMPLETED. |
Stage 4: Implementation Planning 2019-2020 – COMPLETED
PURPOSE:
- Development of a practical management framework for long-term sustainability based on results from the Watershed Characterization and Future Management Scenarios stages and input from engagement.
- The management framework includes goals, objectives, indicators, and priority actions outlining how to protect, enhance, and restore watershed health.
- Monitoring and evaluation help to track implementation progress and evaluate whether watershed conditions are improving.
- The implementation planning stage also involves the development of the draft watershed plan, and engagement to obtain input from First Nations and Indigenous communities, as well as from watershed stakeholders, residents, and the public.
- You can learn more about the plan management framework and implementation by visiting our Watershed Plan Implementation Tracking Hub.
STATUS:
|
COMPLETED |
Learn More
Discover more about watersheds and watershed management by visiting TRCA’s Watershed Management webpage.
You can explore the ecological and cultural significance of Carruthers Creek by visiting our Carruthers Creek webpage.
For an interactive and engaging experience, please visit TRCA’s Watershed Planning Hub. This digital tool offers an in-depth look at current watershed plans, including the Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan, through maps, images, and narrative text.
You can also visit TRCA’s Watershed Plan Implementation Tracking Hub to see how we are putting the Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan into action.
Resources
Current Watershed Plan
Watershed Plan:
Technical Reports – Scenario Analysis:
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan – Memo – Hydrology Model Review (January 2021)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan – Hydrological Assessment (November 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan – Fluvial Geomorphic Assessment (October 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan – Terrestrial Impact Assessment (September 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan – Aquatic Impact Assessment (September 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan – Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Modelling (September 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan – Urban Forest Assessment (May 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan – Stormwater Management (May 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan – Groundwater Modelling (March 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan – Technical Memorandum: Methodology for Delineation of Ecologically Significant Groundwater Recharge Areas (September 2019)
Watershed Characterization Reports:
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan, 2017 – Aquatic Barriers
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan, 2017 – Aquatic Ecology
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan, 2017 – Hydrogeology
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan, 2017 – Terrestrial
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan, 2017 – Surface Water Quality
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan, 2017 – Fluvial Geomorphology Matrix
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan, 2017 – Headwaters Drainage Features Characterization
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan, 2017 – Phase 1 Technical Report Abstracts
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan, 2018 – Surface Water Quantity
Engagement Summaries:
- Public Review Submissions Summary – Draft Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan (May 2021)
- Recording of Presentation – Draft Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan (February 2021)
- Consultation Summary – Draft Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan (February 2021)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan Communications and Consultation Summary – Phase 2, Stage 2 (October 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan Open House – Panels (October 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan Open House – Comment Form (October 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan Update (Spring 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan Communications and Consultation Summary – Phase 2, Stage 1 (January 2019)
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan Communications and Consultation Strategy (March 2018)
Reports to Boards/Councils:
- Report to Planning and Economic Development Committee, Regional Municipality of Durham (May 2021)
- Report to Planning and Economic Development Committee, Regional Municipality of Durham (December 2020)
- Draft Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan Overview – Presentation to Council, Town of Ajax (July 2020)
- Minutes of Motion regarding Item 4.3: Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan Update, Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Public Consultation (Meeting of Special Regional Council, April 8, 2020)
- Council Information Package Report: Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Public Consultation, Regional Municipality of Durham (April 2020)
- Council Information Package Report, Regional Municipality of Durham (March 2020)
- Report to Planning and Economic Development Committee, Regional Municipality of Durham (May 2019)
- Report to Community Affairs and Planning Committee, Town of Ajax (June 2019)
- Report to Council, Regional Municipality of Durham (December 2019)
Peer Review:
- Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan: Peer Review #1 (March 2016)
- Letter Re: Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan Phase 2 Technical Analysis and Consultation Plan (May 2016)
- Letter Re: Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan Completion of Phase 1 Technical Studies Peer Review (August 2017)
- Phase 1 Peer Review Process
- Process to Finalize Phase 1 Technical Reports
Previous Watershed Plan
Watershed Plan:
- Carruthers Creek: State of the Watershed Report (2002)
- Technical Analysis and Integration Process Summary Report: Duffins and Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan (2003)
- Ratings Report for the 2002 Duffins and Carruthers Creek Watersheds Report Card (2003)
- A Watershed Plan for Duffins and Carruthers Creek (2003)
Contact Us
If you have any question about the development of the Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan, please email us at carruthers@trca.on.ca.
For data files that supported this watershed planning process, see the Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan section on TRCA’s Open Data Portal.