shoreline stewarding

Cantley's shoreline stewards are an informal group who partner with the Friends of the Gatineau River and Ottawa Riverkeeper to help monitor the water and look after the general ecosystem along the approx. 13 km of Cantley shoreline.

The shoreline is in Ecoregion 5E (Georgian Bay Ecoregion, pg 40) which extends from Lake Superior in the west to the central portion of the Ottawa River Valley and most of the Gatineau River watershed in the east. This ecoregion has an extensive collection of vascular plants making for an interesting, motivating and rewarding area to help preserve in its natural biodiversity and aesthetic beauty.

Stewarding Cantley's shoreline also means protecting the littoral zone of the river from contaminated and excessive runoff so fish and associated aquatic life cam flourish.

• Working Around Water in Quebec: An introduction to the laws, regulations and best practices, regarding shoreline projects in Quebec.

• Natural Shorelines Working for You!:How shorelines benefit everyone

• 10 Easy Things You Can Do to improve your Shoreline: How shoreline owners can improve their shoreline

• Shoreline Naturalization: Guidance on what to plant, how to plant, and resources to consult.

Successful stewarding starts by viewing rain and snow melt as a resource. Green Communities Canada suggests accomplishing this by:

1. SLOW IT DOWN

2. SOAK IT UP

3. KEEP IT CLEAN