Catfish Creek Conservation Authority

Since 1950, the Catfish Creek Conservation Authority (CCCA) has secured approximately 550 hectares of land including environmentally sensitive lands (wetlands, woodlands), flood susceptible lands and day use park lands for passive recreation and outdoor education. The mandate of the Conservation Authority under Section 20 of the Conservation Authorities Act is “to establish and undertake, in the area under which it has jurisdiction, a program designed to further the conservation, restoration development and management of natural resources other than gas, oil, coal and minerals.” Based on this mandate the Catfish Creek Conservation Authority has defined its mission:

“To communicate and deliver resource management services and programs in order to achieve social and ecological harmony for the watershed”

Company History

The Catfish Creek Conservation Authority (CCCA) was established by Order In Council on February 23, 1950. The Conservation Authority’s original water resources mandate and programs have evolved in response to the issues of our watershed municipalities, greater scientific understanding, Provincial Policy and Legislation, and best management practices (BMPs). This includes developing a broad range of watershed management programs and services that engage the community in responding to watershed issues.

The Conservation Authority continues to strive towards implementing a watershed or ecosystem approach to planning. This approach is consistent with Section 2.2.1 a) of the 2014 Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), which encourages the use of the watershed “as the ecologically meaningful scale for integrated and long-term planning.” It is considered to be the most effective and comprehensive systems-based approach for ecosystem planning. While this concept has only recently been incorporated into the PPS, the Conservation Authority has a long legacy of planning, implementing and monitoring using watershed and subwatershed management components. Through the application of this approach, the implications of local management actions and municipal decisions can be evaluated in a watershed context. The watershed approach addresses the fact that water does not respect political boundaries, with the riparian rights of downstream communities being considered.

Company Facts

CCCA plans to achieve our mission through the following strategic priorities / goals outlined in our 2019-2023 Strategic Plan :
1. Protect life and minimize property damage from flooding and erosion
2. Improve the ecological health of the Catfish Creek watershed
3. Curate an appreciation for nature
4. Ensure our conservation lands are protected and enhanced
5. Operate a sustainable and adaptable organization