Sault Ste Marie Region Conservation Authority

GIS Strategy

 

Geographic Information System (GIS)

Taken in its broadest sense, a geographic information system (GIS) is any manual or computer based set of procedures used to store and manipulate geographically referenced data. The definition is as follows: A GIS is a computer-based system that provides the following four sets of capabilities to handle georeferenced data: 1. input; 2. data management (data storage and retrieval); 3. manipulation and analysis; and 4. output.

Introduction

In 2005 the provincial initiative for ‘capacity-building’ within the Conservation Authorities involved the addition of staff, the upgrading of computer equipment and software to enable the use of GIS in the day to day operations. This initiative was to facilitate the watershed based source protection mandate under The Clean Water Act. A beneficial result of the capacity building exercise has been the resources to fulfill the CA mandate under ‘Ontario Regulation 176/06: Regulation for Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shoreline and Watercourses’.

The SSMRCA GIS Services are used to support the Drinking Water Source Protection, Clean Water Act and ‘Ontario Regulation 176/06: Regulation for Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shoreline and Watercourses’. It will be most useful in the future initiatives of this Conservation Authority as data on the local area is accumulated and integrated with current data. GIS services provide online spatial information for Drinking Water Source Protection Program, Conservation Authority hazard areas and flood plains (fill regulated areas) in accordance with ‘Ontario Regulation 176/06: Regulation for Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shoreline and Watercourses’ (2006), the Flood Plain Mapping Report (Dillon, 1977) and the Shoreline Management Plan (early 1990’s) for the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority area. As funding becomes available information within the conservation authority watershed will be updated.

Other related areas that SSMRCA GIS is used for are:

  • Protect Life and property from flood and erosion (Ont. Reg. 176/06)
  • Encourage Sustainable Water Supply (Drinking Water Source Protection, Clean Water Act)
  • Inventory and Monitoring water quality (PWQMN, Drinking Water Source Protection)
  • Assess and Report on Water Conditions (Recreation, Flood, Drinking Water Source Protection)
  • Protect / Enhance Water Quality (Drinking Water Source Protection)

  • Provide Recreation/quality of life opportunities (Recreation, Drinking Water Source Protection)

The objective of GIS within the Conservation Authority is to provide spatial analysis in a world-referenced view of the Conservation Authority data. In the day to day operations such as inquiries and applications under ‘Ontario Regulation 176/06: Regulation for Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alterations to Shoreline and Watercourses’ the GIS provides a localized map to reference in the analysis of property inquiries or applications for permit. The ongoing gathering and organizing of data for the use in Drinking Water Source Protection Planning and future implementation that may be supported by the Arc Hydro toolset and the other water models will determine flood plain, fill regulated, catchments and watershed basin areas for future planning.

GIS services use analytical and spatially referenced data that has been produced by Conservation Authorities, Municipal, Provincial or Federal governments. The data is then used in the analysis and mapping of the area features. These features include geology (bedrock, quaternary), natural resources, hydrology, cultural, infrastructure (roads, rail etc) and soils.

The SSMRCA GIS service is provided to assist stakeholders such as municipal, provincial, federal governments and the public. Currently partnerships exist for the exchange of information with the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Township of Prince , the Sault North Planning Board, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Ministry of Environment (MOE), Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOH) and membership in Ontario Geospatial Data Exchange (OGDE). The SSMRCA is also an Agency with Ontario Lands Information Directory (OLID) for the creation and loading of metadata into a search utility.

Areas of Jurisdiction

The SSMRCA’s area of jurisdiction (as per Order in Council) has not changed since November 1963. It covers the area comprising the watersheds and parts of the watersheds which lie within the municipalities of the City of Sault Ste. Marie, former Townships of Korah and Tarentorus, as well as the Township of Prince.

                                   

                                              SSMRCA’s area of jurisdiction  (1.17MB) PDF                      Source Protection Area (1.55MB) PDF

The newly defined Source Protection Area as designated under the Drinking Water Source Protection Program of the Clean Water Act, includes the entire Root River system (includes Black Creek, Canon Creek, Crystal Creek, West Root River and Coldwater Creek), Little Carp River, Big Carp River, Bennett Creek, East Davignon Creek, Central Creek, West Davignon Creek and Fort Creek watershed basins, all of Prince Township, the Batchewana First Nation (Rankin Reserve) and City of Sault Ste. Marie, portions of Dennis, Pennefather, Aweres, Jarvis and Duncan Townships and western portion of Garden River First Nation. This has been defined scientifically with the assistance of the MNR Peterborough Geomatics Centre. Within the Townships of Prince and Dennis the area includes the shoreline of Lake Superior from north of Thielman Creek to Gros Cap and along the international border.