Carp River Action Plan

In 2012 Mississippi Valley Conservation, in partnership with the Friends of the Carp River, completed a detailed assessment of the Carp River from Richardson Side Road to the Village of Carp due to:

• Concerns about visibly increasing flooding at the Village
• Future downstream effects of development at Kanata West and the Terry Fox Extension

As a result of this assessment, the MVC and FCR recommend that a multi-year Carp River Action Plan be undertaken that comprises four actions:

• Implementation of a landowner stewardship program for key riparian properties.
• Removal of blockages and obstructions downstream from the Village.
• Creation of a Carp River Stream Watch Program.
• Engineered restoration of the river at two key sections

The Action Plan will have three major benefits for the citizens of Ottawa:

• Reduced flooding at the Village and of farmers' fields
• Improved water quality entering the Ottawa River
• New economic benefits to the Village of Carp

The Action Plan supports the Carp Community Design Plan for river access. The Plan is a strategic, multi-year approach to improving the most degraded mid-reach section of the Carp River. It is a natural follow-on to the recommendations of the Carp River Watershed Study. It consists of four recommendations for action:

• Landowner Stewardship
• Blockage Removal
• A Stream Watch Program
• Engineered Restoration

It is a community-based partnership between the Mississippi Valley Conservation Foundation, Mississippi Valley Conservation, and Friends of the Carp River with support from the City of Ottawa and volunteers.