The Niagara Water Quality Protection Strategy (NWQPS) was released in late 2003, the results
of a multi-agency, multi-stakeholder effort of some 14 months. Since that time, the lead parties,
The Regional Municipality of Niagara (RMON) and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation
Authority (NPCA), have been active on multiple fronts initiating the many actions and
recommendations of what is now called the Niagara Water Strategy (NWS). The NWS has
brought upper and lower tier municipalities, environmental agencies and public stakeholders
together in an organized collaboration. The implementation structure is unique, with a small
management group, comprised of leaders from the NPCA, Region of Niagara, the Ontario
Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and municipal representatives whose role is to determine
the direction of the strategy and to provide support for various initiatives. A primary objective of
the NWS is to share information and use financial and human resources, more efficiently and
effectively across the field of water resource management. An important element of the NWS
has been the formation of an Information Clearing House for sharing of data, reporting and
mapping information. This web-based information index allows seamless access to information
generated for, and by, NWS stakeholders. Public communication is also a cornerstone of the
strategy with numerous components including newsletters, web releases, a Watershed Report
Card, and various opportunities to obtain feedback from the public. As it enters its 4th year,
the NWS is establishing a track record of action based initiatives, that have resulted in significant
progress toward improved water resource management across the region. Includes figures.