About 100 guests will gather for an inaugural event later this month to learn about invasive species and restorative efforts within the St. Clair River.
The St. Clair River Canadian Remedial Action Plan Implementation Committee will host an informative event, "Honouring the St. Clair River" on September 28.
Action Plan Coordinator Mike Moroney will be one of two guest speakers at the event. He will give an update on efforts to restore the St. Clair River Area of Concern (AOC).
The river was identified as an AOC in 1987 due to impacts caused by urban and industrial growth in the area. Years later, the committee was formed in 2005 to organize the restoration of Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) for the St. Clair River AOC.
"For the St. Clair River, there were 14 beneficial uses that were assessed in 1987 and of those, there were only two that were identified as not impaired at that time so there's been a lot of work over the years to restore the St. Clair River," Moroney said. "Instead of just two BUIs being identified as not impaired, there's actually nine now and we have a work plan in place to address the five remaining BUIs over the next five years so a lot of work is still underway."
Moroney said work thus far will be explained more in-depth at the event.