A Huron County program that has helped fund thousands of projects aimed at keeping contaminants out of local waterways and Lake Huron will come to an end this year following County budget cuts.
The Huron Clean Water Project will be discontinued at the end of 2026, with the final application deadline set for September 9.
Huron County says the decision followed adoption of its 2026 budget in March, when council sought significant cost savings to limit the overall tax levy increase.
The program has operated since 2004, providing financial and technical assistance to farmers, rural landowners, businesses and community organizations for projects designed to improve water quality.
The County describes it as "one of the most successful on-the-ground water quality improvement projects in Ontario."
More than 4,325 projects have been completed through the program, representing more than $18.5 million in reported project costs.
Those projects include the planting of more than 830,000 trees, decommissioning 643 wells and 118 unused liquid manure storages, completing 309 erosion-control projects and establishing approximately 50,000 acres of cover crops.
The County says the projects "help keep bacteria, chemicals, and nutrients out of creeks, rivers, and Lake Huron."
Funding has been provided by Huron County and delivered through the Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley conservation authorities, with County grants often combined with landowner contributions and other cost-share programs.
The decision to discontinue the program was one of several cost-saving measures included in the 2026 budget. The County also cancelled or reduced a number of environmental initiatives, including its Climate Change Report, Water Protection Steering Committee and participation in the Healthy Lake Huron Steering Committee.
The end of the program comes as water quality remains an ongoing issue along the Lake Huron shoreline.
Huron Perth Public Health regularly tests local beaches for E. coli and has issued several swimming advisories during the 2026 season when bacterial levels exceeded provincial guidelines. Public health notes E. coli can reach freshwater from a number of sources, including rivers and storm drains, septic systems, groundwater, wildlife and other animals.
For its final year, funding remains available for clean water projects including rural stormwater management and wetland creation, tree planting and naturalization, invasive-species management and forest-management plans.
Projects approved this year must be completed by November 30.
