Funding for preventing toxic and nuisance algae – Lake Ontario

Overview

The goal of the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative (FEI) is to target the most significant environmental challenges affecting Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health by delivering on Canada’s commitments under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).

Nutrient pollution remains a challenge in the Great Lakes, with excess nutrients resulting in toxic and nuisance algae. The issue is most severe in Lake Erie. In February 2016, Canada and the United States adopted binational phosphorus load reduction targets for Lake Erie to combat this issue. Together with the United States, Canada committed to reduce phosphorus loadings to the western and central basins by 40% compared to 2008 baseline levels (212 tonnes) and to develop and implement a domestic action plan. The Lake Erie Action Plan to reduce phosphorus to Lake Erie (LEAP) was approved in 2018. Implementation is ongoing.

Concerns with algae are different in Lake Ontario, where growth and wash-up of nuisance algae are widespread across the lake and harmful algal blooms are local in nature. Lake Ontario also experiences a combination of excess nutrients, like phosphorus, in nearshore areas and nutrient decline in the open waters. Too much phosphorus in the nearshore can cause excessive algae growth, while low levels offshore can affect the food web.

There are three sub-streams under the Toxic and Nuisance Algae funding opportunity.

The Lake Erie Innovation sub-stream is an application-based call for applications that would demonstrate innovative approaches and technologies to reduce phosphorus loads to Lake Erie, and/or fill knowledge gaps through strategic science and monitoring.

The Lake Erie Precision Conservation sub-stream is a Letter of Intent (LOI) process focused on the implementation of projects/programs to reduce phosphorus losses from the landscape to Lake Erie by targeting (i.e., precision conservation) high priority watersheds and implementing the most effective measure(s) in areas of highest risk.

The Lake Ontario sub-stream is an application-based call for applications that would support the development of targeted planning, strategic knowledge development, and/or action to reduce nutrient loads, focusing on areas experiencing recurring nearshore toxic or nuisance algal blooms and/or related impacts.

An objective of the Great Lakes FEI is to decrease loadings of phosphorus to Lake Erie from Canadian sources and take action to reduce toxic and nuisance algae in Lake Ontario. To assist in achieving these objectives, CWA is making funding available through separate streams to support projects which target high-priority watersheds to implement effective phosphorus reduction measures, demonstrate innovative approaches and best management practices, fill priority knowledge gaps through science (research, monitoring, and modelling), develop new watershed-scale plans, and implement targeted nutrient reduction action in areas with demonstrated risks from toxic or nuisance algae.

Geographic Scope and Priority Areas

Funding will support projects within the Canadian portion of the Lake Ontario watershed (including the Niagara River and St. Lawrence River to the Ontario-Québec border; Figure 1).

Figure 1. Canadian Lake Ontario watershed as defined by this funding stream.

Eligibility

Eligible recipients

Applicants may include:

• Conservation Authorities
• Indigenous organizations, governments, individuals, boards, commissions, communities, associations, and authorities
• Canadian municipal and local governments
• Canadian not-for-profit organizations, such as charitable and volunteer organizations, professional associations (such as industry associations), and non-governmental organizations
• Canadian research, academic and educational institutions
• Canadian local organizations such as community associations and groups, seniors’ and youth groups, and service clubs

Individuals and provincial government agencies are not eligible for funding.

Eligible projects

Project applications focused on developing and implementing targeted planning, targeted science, and targeted action to address demonstrated risks and impacts from toxic or nuisance algae in the nearshore of Lake Ontario are eligible for funding. Project applications that implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) or other approaches identified in an existing plan must include an outreach and engagement plan detailing how the project will promote results to a broader community to encourage increased voluntary implementation and uptake of the nutrient and/or phosphorus reduction measures.

The use of toxic and nuisance algae in this funding stream refers to both the development and proliferation of cyanobacteria (or blue-green algae) blooms, that can produce toxins that pose risks to human and wildlife heath;  and benthic algae (e.g., Cladophora and other filamentous algae) that grow to nuisance levels at the lake bottom, detach, transport, wash up and accumulate on shore and on other aquatic features (e.g., water in-takes).

*the use of “nutrient management plan” or “nutrient management strategy” in this application guide does not refer to nor does it represent farm-based documents identified under the regulations of Ontario’s Nutrient Management Act (2002). This Lake Ontario funding stream will not support the development or implementation of individual farm-scale plans, as the focus is at the watershed or sub-watershed scale.

Eligible project costs

Only costs directly attributed to carrying out the project will be eligible for funding, including:

• human resource costs, including salaries and benefits
• management and professional service costs, such as accounting, monitoring, communications, official languages translation, audit and legal charges
• travel
• material and supplies
• printing, production and distribution costs
• equipment and Capital Assets purchase or rental
• vehicle rental and operation costs
• contractors required to perform activities related to the project
• a reasonable share of overhead and/or administrative costs
• any GST/HST that is not reimbursable by Canada Revenue Agency and any PST not reimbursable by the provinces
• other incremental expenditures directly related to the project (as pre-approved by the CWA)

Ineligible project costs

Costs, other than those herein allowed, are ineligible unless specifically approved in writing by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change or his/her representatives at the time of project approval. For all costs, only those deemed to be a reasonable share for completing the project shall be considered eligible.

The following project types are not eligible for funding:

• projects that are focused on water quantity issues
• projects which are located outside of the defined geographical area
• projects which are focused on increasing production (e.g., agricultural) or replacing worn out equipment
• projects which are not in compliance with applicable legislation, including environmental legislation (for example: requirements under the Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act, Fisheries Act)
• activities that are intended to directly influence and/or lobby any level of government
• activities that are deemed to be part of normal operations of an organization/business or for commercial expansion purposes
• wastewater infrastructure projects 

Funding

Funding details

• Funding is available between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2027
• The maximum amount available for any one project is $150,000/year
• Projects may be multi-year in nature (up to 2 years)
• While not required, project proponents are strongly encouraged to seek other sources of funding and/or in-kind project support.

Application process

Description of the application process

The CWA requires that applications to the Great Lakes FEI be submitted online via the Grants and Contributions Enterprise Management System (GCEMS). The GCEMS is accessed through the department’s Single Window system.  For additional information on accessing the GCEMS through ECCC’s Single Window system, please see Appendix A.

The online Application Form for the Great Lakes FEI: preventing toxic and nuisance algae funding stream includes nine sections:

• Section 1: Tombstone Data
• Section 2: Project Summary
• Section 3: Great Lakes FEI – preventing toxic and nuisance algae (program-specific section)
• Section 4: Project Budget
• Section 5: Project Work Plan
• Section 6: Evaluation Plan and Performance Measures
• Section 7: Other Supporting Information
• Section 9: Certification

In Section 1: Tombstone Data, provide basic information about your group as well as contact information for the individual leading the application.

In Section 2: Project Summary, provide basic information about the proposed project, including the name and location of the project, the project start and end date, the project goals/objectives, a brief general description of the proposed project, the experience of project team members and the financial and management capacity of the organization submitting the project application. If your project is approved for funding, the summary description you provide in your application may be made available to the public.

In Section 3: Great Lakes FEI - Toxic and nuisance algae (program-specific section), provide information about various aspects of the proposed project, including confirmation that it meets the eligibility requirements as well as details related to results, uptake and engagement, the project work plan, the geographic scope and the project budget.

For implementation projects, you must provide information on uptake and engagement, and ensure it includes details on how the project will promote and encourage increased voluntary implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) or other approaches to a wider community and identify partner organizations that will be involved. Information must also outline communities and/or networks that will be targeted and how they will be reached. Descriptions of outreach activities, products and timelines should be included. Science-related projects are strongly encouraged to include information on how results will be communicated to a wide audience to support knowledge mobilization and transfer.

In Section 4: Project Budget, provide the total amount of Canada Water Agency funding that is being requested for the proposed project, outline the project’s budget and give an estimation of its forecasted expenses organized according to a set of pre-defined cost categories (such as salaries and wages; management and professional services; travel; and, material and supplies costs). The estimated cost of all project expenditures should reflect fair market values at the standard rate for that product or service in your area.

In this section, you are also required to provide details regarding the project's fiscal year breakdown. Determine the number of years of support from the Canada Water Agency that your project requires and indicate how the total amount of support requested will be allocated on an annual basis.

Disbursement of funds - Identify if your project involves the further disbursement of funds (such as landowner stewardship programs). 

Finally, in this section you are required to indicate other funding sources for the project if applicable. Provide letters of financial/in-kind support for the project in the Other Supporting Information section.

In Section 5: Project Work Plan, provide details on the activities that will be undertaken for the duration of the project.

The Project Work Plan must:

• describe how the project is relevant to achieving the goal of reducing toxic and nuisance algal blooms in the nearshore areas of Lake Ontario
• clearly demonstrate relevant, clear and appropriate methods of achieving project results
• explain how the project will be completed effectively and on time, including:
  • project goals and activities
  • project partners
  • techniques involved
  • milestones and timelines for each activity

In Section 6: Evaluation Plan and Performance Measures, provide details on how the expected results and successes of the project will be measured.

In Section 7: Other Supporting Information, provide further information relevant to the project that was not captured elsewhere in the application if needed. Please ensure any letters of financial/in-kind support are provided here.

In Section 8: Official Languages, provide information related to the need to accommodate official language minority communities with respect to the proposed project’s activities.

In Section 9: Certification, certify that information provided in the Application Form is accurate and that you, as the applicant, have authorization to sign on behalf of the group.

Other instructions

Applicants are encouraged to provide the details necessary to give a full response to each section of the Application Form but should be as concise as possible.

Please ensure that all sections of the Application Form are complete prior to submission. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Applicants may include additional information or documents with their application (such as examples of possible products, photographs, maps, etc.). If submitting additional material, it must be clearly marked and referenced accordingly in the relevant section of the application. All such material must be submitted in accordance with the instructions found online in the Other Supporting Information section.

Applicants are encouraged to identify any additional partner funding and/or in-kind project support that has been obtained and/or that is being sought. Please note that while this is not a requirement, applications demonstrating other sources of financial and/or in-kind support will be scored favourably when evaluated on value for money.

Note: if you are unable to complete and submit your application via the online application portal and wish to discuss options, please contact GreatLakes-GrandsLacs@cwa-aec.gc.ca.

Deadline and submission instructions

Closed for applications.

Selection and Evaluation Process

Selection process

Project applications will undergo a two-stage review process:

1. administrative review by the CWA to ensure applications are complete and meet program eligibility requirements
2. project evaluation by the CWA against evaluation criteria. The CWA may seek advice on application submissions from external advisors with knowledge and expertise relevant to the application; however, approval decisions will be made by the CWA.

Administrative review

To be considered eligible for funding, project applications must meet the following requirements:

• all application sections are complete
• project activities and associated costs represent an eligible project and eligible funding categories (refer to Eligible Projects)
• actions described in the application will result in the development of plans to target areas with recurring toxic or nuisance algal blooms and/or their impacts, address knowledge gaps through science, or implement nutrient management actions from existing watershed-scale nutrient or phosphorus management plan or strategies
• planning or implementation projects clearly demonstrate how they target action to address recurring known Lake Ontario nearshore toxic or nuisance algae blooms and/or their impacts
• project activities occur within the geographic scope of the stream (within the Canadian Lake Ontario drainage basin; Refer to Geographic Scope and Priority Areas)

Project evaluation

Eligible project applications will be assessed on the extent to which applications meet the following evaluation criteria:

Results:

• the project demonstrates the need to develop a plan to target action in an area(s) with known recurring toxic or nuisance algal blooms and/or their impacts
• the project fills a priority knowledge gap through science (research, monitoring, and/or modeling)
• the project implements nutrient reduction action as identified in an existing watershed scale nutrient or phosphorus management plan or strategy to address known recurring toxic or nuisance algal blooms and/or their impacts
• for nutrient reduction action implementation projects, that project application includes an engagement plan on how project results will be communicated to partners and broader community to encourage increased voluntary implementation of best management practices and other approaches within the project’s area of focus

Project feasibility / likelihood of success:

• the project is relevant to achieving the goal of reducing nearshore toxic and nuisance algal blooms and/or their impacts in Lake Ontario
• the project application’s work plan clearly identifies when and how the project activities will be undertaken to ensure the project is completed effectively and on time
• the work plan clearly demonstrates relevant, clear and appropriate methods of achieving project results
• the proposed recipient has experience planning and managing this type of project
• the proposed project team has sufficient expertise related to the project activities
• required permits have been identified and/or obtained

Geographic scope/priority area:

• the project activities will occur within the Canadian portion of the Lake Ontario watershed including the Niagara River and St. Lawrence River to the Ontario-Québec border (as defined and illustrated in the Geographic Scope/priority area section)

Value for money:

• the proposed project represents good value for dollars invested
• the proposed project includes cash and/or in-kind contributions from other sources

Notification

Once departmental approvals in principle have been confirmed, all applicants (both successful and unsuccessful) will be notified in writing. If your project is approved in principle, you will be contacted to negotiate a Contribution Agreement, which outlines the terms and conditions of funding. Please note that the letter of notification informing that your project has been approved in principle will also be shared with relevant federal MPs. We will work towards completing this process within 40 working days. Please note that meeting this standard for the development of a Contribution Agreement is a shared responsibility and largely depends on you submitting all required documentation to CWA officials in a diligent and timely fashion.  

Project implementation can begin after formal notification of project approval, pending the execution of project agreements or contracts where applicable.

If a Contribution Agreement is signed, expenditures made by your organization towards the project after the date of official notification and before the Contribution Agreement is signed may be considered for reimbursement.

For clarification on any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact GreatLakes-GrandsLacs@cwa-aec.gc.ca.

Appendix A: Online GCEMS application process

The CWA requires that applications to the Great Lakes FEI: preventing toxic and nuisance algae funding stream be submitted online via the Grants and Contributions Enterprise Management System (GCEMS). The GCEMS is accessed through the department’s Single Window system.

To sign in to the department’s Single Window system select your language preference on the welcome page and when prompted to choose a sign-in method, select the GCKey sign-in option. If you already have a GCKey username and password enter them in the appropriate spaces.

If you do not have a GCKey username and password proceed through the sign-up process to obtain your username and password.

New users to the Single Window system will then be prompted to enter their email address and guided through a process to create a user profile.

In order to gain access to the link that will allow you to navigate to the GCEMS, you must add an organization to your profile. On the menu select “Organizations” and follow the instructions on the web page that opens. Note that when entering the organization’s business number you may use one of the following; business number; GST number; charitable number/non-profit organization registration number; or First Nations Band number. Once you have added your organization, select “Home” on the menu to navigate to the webpage that contains the link to the GCEMS.

Once you have accessed the GCEMS site, click on the link “View funding opportunities” on the left hand side of the GCEMS “My applications” webpage. On the “View funding opportunities” webpage, locate the Great Lakes FEI in the “List of opportunities” table and view the funding opportunity information by clicking on the associated link in the “Action(s)” column. On the “iew funding opportunity information” webpage, click on “Apply” to open the online application process for the Great Lakes FEI: Preventing Toxic and Nuisance Algae funding stream.

Information on how to access and use ECCC’s Single Window system.

For technical assistance with ECCC’s Single Window system, please contact gigu-swim@ec.gc.ca.

Information on how to access the GCEMS.

For technical assistance with the GCEMS, please contact sgesc-gcems@ec.gc.ca.

Appendix B: Toxic and Nuisance Algae (Lake Ontario) Application Based Science Priorities

1. Studies that improve understanding of the distribution and fate of phosphorus in local tributary watersheds, including how it relates to the production of nearshore toxic or nuisance algae in Lake Ontario.
2. Studies that quantify or define nuisance benthic algae conditions and their impacts in the nearshore, including shoreline accumulation.