The Eastern Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority (ELORCA) is the regional conservation authority being established through Ontario’s consolidation of conservation authorities. It is the regional authority that will bring together Kawartha, Cataraqui, Crowe Valley, Ganaraska, Lower Trent, Otonabee and Quinte conservation authorities.
Local programs and services will continue, including flood forecasting and warning, permit review, stewardship, watershed monitoring and conservation area management. You can continue to access these services through Quinte Conservation and the local staff who support our communities. This page will provide updates on the work to bring the participating conservation authorities together.
Working together across Eastern Lake Ontario
ELORCA Transition
Quinte Conservation is working alongside six neighbouring conservation authorities to ensure a smooth, successful transition to the Eastern Lake Ontario Regional Conservation Authority (ELORCA).
The region brings together communities, landscapes, and waterways stretching from the Kawartha Lakes to Brockville. Through this transition, the seven conservation authorities are working collaboratively to bring their local knowledge, scientific expertise and experience together in support of the region and its individual watersheds.
Last Updated: October 19, 2026
Need a service today?
Local programs and services will continue without interruption through consolidation. Continue to contact Quinte Conservation for assistance as you do today.
Apply for a permit
For a property within Quinte Conservation’s jurisdiction, continue to contact our permitting team and use our existing application process on our website.
Contact our team
Have a question about a Quinte Conservation program, service, or property?
Contact our team for information and help finding the right person to assist you.
Purchase a parking pass
For parking at one of Quinte's conservation areas, continue to use the parking information and purchase options provided on our conservation area pages.
Flood and low water information
For watershed-based water level updates and information on flooding and low water, continue to visit Quinte Conservation's flood and low water information page.
A region connected by water and landscape
The ELORCA region extends across a diverse landscape, from the Kawartha Lakes through the Peterborough and Trent River areas, along eastern Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte, and east through the Cataraqui area toward Brockville.
It brings together inland lakes, rivers, wetlands, forests, farmland, growing communities and shoreline environments. Across this geography, local watershed knowledge will help inform coordinated work at the regional scale.
Connected waterways. Shared expertise. Local knowledge.
Water connects communities across the region. The Moira and Napanee Rivers are an important example, linking lakes and rivers through communities in Hastings County and Lennox and Addington.
The seven conservation authorities bring experience in understanding local water conditions, managing natural hazards, protecting conservation lands and supporting watershed health. Working together creates opportunities to share knowledge, coordinate monitoring and planning, and respond to challenges that extend across existing organizational boundaries.
Regional collaboration can support a broader view of these challenges while keeping the distinct needs of individual watersheds and communities at the centre of the work.
Frequently asked questions
The Government of Ontario has directed the consolidation of Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into nine regional organizations to strengthen watershed management and provide more consistent services.
For our region, bringing conservation authorities together creates opportunities to share scientific and technical expertise, improve access to technology and resources, and coordinate work that protects communities from flooding and other natural hazards.
This work will build on the local knowledge, relationships and conservation efforts already established across the region. Local programs and services will continue, with a shared focus on protecting people and property, supporting healthy watersheds and meeting the needs of our communities today and into the future.
I am planning a project. Where do I find out whether I need a permit, and how do I apply?
If your property is within Quinte Conservation’s jurisdiction, continue to apply through Quinte Conservation. Visit our Apply for a Permit page for the application process and contact information.
Our Apply for a Permit page explains the application process, submission requirements and fees. If you are at the planning stage, a pre-consultation meeting can help identify what you need before submitting an application. Contact regulations@quinteconservation.ca or call 613-968-3434.
How do I find out whether my property is in a regulated area or floodplain?
Start with our Property Mapping page, which links to interactive mapping showing regulated areas, including floodplains, and source water protection areas.
For questions about a particular property, contact Quinte Conservation. Staff can help explain the available mapping and identify whether you should request property information or arrange a pre-consultation meeting. Checking early is particularly helpful when buying a property or planning construction, landscaping or shoreline improvements.
I already have an application underway. Who should I contact?
Continue working with the Quinte Conservation staff member handling your application. Submit requested information and direct questions about your file to that person, or email regulations@quinteconservation.ca
If you already hold a permit, follow its conditions and expiry date. Contact our permitting team before changing your project or if you need advice about completing the work within your permit’s timeframe. You do not need to wait for the regional transition to seek assistance or move forward through the application process.