the Rideau River provides habitat for 51 rare species, of which 15 are ranked by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
unless action is taken, it is predicted that Canada will lose over 625 freshwater species over the next 100 years, including 21% of its fish and 26% of its amphibians
tourism based on the Rideau River / Canal brings millions of dollars a year into the economy and creates hundreds of full- and part-time jobs
Winterlude - a winter festival in Ottawa - drew 1.61 million visitors to the national capital region in 2000, of which 35% were tourists from outside the area: these tourists spent an estimated $143 million in the local economy
over one million people visit the locks along the Rideau Canal every summer, generating over $12 million in tourism revenues, and creating over 600 full time jobs
the Rideau River provides drinking water for the Town of Smiths Falls and water for hundreds of businesses including quarries, golf courses, farms and road-building operations
all municipalities along the Rideau with the exception of the City of Ottawa dispose of their treated wastewater (municipal sewage) into the Rideau or its tributaries
the Rideau River received official designation as a Canadian Heritage River in 2000