 |
| Alternative water source |
Trees have dropped their leaves and winter is about to set in along the Lake Huron coastline. Wetlands have had their share of migrating birds for more than a month. Crop farmers have watched them drop onto their fields to gather the last bits of grain before they go further south.
In years past agriculture has demanded that as much land as possible be used because farming was and still is one of the main industries on such fertile land. Swamps and wet spots in fields were drained to enlarge planting areas and wetlands have disappeared or been fragmented. Few of us understood or even knew what this meant to wildlife, fish, plant life, insects – the whole environment.
However, recently, there has been a change in the watersheds surrounding the Maitland and Bayfield rivers in Perth and Huron Counties. Many Ministry of Natural Resources staff working under the Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem (COA) take time in fall to wind up some of the projects that restore some of those long gone wetlands.
The idea is to ensure there will be better habitat for plants and creatures next spring. The wetlands are important not only for the migrating birds, but offer essential surroundings for many plants, animals, insects and fish as well as rare and endangered species such as:
• the black redhorse – a member of the sucker family
• lake chub sucker
• northern brook lamprey
Those of us who love to fish will delight in knowing that spawning beds for popular game fish such as rainbow trout and Chinook salmon who breed throughout the Bayfield and Maitland river watersheds are also affected by the restoration work. These and many other fish species reap the benefits of enhanced and restored wetlands. And of course anglers have more opportunities to enjoy their favourite pastime.
Why should we restore wetlands when it isn’t an easy task along the coastline of this large popular lake?
 |
| Steve Bowers |
Steve Bowers Huron County Stewardship Coordinator explains enthusiastically: “We respect agriculture and since farming is here to stay and provides the largest portion of the economy in the county we do our best to help farmers manage their farms in ways that can include restoring wetlands. Many people just don’t understand how much we need our wetlands.”
They are important to the health and well-being of Ontario overall he says, adding that wetlands are critical during a drought to help with water retention on farm fields. They also act as filters to clean the water of excess sediment and fertilizers that run off the tops of fields and can pollute streams and rivers if they are not separated out or strained.
“Most people want to help when we tell them things they never knew about wetlands,” he says. He explains how they filter and purify water and about how and why vanishing species need wetlands to survive.
He adds that the Stewardship Councils offer a variety ways to tackle the issues around restoration:
• information on best management practices for farming
• assistance with getting project funding for wetland restoration
• and, access to new technologies.
We can do a lot working with partners!
“Our Stewardship Councils help coordinate getting the work done as well,” Steve adds, explaining how council members – farmers and interested individuals - plant trees and shrubs along stream banks and berms they’ve created to restore wetlands.
Among other things, people just like you and me, help build fences to keep livestock (cattle, horses, sheep and goats for example) from trampling and destroying fragile stream beds and banks and they construct other, alternate sources of water for the livestock.
To date:
• 70,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted to create bufferstrips along the banks of both
the Bayfield and Maitland rivers
• 20 km of bufferstrips have been created
• 15 km of fencing have been installed
• 60 plus hectares (150 plus acres) of wetland and upland habitat have been restored for birds and
other wildlife
• more shade and cover has been created for cold water fish
• and, increased food for insects from all this vegetation – insects are fishes natural food.
In addition, the plan is to update boundary maps for 47 provincially significant wetland complexes comprising 6,076 hectares (more than 15,000 acres).
Steve is delighted to tell the story of one farmer who was so keen on the idea he completed his own project. Then he went around telling his neighbours how successful he’d been which helped prompt others to get involved.
“We have to work together,” says Steve. “We couldn’t do this without our partners.”
Partnerships will help ensure that more wetlands are protected and restored each year as we all learn more about our natural environment.
We can learn much more about restoring, creating and conserving Ontario’s precious wetlands – see also:
• Preserving the biodiversity of the Great Lakes – an overview• Restoring, enhancing, creating Great Lakes coastal and river wetlands
• Part 2 - The Rondeau Project
• Conserving/protecting wetlands and encouraging stewardship through the Ontario Eastern Habitat Joint Venture Partnership
• Working with municipalities to evaluate wetlands – what this means for biodiversity
Partners in the Huron County (Matiland/Bayfield watershed) stream-wetland restoration project
• Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority
• The County of Huron
• Huron Stewardship Council
• Maitland Valley Conservation Authority
• Environment Canada
• Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association
• Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
• Trillium Foundation
• Private landowners
