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| John Haak examines one of many tree seedlings planted. Photo: Jason Mortlock |
"Are you crazy?"
This is what some folks asked John Haak 20 years ago, when he bought a 41-hectare (approximately 100-acre) farm near Clinton in Huron County.
In the midst of some of the most productive farmland in Canada, John had chosen what seemed like one of the worst properties. The south half was reasonably level, but had swampy pockets. The north half was part pasture and part woodlot, with poor, coarse soil. But John and his wife Janet were not depending on this soil for support. They built a house and barn on the property and kept some cattle for awhile, but John had a good job at Sifto Salt in nearby Goderich, the biggest salt mine in the world.
And John had a vision. He had always been interested in woodlands and wildlife. He was a hunter and angler and he also joined a local woodlot owners' association.
"I wanted to do something with the property," he said.
John began planting trees, with help from a now-discontinued, private-land forestry program. He collected tree seed and traded that for seedlings and saplings from a local nursery. "The idea was to grow an eventual timber crop, while improving wildlife habitat and site protection," he said.
Then John tried several small wetland restoration projects, assisted by the Wetland Habitat Fund. Once they were completed, he was ready to try bigger projects.
The south part of the farm had been mostly wetland before being drained for agriculture. In fact, large areas still flooded during heavy rains. In 2007, John planned a wetland restoration project with the Huron Stewardship Council, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Maitland Valley Conservation Authority and the Municipality of Central Huron. The project would restore the former wetland, without disturbing an existing municipal drain that cut through John’s land.
John excavated a pond, and had contractors install perforated pipe in the bottom of the wetland, which feeds water into the site and also accepts surface water that percolates down through the soil. Any excess water discharges through an Agri-drain that also provides control over water levels. Additional Agri-drains allow seasonal flooding of an adjacent forested wetland.
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| Landowner John Haak stands at the edge of a restored wetland. Photo: Jason Mortlock |
The "re-hydrating" of the site, completed in 2008, has shown results. The land holds more water and for longer; groundwater reserves have recharged; base flow has increased; the water quality has improved; and wildlife habitat has been enriched. John’s additional planting of trees and shrubs adjacent to the wetland from 2007 to 2009 has increased habitat even more.
"I love to go for a walk on the property," said John. "It’s peaceful, I can see the seasons change – and I can see deer, wild turkeys, rabbits, beaver, muskrat and all kinds of frogs.
"I made sure that the pond was irregularly shaped and sloped up from the middle to shallows because the shallows are where you can see all kinds of water critter activity," said John. "And now all kinds of vegetation have begun to fill in all around the edges."
John isn’t quite finished yet. Next on the schedule is to restore an additional small area of wetland and establish several areas of prairie, to provide habitat for meadow-loving wildlife.
Besides the stewardship council and the conservation authority, John also received support for his wetland projects from MNR’s Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem (COA) funding, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Environmental Farm Plan, the Huron Clean Water Project and the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority.
John began with a marginal farm. Now only 7 hectares (about 18 acres) of actual farmland remain. The rest is a variety of natural and restored wetland, meadow and forest habitat. No one thinks he’s crazy now. In fact, from time to time people drop in to see if they might be able to buy the property themselves.
For more information, contact:
- Steve Bowers, Stewardship Coordinator, Huron Stewardship Council, Ministry of Natural Resources, Clinton (519) 482-3661
- Andy McKee, Lake Huron COA Basin Coordinator, Upper Great Lakes Management Unit, Ministry of Natural Resources, Owen Sound (519) 371-5449
