February 5, 2015

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Great Grey Owl. Photo by Mark Majchrowski.

Nogies Creek Waterway Park

Trent Lakes Council supports proposed concept for Nogies Creek Waterway Park

Trent Lakes Council has supported our proposal to develop a concept plan for a Nogies Creek Waterway Park, northeast of Bobcaygeon. A presentation by our CAO, Rob Messervey, with Dean and Principal of Fleming College Frost Campus Linda Skilton, was provided to Council on January 20.

The park would be located along Nogies Creek, which stretches from the north end of Pigeon Lake, up to Bass Lake (northeast of Bobcaygeon).

The park concept may include:

A canoe route
Fish sanctuary and fisheries research area
Scientific study
Self-guided nature trails
Interpretive profiling of unique watershed geology, physiography (land between), fishery, natural features (wetlands), forestry, wildlife, and cultural heritage; and
A recreational linkage with North Pigeon Lake/Boyd Island.

As part of creating the park, Fleming College is considering conveyance of a property to Kawartha Conservation, which is along Nogies Creek and surrounded by Crown Land. Undeveloped road allowances owned by the municipality would be utilized to support a pedestrian trail to provide student access to the property.

The next steps involve establishing a working group with partners, and then further developing and finalizing the concept plan before seeking plan approval from Council.

Annual General Meeting

Join us on February 25!

Click here to RSVP online

A new, user-friendly website

If you are looking for local environmental information, or perhaps want to discover something new about the Kawarthas, our new website will make it easier.

Interpretive information and details about the conservation area can be found by clicking on the icons and trails.

Among the new features on our website are conservation area trail maps that you can use on your mobile phone. The maps are integrated with GPS, allowing you to see exactly where you are on the trail and click icons to view interpretive information, and discover features such as Howlers Corners Off-Leash Dog Park.

If you are looking for ways to enhance your property and help protect the environment, check out the new stewardship pages. Information, tips, programs, and services are presented on sections designed specifically for property owners on the shore, on the farm, in town, and in the country.

Do you need a permit? New mapping has been included to help you assess if you need a permit for development activity in or near floodplains, wetlands, steep slopes, or other natural hazard areas. The permits web page walks you through each of the steps to determine if you need a permit and how to get one.

The new watershed section highlights spectacular natural features in our area, along with flood forecasting and warning messages, lake and environmental management plans, and information and grades about each of the lake and river drainage basins throughout our area.

Whether you access the website through a tablet, smartphone, or desktop computer, it has been designed to work on different screen sizes. It also has improved navigation and search features to help you get the information you are seeking, along with a home page that highlights the latest news, information, and programs.

Snowfall in the Kawarthas

Average snow amounts at monitoring sites

Compared to the record snow amounts last year, having an average amount of snow on the ground this year seems just fine.

We monitor the snow at four locations across our watershed on a regular basis throughout the winter. The charts below for two of the locations show the amounts we have recorded this year (blue line) in relation to the average amount of snow over the past decade (pink line) and maximum amounts (red line).

Measuring the snow, and how much water it contains, helps us determine the potential for flooding when it melts, as part of our Flood Forecasting and Warning Program.

Indian Point Provincial Park snow course

Pigeon River Headwaters Conservation Area snow course

Conservation Areas Update

All of our conservation areas are open everyday from 8 am to 6 pm, and are free to use! The trails are ungroomed, and available for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking. GPS maps are now available on our website which allow you to navigate the trails with your mobile phone.

Parking lots are being plowed in Ken Reid Conservation Area, Windy Ridge Conservation Area, and in Durham East Cross Forest Conservation Area at the Devitts Road parking lot.

Red Pine harvesting continues at Fleetwood Creek Natural Area, and will start in Durham East Cross Forest Conservation Area later this winter.

To report a maintenance or other issue, please contact our Conservation Areas Coordinator, Jessie James, by email or call 705.328.2271 ext. 212.

Howlers-Corners Off-Leash Dog Park

Howlers Corners, located in Ken Reid Conservation Area, has become a popular spot. To ensure the safety and enjoyment of everyone, please note the rules of the run, posted online and at the entrance.

We would also like to ask that visitors not leave any toys, such as balls and ropes, behind. In an unfortunate incident recently, a dog swallowed a tennis ball and had to undergo surgery. Please ensure anything brought into the park is not left behind so other dogs don't have to undergo painful surgery.

Make a donation

We rely on your support to maintain a high quality off-leash park. Please make a donation to help cover the costs of dog waste bags, fence repairs, reseeding, and new infrastructure. Click here for more about donating. All donations over $20 will receive a charitable receipt.

Stewardship

Recognizing your stewardship actions across the watershed

Watershed stewardship is the act of caring for the land, water, air, and all the natural features that support a healthy watershed. Stewardship helps sustain your watershed in order to assure clean and abundant water and natural resources for future generations.

The first step to being a watershed steward is understanding that your actions can have a direct impact on the health of your watershed. With this in mind, watershed stewards take actions that enhance and protect their watershed, as well as their properties.

Actions may be large or small and may include such things as reducing or eliminating fertilizer use, removing potentially invasive plants from gardens, rehabilitating and restoring vegetation along river courses and lake shores, protecting and restoring important wetlands and forests, and many others. To learn about some of the stewardship actions you can take, visit our website.

At Kawartha Conservation we recognize the importance of each positive action taken by landowners, and their cumulative impact. That is why we want to hear about the stewardship actions you have taken!

Put yourself on the map!

Have you already undertaken stewardship projects on your property? If so, please consider sharing details about your project with us so that we can share it with people across the watershed. With your permission, we will highlight your project on our interactive online map. This will help spread awareness and promote even more action.

We would like to highlight your stewardship projects that are big or small and have taken place in urban, rural, shoreline, and agricultural areas. If you are interested in participating, please send an email with the subject line "I'm Taking Action." Participants will be eligible to win a free rain barrel this spring!

Scugog Water Fund - Now taking applications for 2015 projects

With funding from Durham Region, we provide landowner grants through the Scugog WATER Fund to help pay for costs associated with approved stewardship projects. To be eligible, stewardship projects must be in the Durham Region portion of the Kawartha watershed.

Successful projects will be chosen for their potential to address issues affecting Lake Scugog, such as:

Contaminated urban and agricultural runoff
Erosion on lake shores and stream banks
Poorly functioning septic systems around the lake.

New in 2015 - Planting Trees and Shrubs

In addition to the list of projects already supported, the Scugog WATER Fund now supports planting native trees and shrubs. Rural landowners who wish to establishe forest cover on unused land, or plant windbreaks to prevent soil erosion, are encouraged to participate in the program.

For information eligible stewardship projects and how to participate, visit our website.

Seedlings for sale

We're taking orders for our seedling distribution in April. There are 11 tree species, 8 shrub species, and 3 grass species available, all suitable to growing conditions in the Kawarthas.

Whether you are creating a natural oasis on your property, building property value, or using plants to create windbreaks, you will find a range of species for your project.

The shrubs and grasses are especially suited to shorelines. They will thrive in wet conditions, and grow deep, strong roots to help protect your shoreline from erosion.

Visit our website for an order form and details about each species, including their preferred sites, characteristics, and the benefits to your property and watershed.

Seedlings will be ready for pick up in late April in Ken Reid Conservation Area, near Lindsay.

Drinking Water Source Protection

Implementing the Trent Source Protection Plan

An interactive map of the whole Trent Conservation Coalition Source Protection Region allows you to see details about each municipal drinking water system and where the policies apply.

The plan to protect municipal drinking water sources in the Kawarthas and Haliburton took effect on January 1, 2015. What does this mean for the 22 municipal drinking water systems in our area serving 45% of the population? Municipal drinking water now has an additional line of defense to help stop the contamination of drinking water, and prevent situations like the Walkerton tragedy in 2000.

This new line of defense is part of a multi-barrier approach that involves evaluating potential threats to the water that supplies municipal wells and surface water intakes, and implementing new policies that help prevent, manage, or eliminate the threats. Some common examples of significant drinking water threats that are being addressed by the policies include:

Septic system placement and maintenance
Handling and storage of fuel
Application of agricultural source material (e.g. manure) to land
Operation of a waste disposal site
Application of pesticide to land
Handling and storage of organic solvents.

The policies only apply to the areas around municipal wells and intakes where these activities pose a serious risk to contamination of the water supply.

Mike Wilson has recently joined Kawartha Conservation as the Risk Management Official for the City of Kawartha Lakes area under a Delegation Agreement with the City. His focus is to address existing significant drinking water threats in close proximity to municipal drinking water systems, primarily by negotiating Risk Management Plans with landowners. The risk management plans are designed to take all reasonable and practical actions to manage the threat activity.

Another important part of Mike's job will be to review development applications within wellhead protection areas (groundwater well) or intake protection zone (surface water intake in a lake or river) under a provision of the Planning Act to ensure that risk management measures are agreed upon before an application is approved.

The value of our water cannot be underestimated or taken for granted. Access to clean water is essential to human health and for ecosystem integrity. The implementation of drinking water source protection plans in the Kawartha-Haliburton area is a giant step toward ensuring safe drinking water for our residents.

Click here for more about Drinking Water Source Protection.

Job opportunities

We're pleased to offer the following positions and placements, working across the watershed from our office in Ken Reid Conservation Area!

Permanent positions

Stewardship Coordinator: Immediate Opening
Apply by February 12, 2015

See our website for details.

Fleming College Spring Field Placements

The following are 2-week, unpaid placements in April for Fleming College students in environmental programs:

Assistant Water Resources Technician
Assistant Water Resources Technician - Groundwater
Conservation Areas Assistant

Apply by February 22, 2015

See our website for details.

Workshops

Kawartha Farm Stewardship Collaborative - 3rd Annual Farm Stewardship Workshop

Saturday, February 7, 2015 from 9 am to 3 pm

Brought to you by the partners in the Kawartha Farm Stewardship Collaborative, this full day workshop features presentations by farmers and stewardship professionals on topics including:

Practical Strategies to Reduce Neonicotinoid Use: Greg Stewart, OMAFRA
Livestock Watering: Creative Options and Ideas
Benefits of Wetlands and Biofilters in Farm Drainage
The 4R's of Nutrient Stewardship
Funding and Support for Farmers.

Register

Kawartha Lakes (Lindsay) Woodlot Conference

Saturday, February 21, 2014 from 9 am to 4 pm

The Conference features speakers on the theme of Hands-On Woodlot Management, looking at the woodlot from a holistic and systems perspective and providing you with the information and resource contacts for you to address issues of interest or concern to you.