GRCA to begin forest restoration project near Guelph Lake

The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) is undertaking a forest restoration project on its property near Victoria Road southwest of Guelph Lake starting in December, 2018.

The public is invited to attend an information session about the project on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Oak Room at the Victoria Road Recreation Centre, 115 Victoria Road North, in Guelph. The information session will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a presentation by GRCA Watershed Forester Ron Wu-Winter. The presentation will cover the importance of forest restoration and plantation management, as well as an overview of the work taking place on this GRCA property over the next couple of winters, and its impact on local recreational trails.

Guelph Lake Forest Restoration Project

The first phase of the work will begin after December 3, 2018 and will take eight to 10 weeks in total. The work being undertaken is weather dependent, and could occur over a single period or several shorter periods. The area is expected to reopen by the end of March, 2019. While forest operations are underway, the area and all trails, including the cycling trails built and maintained by the Guelph Off-Road Bicycling Association (GORBA) will be closed to public use. Signs indicating the closure will be posted at the entrances. Members of the public are reminded to obey posted signage so that crews may complete the work safely. Updates on the project can be found online at www.grandriver.ca/GuelphForestRestoration.

During the first phase of the project, a contractor will be thinning the conifer forest plantations in the area east of Victoria Road. Thinning typically includes the removal of full rows of trees to allow large forestry equipment access to the area. Scattered individual trees are also removed in adjacent rows. This type of work allows more light to reach the forest floor, so that young trees and shrubs can germinate and provides room for the larger trees to grow. Most of the harvested trees will be used for timber products, while some small logs and branches will be left on the forest floor, where they provide habitat and eventually decompose, enriching the forest soil. The ultimate goal is to establish a forest with a diversity of tree, shrub and plant species of various ages and sizes. Thinning is scheduled at this time of year to avoid disrupting the spring and summer nesting seasons, and to minimize the impact on recreational trail users. To increase diversity, hundreds of trees will be planted in the area next spring.

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Lisa Stocco, GRCA Manager of Communications
Phone 519-621-2763 x2316  |  Email lstocco@grandriver.ca

Cam Linwood, GRCA Communications Coordinator
Phone 519-621-2763 x2251  |  Email clinwood@grandriver.ca