Landscapes

The Grand River watershed is an incredibly diverse place, dotted with a variety of habitats.

Each type of habitat has its own collection of plants, trees, animals, birds, bugs and other creatures. At the same time, all of these habitats are interwoven and mutually supportive to create one Grand landscape.

The landscape of the Grand River watershed has changed dramatically in the past 200 years.

When it was opened to settlement in the early 1800s, it was largely a land of forests, wetlands and grasslands.

Settlers cleared the forests, drained the wetlands and ploughed the grasslands as they established their farms, towns and cities. They dammed rivers and streams for transportation and power.

By the early 1900s water quality suffered. Floods became more common and bigger. Rivers dried up in the summer. Many species of fish, animals, birds and plants were decimated or disappeared.

However, tremendous strides have been made since then. Forest cover has expanded, water quality has improved, flooding has been reduced and some species have returned or established a stronger footing.

More information:

Read more about the six major landscapes of the Grand River watershed:

• Forests and trees
• Grasslands and prairies
• Open water
• Rivers and streams
• Urban spaces
• Wetlands