Restoration

The landscape of the Grand River watershed was dramatically reshaped after it was opened to settlement in the 1800s. Land was plowed for farms, paved for cities and towns. Rivers and streams were dammed for power and transportation. Trees were cut down and wetlands drained.

The water in rivers and streams warmed up and became murky because of excessive amounts of sediment. Native species lost their habitats, while invasive species took hold. The loss of wetlands and forests contributed to bigger and more frequent floods in the spring and dry riverbeds in the summer.

However, great progress has been made in restoring the health of the environment. Some of that came by protecting the remaining forests, wetlands and natural river corridors. But, more and more, restoration projects by the GRCA and many partners, including private citizens, are changing the environment for the better.

Rivers and streams

Below are some examples of the work done to improve our waterways.

• Dams that are no longer needed, such as Beattie Dam in Fergus, Chilligo Dam in Cambridge, Wilkes Dam in Brantford and Taquanyah Dam near Cayuga, have been removed. This allows fish to reach their natural spawning areas and expand their range. Removing dams can also result in cooler water temperatures.
• Many kilometres of fences have been erected along waterways to keep cattle out. This reduces erosion, resulting in better water quality.
• Trees and shrubs have been planted along waterways to soak up excessive nutrients such as nitrates and phosphorus, keeping them out of the water. The trees also shade the water, keeping it cooler.
• Some displaced fish species, such as walleye, have been returned to areas where they had disappeared. Brown trout are stocked in the Grand and Conestogo rivers to improve angling.

Many projects on farms were financed with grants from the Rural Water Quality Program. Others were done under the Grand River Fisheries Management Plan.

Grassland and tallgrass prairie

Grassland and tallgrass prairie were common in the central part of the watershed, between Cambridge and Brantford, but most were converted to farms in the 1800s. The loss of these grasslands also meant a reduction in several plant, animal and bird species that live there.

The GRCA is helping remaining grasslands and rehabilitating old ones at properties at Apps' Mill Conservation Area (Brant), Brant Park (Brantford), Pinehurst Lake Park (Brant), F.W R. Dickson Wilderness Area (near Cambridge), Guelph Lake Conservation Area, and Luther Marsh Wildlife Management Area.

The GRCA plants native wildflowers and grass species. Once the prairie is established, the GRCA carries out controlled burns. Fire is a natural part of the life cycle of these areas. The fire reduces the presence of non-prairie species. Other grasslands are maintained by mowing areas where fast-growing woody shrubs and trees are trying to grow.

Wetlands

Wetlands, such as marshes and bogs, are critical environmental features. They help improve water quality, reduce the severity and frequency of floods, stabilize shorelines, provide fish and wildlife habitat and improve biodiversity.

However, about two-thirds of the watershed's wetlands have been lost.

The GRCA and its partners have undertaken many projects to protect existing wetlands or restore lost ones.

• The Monticello project at Luther Marsh created a new 90 hectare (222 acre) wetland which has become a permanent or temporary home for dozens of bird species.
• Former farmland has been converted to a wetland habitat as part of the Dunnville Marsh.
• Many small wetlands have been restored by private landowners in projects developed with the GRCA and its partners.

Forests

Before settlement, the Grand River watershed was dominated by forests. However, by 1900 only about five per cent of the land was still forested.

Since then, forest cover has increased to about 19 per cent. That's partially due to natural regeneration, but it's also due to tree-planting programs of the GRCA and its partners. The GRCA has planted about 30 million trees over the decades.

Some of the early forests planted by the GRCA consist of conifers. It was fast and relatively easy way to get a lot of trees in the ground. Now, though, the GRCA is thinning some of those plantations to provide room for hardwood trees to find a place. For new plantings, the GRCA is moving away from conifer plantations toward a more diverse, mixed deciduous and conifer trees with native grass and herbaceious cover. The result is a more diverse and complex forest that is healthier and provides more habitat for a wider range of birds and animals.