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Exploring the Grand River Watershed: Nature and Conservation Efforts

Discover rare cliffs and alvars, osprey nesting habits, wildlife diversity, and conservation efforts in the Grand River Watershed, facing environmental challenges. Learn about the importance of buffer zones and the delicate balance of ecosystems.

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Exploring the Grand River Watershed: Nature and Conservation Efforts

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  1. rare Cliffs and Alvars

  2. Burr Oak • Native to North America • Slow growing • Found outside the forest canopy along waterways • Drought resistant due to long tap root

  3. Osprey Nest • Birds of Prey like Eagles and Osprey come to the confluence (joining) of the Speed and Grand Rivers in Blair to feed on fish • The use of pesticides like DDT severely reduced the populations of Eagles and Osprey in the area as the fish they consumed were contaminated with toxins (bioaccumulation) • Nesting sites have been constructed to encourage population growth • Certain trail sections have been closed during mating times as another population protection measure

  4. Alvars • A sparsely vegetated area based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil • Lichen, mosses, snails, butterflies and many bird species are common in Alvars • This Alvar is part of a Grand River floodplain that floods every spring in some amount • Water also flows from higher ground (ie. Indian Woods, Newman Creek, Cruikston Creek, Bowman Creek) over the alvar and into the Grand River

  5. Grand River Watershed • The Grand River is approximately 300km’s long • Managed by the GRCA (Grand River Conservation Authority) • There are 290 000 cows in the Grand River Watershed… their manure is equivalent to that of 5 000 000 people! Which means in some areas of the river the levels of E. Coli bacteria are excessively high • 93% of the land in the watershed is Agricultural/Rural • There are 29 sewage treatment plants along the Grand River serving 700 000 people • Before there were one-day-a-week restrictions, lawn watering accounted for 5 Billion Litres of water per year!

  6. Wildlife -There are 80 fish species in the Grand River -These account for 58% of all the fish species in Canada -Species at Risk such as Trumpeter Swans and Bald Eagles have been spotted along the river

  7. Forest and Cliffs -The trees in the forest along the river are not as old as those in the Indian woods -The forest is not as complex, there are less plant species along the forest floor, therefore reducing habitat -A large amount of water moves through this forest along the limestone cliffs and through creeks… very damp -Lots of moss can be found in the forest -Several tree species: ash, black cherry, hackberry, sugar and black maple, cedar

  8. Limestone Cliff and Moss – Up close

  9. Galt Country Club -Golf Course is located along the Grand River in Preston -The GRCA encourages developments like the golf course to have “buffer zones” along the edges between the river and the greens (or whatever the development might be) -Buffer Zones will protect water quality by preventing erosion of soil/sediment into the river as well as help to filter run-off from the land

  10. Question: What is the difference between a Swamp and a Marsh?

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