WETLAND CREATION AND RESTORATION
Wetlands are areas that are seasonally or permanently covered by shallow water. They collect water from a variety of sources including rainfall, groundwater, and runoff from urban or agricultural landscapes. Wetlands are unique ecosystems that are home to many unique plants and animals. A healthy wetland supports a range of wildlife including insects, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Wetlands are considered one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet. They are also are critical habitats for many species and offer many benefits to the environment and to humans. Some of these benefits include:
- increased biodiversity
- increased habitat for wildlife
- decreased habitat fragmentation
- improved flood management
- improved water qualtiy
- carbon sequestration
- recreational opportunities
These sensitive habitats are vital to maintaining healthy water quality and managing large amounts of water after heavy rains. The plants in wetlands can absorb excess nutrients, road salts, and chemicals which keeps water clean. Wetlands can also act like a sponge and collect water and slowly release it back into the environment to maintain stream flows between rainfalls. Unfortunately, only 10% of historical wetlands in the Greater Toronto Area remain intact today. Wetlands in the Greater Toronto Area are threatened by urban development, climate change, pollution, and invasive species.
Over the years, Ontario Streams has contributed to projects to create and restore wetlands in Southern Ontario. Since 1995, Ontario Streams has created over 16 hectares of wetlands. One example is the Newberry Park Wetland Restoration Project in Richmond Hill.
RICHMOND HILL HEADWATERS REHABILITATION INITIATIVE
The wetlands in Newberry Park are part of the provincially significant Rouge River Headwaters Wetland Complex. Headwaters systems are the streams and wetlands that are farthest from the mouth of rivers. The streams and wetlands in Newberry Park are at the north end of the Rouge River which drains into Lake Ontario. These sensitive habitats are particularly important to conserve and restore as they drain into the Great Lakes and any negative impacts to water quality upstream will affect downstream ecosystems as well.
Hundreds of years ago, the land that Newberry Park sits on was part of a headwater wetland. In the 1980s, this area was turned into a sports complex with soccer fields and baseball diamonds. For many years Newberry Park often was flooded by water rising from the ground due to the park’s location on the Oak Ridges Moraine. This important landform acts as an underground pump to add fresh water to headwater rivers and wetlands across the northern part of the Greater Toronto Area.
In 2001, the City of Richmond Hill recognized an opportunity to expand, enhance, and restore the natural areas of Newberry Park, utilizing the upwelling groundwater in the creation of wildlife habitat and improving water quality in a local creek. In partnership with Ontario Streams, the Regional Municipality of York, and the provincial government, the Newberry Park Wetland Restoration Project created approximately one hectare of new wetland habitat and returned the area to an oasis for local wildlife. The project was completed in the late 2000s and Ontario Streams, the City of Richmond Hill, and community volunteers continue to maintain the wetlands in this park.
