The Beaver River Trail Conservation Area grows again

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The Beaver River Trail Conservation Area grows again

 

 

July 14, 2008 / Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority

 

 

NEWMARKET: The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) closed the deal on another purchase of land in the Beaver River valley to add to the Beaver River Trail Conservation Area last week. This is the second closing in recent months and it adds another 30.2 ha (74.6 ac) to the conservation area.

 

The Beaver River wetland complex is one of the most environmentally significant areas in Lake Simcoe’s watershed. Largely undisturbed by human activities, the wetland complex provides habitat for wildlife, acts as a filter to improve water quality and stores large amounts of spring runoff preventing flooding down stream. For these reasons, the conservation authority’s Natural Heritage Land Securement Program has developed a plan to acquire land along the river to protect it in its natural state.

 

LSRCA’s Chair, Virginia Hackson, said, “The growing Beaver River Trail Conservation Area is a unique opportunity for us to preserve a natural environment and provide the public with passive recreational opportunities for trail users of all abilities and interests.”

 

The Beaver River Trail Conservation Area provides almost 13 km of easy hiking along the bed of an old railway line in the Regional Municipality of Durham. Views of the marshes in the Beaver River wetland complex are exquisite. Kayakers and canoeists can enjoy the meandering river and quiet shallow waters. The towns of Blackwater, Sunderland and Cannington offer quaint diversions.

 

Between 1978 and 1994 the conservation authority purchased portions of the abandoned CN Rail railway that runs through the Beaver Valley. This created the Beaver River Trail Conservation Area with approximately 50 ha (123 acres). Since 2005 the LSRCA has secured an additional 175 ha, or almost 435 acres, of land with the help of a bequest from the estate of Katharine Symons (administered by the Nature Conservancy of Canada). Further financial assistance came from the conservation authority’s partnerships with Ducks Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Greenlands Program, Ontario Heritage Trust, the Regional Municipality of Durham, and Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation.

 

“We’re pleased that so many other groups share our vision and will partner with us to save land in the Beaver River wetlands for future generations to enjoy in its natural state,” Brian Kemp, Director of Conservation Lands at the LSRCA, commented.