Nottawasaga watershed health report shows forests, wetlands in decline, stream conditions still poor
The health of forests and wetlands is in decline, but the quality of groundwater sources remain very good to good, according to a recent health check report of the Nottawasaga watershed
From Simcoe.com, May 9, 2023
By Brad Pritchard
A recent health check on local rivers, streams and forests in the Nottawasaga watershed shows some troubling trends in the local environment, but it’s not all bad news.
The NVCA’s 2023 Subwatershed Health Checks takes a look at how these natural features have been impacted by human activity, along with what challenges they face and things that be done to improve them.
The agency produced nine subwatershed health checks covering the systems that span between Blue Mountains and Georgian Bay, to the southernmost stretches of Simcoe County, along with one watershed-wide health check.
The reports look at forest conditions, wetland conditions, stream health and groundwater quality and rank using a scale of very good to very poor. To piece together the reports, scientists analyzed aerial photos, maps, provincial groundwater and stream health data, and the types of insects that live in rivers in the watershed.
The Nottawasaga watershed’s forest conditions were determined to be good but declining, with forest cover decreased by one per cent or 383.9 hectares since the last report in 2018.
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