Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority
Encyclopedia
The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority is a conservation authority established in 1951, and is among the oldest in the Canadian
province of Ontario
.
The LSRCA is responsible for the waters, wildlife, and plants within the Lake Simcoe
watershed
, and has expanded and upgraded its reach and conservation areas several times in the past, gradually assuming control of the Lake Simcoe Watershed in neighbouring regions, such as York RM, Durham RM, Simcoe County
, and the City of Kawartha Lakes
.
, Township of King
, Aurora
, Newmarket
, and Whitchurch.
In 1954, Hurricane Hazel
destroys parts of the Greater Toronto Area
. The LSCRA learned from this, and now (like all other conservation authorities) issues Flood alerts, Flood warning
s, and Flood bulletins to the Lake Simcoe watershed, media, and School Boards. The next year, the Conservation Authority subsidizes tree planting and farm pond construction on private lands.
By 1958, many members express concern due to the explosion of development in Newmarket, and how it may affect groundwater
supplies.
1959 saw many changes, as the Upper Holland Valley Conservation Authority requests the provincial government to pass legislation to control tree-cutting on private and public property. The Conservation Authority also purchases its first plot of land, the 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) Anchor Park in Holland Landing, Ontario
.
and Schomberg River subwatersheds. This added the communities of Bradford
, West Gwillimbury, Ontario (which will eventually merge into Bradford-West Gwillimbury), and New Tecumseth, Ontario
. The Holland Valley Conservation Authority secured close to 900 acres (3.6 km²) of environmentally significant lands in the 1960s including:
The Conservation Authority also distributes over 5000 copies of their own comic book, named "Dennis The Menace
And Dirt", which emphasizes on soil productivity, the importance of soil conservation, and how farming depends on fertile soils. HVCA releases two separate reports in 1961 ("Conservation Report on Land and Forest"), and in 1966 ("Report on Water"). In both reports, the Authority identifies special needs and goals that need to be met, such as improving management of light soils on the Oak Ridges Moraine
, encouraging private reforestation, pass regulations that prohibit construction and dumping in flood plains, and the need to fight streambank
erosion
.
An Emergency Flood Fund was established in 1967, and Centennial tree planting swept across the entire watershed, including reforesting the Scanlon Creek Conservation Area.
join the Conservation Authority. The name of the authority changes to South Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority in 1971. By 1974, the town of Innisfil
joins. The organization starts a watershed-wide natural heritage network by creating the following conservation areas:
The 1973 Lake Simcoe Conservation Report was released, and the guidelines stated that the Conservation Authority had to monitor and review subdivision
plans for home construction, provide landowners with assistance for riverbank upgrades, and to establish a Flood warning
system. The other main goals were to protect water recharge areas, such as marshes, and to continue protection of the Oak Ridges Moraine.
1976 saw the first annual Conservation Authority-sponsored Maple Syrup
festival at the Sheppard's Bush Conservation Area in Aurora. The festival ("Maplefest") continues to this day, and the festival celebrating the Canadian tradition
is an amazing success
In 1981, the provincial Ministry of the Environment initiated a new study to identify and measure sources of phosphorus
entering Lake Simcoe, and recommend actions needed to reduce these inputs.
Four years later, LSEMS identified the phosphorus inputs from both urban and rural sources as the leading cause of the decline of Lake Simcoe's water quality and coldwater fishery.
The LSEMS Team seeks provincial funding in 1986 for programs and services aimed at reducing the amount of phosphorus entering water courses from both urban and rural sources, to stop contamination and deterioration of the lake. Also this year, the Conservation Authority is renamed the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, to better reflect is area of service.
, basking in the international spotlight, and solidifying partnerships that will help save Lake Simcoe. The Conservation Authority continued to acquire lands in the 1990s including the Beaver River
Wetlands, expanded the Willow Beach, added Pangman Springs, and also added Mabel Davis Conservation Areas. The LSRCA also increased the size of the Baldwin and Tyrwhitt properties as well as the Zephyr Wetlands.
In 1990, Phase I of the Lake Simcoe Environmental Management Strategy (LSEMS) is launched. The Landowner Environmental Assistance Program (LEAP) of the LSEMS provides the technical and financial support landowners need to complete projects to improve local water quality. The result was 16.5 tonnes of phosphorus would be diverted from Lake Simcoe by the year 2000.
The LEAP provides technical and financial support for private landowners to naturalize riverbanks and streambanks
, the plan would also control and reduce cropland and area erosion, install and upgrade manure storage facilities, restrict livestock access to public water courses (such as creeks and rivers), and reforest concerned areas.
The Landowner Environmental Assistance Program provides technical and financial support for private landowners to: naturalize streambanks, reduce cropland erosion, install/upgrade manure storage facilities, restrict livestock access to water courses, reforest priority lands, control streambank erosion.
Two years later, The conservation authority's "Save Our Simcoe" sweeps across the area. Local youth participate in the "Yellow Fish Road" program to promote the responsible disposal of household hazardous waters, and 1,500 people hear how they can help save Lake Simcoe, The conservation authority also publishes and releases the book "An Action Guide To Improving the Waters of Lake Simcoe".
The LSEMS expands to include the York and Durham Regions, and Simcoe County
in 1996. The following year, The LRCSA establishes a new collaborative partnership with the Federal Government's
Department of Fisheries and Oceans to protect and enhance Lake Simcoe and its fish habitats.
The last year of the millennium sees the Conservation Authority start "A Natural Partnership" With York Regional Municipality to protect what is natural and restore damaged and degraded areas in York Region.
, and Simcoe County
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
The LSRCA is responsible for the waters, wildlife, and plants within the Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, and has expanded and upgraded its reach and conservation areas several times in the past, gradually assuming control of the Lake Simcoe Watershed in neighbouring regions, such as York RM, Durham RM, Simcoe County
Simcoe County, Ontario
Simcoe County is located in central portion of Southern Ontario. The County is situated just north of the Greater Toronto Area stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west...
, and the City of Kawartha Lakes
Kawartha Lakes
The city of Kawartha Lakes is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Although called a city, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontarian county and is mostly rural....
.
1950s: Introduction
The LSRCA was started in 1951 by the Department of Planning and Development as the Upper Holland Valley Conservation Authority, founded by the municipalities of East GwillimburyEast Gwillimbury, Ontario
East Gwillimbury is a town on the East Holland River in the Regional Municipality of York. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area of south-central Ontario, in Canada. It was formed by the amalgamation of the Township of East Gwillimbury with all the previously incorporated villages and hamlets...
, Township of King
King, Ontario
King is a township in York Region north of Toronto, within the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada.The rolling hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine are the most prominent visible geographical feature of King. The Holland Marsh, considered to be Ontario's "vegetable basket", straddles King Township...
, Aurora
Aurora, Ontario
Aurora is an affluent town in York Region, approximately 20 km north of Toronto. It is partially situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine, and is a part of the Greater Toronto Area and Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario.Many Aurora residents commute to Toronto and surrounding communities.In the...
, Newmarket
Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
, and Whitchurch.
In 1954, Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti before striking the United States near the border between North and South Carolina, as a Category 4 hurricane...
destroys parts of the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
. The LSCRA learned from this, and now (like all other conservation authorities) issues Flood alerts, Flood warning
Flood warning
Flood warning is closely linked to the task of flood forecasting. The distinction between the two is that the outcome of flood forecasting is a set of forecast time-profiles of channel flows or river levels at various locations, while "flood warning" is the task of making use of these forecasts to...
s, and Flood bulletins to the Lake Simcoe watershed, media, and School Boards. The next year, the Conservation Authority subsidizes tree planting and farm pond construction on private lands.
By 1958, many members express concern due to the explosion of development in Newmarket, and how it may affect groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
supplies.
1959 saw many changes, as the Upper Holland Valley Conservation Authority requests the provincial government to pass legislation to control tree-cutting on private and public property. The Conservation Authority also purchases its first plot of land, the 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) Anchor Park in Holland Landing, Ontario
Holland Landing, Ontario
Holland Landing is a village in the town of East Gwillimbury, located in the northern part of the Regional Municipality of York, in south-central Ontario, Canada. Its major road is Yonge Street and the village has bus service by GO Transit and York Region Transit...
.
1960s: Holland Valley Conservation Authority
When the 1960s came about, the UHVCA's boundaries expanded to enclude the entire Holland RiverHolland River
The Holland River is a river in Ontario, Canada that drains the Holland River watershed into Cook's Bay, the southern extremity of Lake Simcoe. It is named after Captain Samuel Holland, , Dutch born first Surveyor General of British North America. The river flows generally north, and its...
and Schomberg River subwatersheds. This added the communities of Bradford
Bradford, Ontario
Bradford is the primary country urban area of the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ontario, in Canada. It overlooks a beautiful and prosperous farming community, known as The Holland Marsh, located on the Holland River that flows into Lake Simcoe...
, West Gwillimbury, Ontario (which will eventually merge into Bradford-West Gwillimbury), and New Tecumseth, Ontario
New Tecumseth, Ontario
New Tecumseth is a town in south-central Ontario, in the County of Simcoe. While it is not officially a part of the Greater Toronto Area, it is counted, in terms of the census, as being a part of the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area.-Communities:...
. The Holland Valley Conservation Authority secured close to 900 acres (3.6 km²) of environmentally significant lands in the 1960s including:
- 1961 - Thorton Bales Conservation Area
- 1961 - Whitchurch-Stouffville Conservation Area
- 1963-1980 - Scanlon Creek Conservation Area
- 1964-1973 - Wesley Brooks Conservation Area
- 1966-1975 - Rogers Reservoir Conservation Area
- 1969-1993 - Mabel Davis Conservation Area
The Conservation Authority also distributes over 5000 copies of their own comic book, named "Dennis The Menace
Dennis the Menace (U.S.)
Dennis the Menace is a daily syndicated newspaper comic strip originally created, written and illustrated by Hank Ketcham. It debuted on March 12, 1951 in 16 newspapers and was originally distributed by Post-Hall Syndicate...
And Dirt", which emphasizes on soil productivity, the importance of soil conservation, and how farming depends on fertile soils. HVCA releases two separate reports in 1961 ("Conservation Report on Land and Forest"), and in 1966 ("Report on Water"). In both reports, the Authority identifies special needs and goals that need to be met, such as improving management of light soils on the Oak Ridges Moraine
Oak Ridges Moraine
The Oak Ridges Moraine is an ecologically important geological landform in the Mixedwood Plains of south-central Ontario, Canada. The moraine covers a geographic area of between Caledon and Rice Lake, near Peterborough...
, encouraging private reforestation, pass regulations that prohibit construction and dumping in flood plains, and the need to fight streambank
Bank (geography)
A geographic bank has four definitions and applications:# Limnology: The shoreline of a pond, swamp, estuary, reservoir, or lake. The grade can vary from vertical to a shallow slope....
erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
.
An Emergency Flood Fund was established in 1967, and Centennial tree planting swept across the entire watershed, including reforesting the Scanlon Creek Conservation Area.
1970s: South Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority
In 1970, the Conservation Authority intended to plant 3 million trees by the year 2001. In this year, the municipalities of Scott, Ontario and Georgina, OntarioGeorgina, Ontario
Georgina is a town in south-central Ontario, and the northernmost municipality in the Regional Municipality of York. It forms part of the northern boundary of the Greater Toronto Area and is situated on the southern shores of Lake Simcoe...
join the Conservation Authority. The name of the authority changes to South Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority in 1971. By 1974, the town of Innisfil
Innisfil, Ontario
Innisfil is a town in Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe in Simcoe County, immediately south of Barrie and 80 kilometres north of Toronto...
joins. The organization starts a watershed-wide natural heritage network by creating the following conservation areas:
- 1972-1995 - Willow Beach Conservation Authority
- 1973 Bailey Property/ Ecological Park
- 1974-1981 Franklin Beach Conservation Authority
- 1976-1988 - Queen St. Property
- 1976-1988 Pottageville Site
- 1979 Holmes Point
The 1973 Lake Simcoe Conservation Report was released, and the guidelines stated that the Conservation Authority had to monitor and review subdivision
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
plans for home construction, provide landowners with assistance for riverbank upgrades, and to establish a Flood warning
Flood warning
Flood warning is closely linked to the task of flood forecasting. The distinction between the two is that the outcome of flood forecasting is a set of forecast time-profiles of channel flows or river levels at various locations, while "flood warning" is the task of making use of these forecasts to...
system. The other main goals were to protect water recharge areas, such as marshes, and to continue protection of the Oak Ridges Moraine.
1976 saw the first annual Conservation Authority-sponsored Maple Syrup
Maple syrup
Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species such as the bigleaf maple. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then...
festival at the Sheppard's Bush Conservation Area in Aurora. The festival ("Maplefest") continues to this day, and the festival celebrating the Canadian tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
is an amazing success
1980s: Lake Simcoe Environmental Management Strategy
The Lake Simcoe Environmental Management Strategy (LSEMS) is developed, in co-operation with the Ministries of Natural Resources, the Environment, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The Conservation Authority added a number of properties to its natural heritage network in the 1980s including:- 1980 - SLSCA begins work on identifying environmentally significant areas in the watershed.
- 1980-1993 - Tyrwhitt
- 1980-1983 Zephyr Wetlands
- 1982 - BeavertonBeaverton, OntarioBeaverton is a community in Brock Township in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada.Originally part of Thorah Township in Ontario County, Beaverton was first settled in 1822. The settlement is located on Lake Simcoe at the mouth of the Beaver River...
Dam - 1982 - Pefferlaw Dam
- 1984 - 1986 Keswick North Watercourse
- 1986 - 1992 - Baldwin Property
- 1986 - 1992 Pangman Springs Conservation Area
- 1997 - Herrema Site
- 1989 - Luck Property
In 1981, the provincial Ministry of the Environment initiated a new study to identify and measure sources of phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
entering Lake Simcoe, and recommend actions needed to reduce these inputs.
Four years later, LSEMS identified the phosphorus inputs from both urban and rural sources as the leading cause of the decline of Lake Simcoe's water quality and coldwater fishery.
The LSEMS Team seeks provincial funding in 1986 for programs and services aimed at reducing the amount of phosphorus entering water courses from both urban and rural sources, to stop contamination and deterioration of the lake. Also this year, the Conservation Authority is renamed the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, to better reflect is area of service.
1990s Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority
The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority wrapped up the millenniumMillennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
, basking in the international spotlight, and solidifying partnerships that will help save Lake Simcoe. The Conservation Authority continued to acquire lands in the 1990s including the Beaver River
Beaver River (Ontario)
There are five rivers with the name Beaver River in the province of Ontario, Canada.The Beaver River in the Regional Municipality of Durham is a tributary of Lake Simcoe and has its mouth at the community of Beaverton at...
Wetlands, expanded the Willow Beach, added Pangman Springs, and also added Mabel Davis Conservation Areas. The LSRCA also increased the size of the Baldwin and Tyrwhitt properties as well as the Zephyr Wetlands.
In 1990, Phase I of the Lake Simcoe Environmental Management Strategy (LSEMS) is launched. The Landowner Environmental Assistance Program (LEAP) of the LSEMS provides the technical and financial support landowners need to complete projects to improve local water quality. The result was 16.5 tonnes of phosphorus would be diverted from Lake Simcoe by the year 2000.
The LEAP provides technical and financial support for private landowners to naturalize riverbanks and streambanks
Bank (geography)
A geographic bank has four definitions and applications:# Limnology: The shoreline of a pond, swamp, estuary, reservoir, or lake. The grade can vary from vertical to a shallow slope....
, the plan would also control and reduce cropland and area erosion, install and upgrade manure storage facilities, restrict livestock access to public water courses (such as creeks and rivers), and reforest concerned areas.
The Landowner Environmental Assistance Program provides technical and financial support for private landowners to: naturalize streambanks, reduce cropland erosion, install/upgrade manure storage facilities, restrict livestock access to water courses, reforest priority lands, control streambank erosion.
Two years later, The conservation authority's "Save Our Simcoe" sweeps across the area. Local youth participate in the "Yellow Fish Road" program to promote the responsible disposal of household hazardous waters, and 1,500 people hear how they can help save Lake Simcoe, The conservation authority also publishes and releases the book "An Action Guide To Improving the Waters of Lake Simcoe".
The LSEMS expands to include the York and Durham Regions, and Simcoe County
Simcoe County, Ontario
Simcoe County is located in central portion of Southern Ontario. The County is situated just north of the Greater Toronto Area stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west...
in 1996. The following year, The LRCSA establishes a new collaborative partnership with the Federal Government's
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
Department of Fisheries and Oceans to protect and enhance Lake Simcoe and its fish habitats.
The last year of the millennium sees the Conservation Authority start "A Natural Partnership" With York Regional Municipality to protect what is natural and restore damaged and degraded areas in York Region.
2000s: Looking into the Future
In 2001 the LSRCA began to deliver its programs and services to parts of York and Durham Regions, the City of Kawartha LakesKawartha Lakes
The city of Kawartha Lakes is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. Although called a city, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontarian county and is mostly rural....
, and Simcoe County
Simcoe County, Ontario
Simcoe County is located in central portion of Southern Ontario. The County is situated just north of the Greater Toronto Area stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west...
.