<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">Hi folks<br><br>This is great local story regarding the successful re-mediation of a creek and ecosystems.<br><br>Lulu :0)<br><br><br>--- On <b>Thu, 12/16/10, Janet Baine <i><jbaine@grandriver.ca></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><br>From: Janet Baine <jbaine@grandriver.ca><br>Subject: GRCA Features: Marden Creek Runs Free<br>To: <br>Date: Thursday, December 16, 2010, 3:49 PM<br><br><div id="yiv1779326668"><style><!--
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--></style><div class="yiv1779326668WordSection1"><div style="border-width: medium medium 1pt; border-style: none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><img src="cid:1.2236677569@web88305.mail.re4.yahoo.com" alt="GRCAlogo-4M.jpg" height="77" hspace="12" width="77" align="left"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">Grand River Conservation Authority</span></b><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";"> <br></span><b><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: rgb(37, 108, 125);">Features Service</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";"></span></b></p></div><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 20pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color:
rgb(37, 108, 125);"> </span></b></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">Marden Creek runs free</span></b></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: rgb(37, 108, 125);"> </span></b></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">Dec. 16, 2010</span></b></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "sans-serif";"> </span></b></p><div style="border-width: medium medium 1pt; border-style: none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">By Janet Baine </span><span style="font-size: 9pt;
font-family: "sans-serif";"></span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">GRCA Communications Specialist </span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">Marden Creek, a small tributary of the Speed River at the north end of Guelph, is moving freely for the first time in nearly two centuries.</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">It is an example of the work that can be done to improve streams throughout the watershed—removing a pond or reservoir to cool and clean the water so that more species
can live there.</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">The last old dam on the creek was removed this fall. A short time later, a beautiful small brook trout was found in the lower part of the creek in the former reservoir. Brook trout could not survive at this location during the 181 years that the stream was dammed. A photo of this trout with three perfectly lined up red dots is being e-mailed among the many people and organizations that have had a hand in this project, as if the small fish were the miracle of a long-awaited newborn baby.</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">Brook trout thrive in
coldwater streams and were once common throughout the watershed. They need cold, clean water to survive and are considered an indicator species of the health of the stream. While the dam was in place, the water was warm and not so clean. As a result, trout could not make their way all along the stream and into the Speed River. The small dam was the last barrier on the creek. For anyone who understands local fisheries, this is exciting news.</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">“It’s awesome. This project was done with the best approach by letting the creek decide where to go, instead of a hard engineering approach,” explains Jennifer Wright, aquatic biologist at the GRCA who reviewed the changes. Eventually the mud that was at the bottom of the pond will be
covered with vegetation and the new stream bank will be naturalized.</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">This is a major step towards improving the health of the Speed River watershed. It is an important component to an 11-year project, initiated by the Wellington County Stewardship Council and Trout Unlimited Canada. In 2009 Trout Unlimited received a Watershed Award for their work. The dam was on property owned by the Ignatius Jesuit Centre, which received a watershed award for other environmental work in 2007. </span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">This project involved many other partners. The
Ministry of Natural Resources, the Grand River Conservation Authority, the Wellington County Water Stewardship Program, World Wildlife Fund, the Species at Risk Farm Incentive program and the Community Fisheries and Wildlife Involvement Program have been key supporters. </span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">First dam in 1832</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">The first dam on the site was built in 1832 to provide water power for a saw mill. It was replaced by the current structure in 1929. This was the last remaining barrier to fish and other aquatic wildlife.</span></p><p
class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">The dam was within a two kilometre stretch of Marden Creek that flows through the 40 hectare parcel of land designated by the Jesuits to be restored to an old-growth forest. Together, the forest and creek restoration projects represent a big step forward for watershed health.</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";"> </span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">Photos:</span></p><p
class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">1. A small brook trout found in a part of the stream where it could not survive before the stream was restored. Photo by Larry Halyk.</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">2. An aerial photo of the former reservoir on Marden Creek taken shortly after the dam was removed. A small stream is now meandering through the area. Photo by Hugh Smith. Please ask for this because it is 2 MB and I didn’t want to send it out to everyone.</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; border: medium none;
padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "sans-serif";"> </span></p></div><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: rgb(37, 108, 125);">Further information:</span></b></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: black;">Dave Schultz, GRCA Manager of Communications</span></b></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">Phone 519-621-2763 x2273 </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">| Cell 519-658-3596 | Email </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif";"><a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:dschultz@grandriver.ca" target="_blank" href="/mc/compose?to=dschultz@grandriver.ca"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration:
none;">dschultz@grandriver.ca</span></a> </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif";"></span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif";"> </span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">Janet Baine, Communications Specialist</span></b><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif";"> </span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">Phone 519-621-2763 x2302 </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">| Email </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif";"><a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:jbaine@grandriver.ca" target="_blank" href="/mc/compose?to=jbaine@grandriver.ca">jbaine@grandriver.ca</a> </span><span style="font-size: 8pt;
font-family: "sans-serif";"></span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif";"> </span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";">From time to time, the GRCA provides items to media outlets within the Grand River watershed. These are feature stories or issues-oriented articles with local relevance. They complement the press releases, while providing more background information. You are welcome to publish these items as space permits. Where possible, we will also provide photos or graphics. We ask only that you credit the stories in whatever format is compatible with your own style.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "sans-serif";"></span></i></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"> </p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"> </p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"> </p><p
class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Pri;">Janet Baine, </span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: Pri;">BA, MA</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;"></span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">Communications Specialist </span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">Grand River Conservation Authority</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">400 Clyde Road</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">Cambridge, Ontario N1R 5W6</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: "sans-serif";">(519) 621 2763 x 2302</span></p><p class="yiv1779326668MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 7.5pt; font-family:
"sans-serif";"><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.grandriver.ca/"><span style="color: blue;">www.grandriver.ca</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: gray;" lang="EN-CA"><br><br></span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/grandriverconservation"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: blue; text-decoration: none;"><img id="yiv1779326668Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:2.2236677569@web88305.mail.re4.yahoo.com" alt="facebook" height="24" width="24" border="0"></span></a><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: gray;" lang="EN-CA"> </span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/grandriverparks"><span style="font-size: 8pt; font-family: "sans-serif"; color: blue; text-decoration: none;"><img id="yiv1779326668Picture_x0020_2"
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