In early July the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, with the support of many partners, will take the first steps towards the restoration of the Hutton Creek Wetland. With the successful decommissioning of the Motts Mills Dam and its replacement with a new earthen berm water control structure, it is now time to turn activities towards restoring the wetland.
Once a popular location for hunting and other water activities, the Provincially Signi cant Wetland has slowly been choked out by massive cattail growth. Only 10 percent of the wetland remains as open water. As the open water area diminished so did the diversity of plants, habitat and wildlife. The cattail growth has not only seriously impacted the wetland’s diversity, but it has also a ected its ability to be enjoyed.
RVCA has been working collaboratively with landowners, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Leeds-Grenville Stewardship Council, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley and a local steering committee to develop a strategy that will reduce cattail growth and restore diversity and open water in the wetland. The goal is to see the 300 hectares of wetland return to its greatest biological diversity and abundance of species as seen in the 1970s and 1980s. Ideally, the Hutton Creek Wetland would be a healthy 50/50 mix of open water and emergent vegetation.
Starting in early July, RVCA sta will lower water levels in the wetland by removing stop logs at the earthen berm. Lowering the water levels will allow the RVCA to study the wetland and determine the best way to address the overgrowth of cattails. The drawdown is expected to last for a minimum of three years.
RVCA will also be monitoring upstream and downstream water levels over this rst phase.
Thank you to local landowners for their cooperation and involvement in this project and to representatives on the local steering committee who have worked successfully to bring landowners, agencies and funders together to move this project forward.