Farms.com Home   Expert Commentary

CFFO: The Minesing Wetlands and Environmental Stewardship

May 04, 2015
The Minesing Wetlands is the largest and best example of a fen bog in southern Ontario and is one of the most diverse and undisturbed wetlands in the province. Fed by the Nottawasaga River, it covers 60 square kilometers in an area just east of Barrie. The Nottawasaga River empties into Georgian Bay at Wasaga Beach. The Minesing Wetlands moderates the spring runoff water and floodwaters of heavy rain storms. It has both ecological and environmental benefits to the area. It is home to 400 plant species, eleven of which are classified as rare. It is also home to many birds and marsh animals.  Many people make day trips into the marsh and in the summer you will often find people out with their canoes exploring nature.
 
Within the borders of the wetland there is a large logjam. This natural feature increases the wetland's ability to regulate water during peak flow. This is a benefit to the large community of Wasaga Beach, which is situated at the mouth of the Nottawasaga River.
 
However, some farmers have concerns. They report that over the last ten years the water levels have been rising steadily. They report that they have lost a great deal of land. At a cost of $8-$12,000 per acre, each acre of land is valuable. This land is no longer able to be cultivated. Farming practices are impacted. In addition to being concerned about their farms, they also question the stability of the logjam. As this is not an engineered dam, there are concerns that it could break during the course of spring flood and then move down the river and possibly taking out the large bridge Edenvale. This could result in major flooding downriver.
 
Rural and urban people are concerned about the environment and ecology of the land, but it is often the rural people who hold the large plots of land around environmentally protected lands. Thus, it is rural people, in most cases farmers, who need to change the way they work the land in order to protect wetlands and other environmental features. The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario has long been an advocate of compensating people when they implement good stewardship of the land to the benefit of the common good. This is one of those situations where compensation is warranted.

Source: The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario