Otter Creek in Mildmay is undergoing rehabilitation with the planting of several trees and shrubbery.
Trout Unlimited Canada Programs and Partnerships Development Manager David Fields says the organization is planting a repairing forest on a reclaimed floodplain in the Municipality of South Bruce.
“After the dam was removed, I believe in 2021, the head pond was drained, leaving a reclaimed floodplain to settle into place and by planting trees and shrubs on the site, we are helping to keep that soil in place so it doesn’t wash away into the stream and put too much sediment into the stream which can impact fish species,” says Fields.
He adds by planting trees in this 17 acre area, they are helping protect the community from potential flooding and help ward off against climate change.
“We are planting on municipal land, but also a neighbouring land owner has been kind enough to give us access to their section of creek as well. This spring we have planted 8,500 trees and shrubs, 30 different species, many of which already present on site, but we also added some new species to enhance and build more biodiversity for the site, which would in turn support many other animal species in the area,” says Fields.
He says in addition to the trout who call the creek home, the forested area will also support birds as well as beavers.
The organization is completing the first phase of the project this week.
“We will be returning in autumn to complete the project. We will be planting another few thousand trees and will be hosting a community event inviting the public to join us for the tree planting,” says Fields.
The project will also feature the planting of an arboretum, which will include the planting of larger tree species, which are representative of the main species being planted in the area.
He says they are planning for a follow up phase to the project this fall and will conduct an assessment of what else the site may need.
“We will also be present on the site for the next two years to monitor and maintain the site,” says Fields. “Working in sites like in Mildmay are very important for our work because with stream and rehabilitation, what happens on the land next to rivers and streams is just as important as what happens within the stream.”
Trout Unlimited Canada has been involved in stream and rehabilitation for over 50 years, completing other projects in the region similar to Otter Creek.
