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50,000 Copies 50 Years of Conservation The History of the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority You are travelling through the watershed of the Ganaraska River. You are looking at a unique facet of Canadian history. For centuries, natives had lived here in the great pine forest, using only only what they needed for the moment and in the end leaving only their bones and a few stone arrowheads to mark their stewardship. A great change descended on the land of the Ganaraska, starting only about 250 years ago. Fur traders and missionaries came first, disrupting the Indians way of life. Soon lumbermen came to clear-cut the giant white pine for ships' masts and lumber. They were followed closely by a wave of settlers, beginning with a trickle in 1837, reaching the high mark in 1881. These industrious newcomers produced squared timber (deals) for export export to Britain, as well as shingles, cooperage, potash, tanbark and maple syrup while at the same time they cleared the land to grow wheat. Harvests were good, but only for a few years, before the thin layer of topsoil became increasingly eroded by wind and water, especially during the spring run-off. The great trees were gone. There was nothing to hold the soil and trap the moisture, allowing it time to seep into the ground and maintain the underground watertable. The land lost its fertility, the streams dried up and water no longer filled the wells. The discouraged settlers left these thousands of arid acres to deteriorate into virtual desert. In the meantime, further down the Ganaraska River where the soils had proven less vulnerable, farming and commerce flourished. Dams were built providing power for grain, lumber and even woollen mills. By 1861 there were 36 waterpowered mills operating on the watershed. The village of Smith's Creek was established late in the 1700's at the mouth of the Ganaraska. Renamed Port Hope in 1834, this rapidly growing growing community became a major Lake Ontario shipping centre for exporting exporting mainly across the water to the United States markets. Records show that in 1859, fifty-million board feet of lumber was handled by Port Hope Harbor. Meanwhile, the great blunder, the cutting of the virgin forest at the headwaters of the Ganaraska changed this river periodically from a manageable manageable source of water power for a thriving river economy into a destructive destructive torrent of floodwater and huge ice blocks. Dams were washed out, bridges carried away and in Port Hope on numerous occasions buildings close to the watercourse were demolished. The speed of this runoff was generated by a fall of nearly 1,000 feet from the highest point of the Northern badlands down the 22 miles of the river to the town of Port Hope, which is on a level with the waters of Lake Ontario. Port Hope has suffered more than 30 floods since these unhindered runoffs began, with damage in the millions. This problem of erosion and flooding was not unique only to the Port Continued on Page 2 You're eastbound, driving on Northumberland County's modem road number nine, connecting the tiny village of Kirby to the resort community community of Bewdley on Rice Lake. During much of this 20 mile journey, when you look to the south,, you see typical Southern Ontario fenced farm fields, wood lots and rolling hills. The view to the northern horizon, however, is strictly different. There are hills here, marking the Oak Ridges Moraine, but they are higher, more rugged, challenging, and, remarkably, nearly all of the terrain is densely clad in the deep green of a vast forest. ■ II ...B Locally Governed m Because they are local, Conservation Authorities are responsible to . J „ .....A J r . V ■ , programs to the local situation. tost snaring Conservation Authorities have three main sources of funding for j their activities. 1. Local levy through participating municipalities. 2. Other sources such as special projects, donations and user fees lor service. 3. Province of Ontario, through the Ministry of Natural Resources. S Conservation . i i : mm m mmm<; mfim s* mm m ; Landowners receive help «Station, wildlife .V/ Z V »/,<.. ,z , Z , • Z V/,.,»., . ZZ, " Zz'/", Z .' WE TEACH ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES AND SO MUCH MORE memories students of Outdoor Education Program at Forest Centre eeeee ••• • • • »•••• • • • • •• •••• IMPORTANT DATES IN THE 50 YEAR HISTORY OF THE G.R.C.A. First tree planted in the Ganaraska Forest by the Hon. Dana Porter on May 14th, 1947 ADVISORY SYSTEM IS RESPONSIBILITY OF THE G.R.C.A. c,„. LU. System enables statt to assess potential Hooding problems in advance and issue warnings to the public. p.4.5 . ••••••••••••••••••••••• ■ I ■' ; Wè&ÊM, Wh 'k;' .