Fresh Water. Essential for every living species, we were thrilled to learn we had a ‘seasonal’ creek streaming through our woodlot property. But it would take years before realizing this natural wonder occurs annually and it is beyond breath taking.
We live in the Oak Ridges Moraine which has been described as Ontario’s rain barrel and is considered one of the most significant landforms in Ontario. The Moraine is 150m deep and gets its name from rolling hills and river valleys. Its most prized feature is hidden deep beneath the ground’s surface. Water.
image via www.oakridgestrail.org
Without getting too boring, it was interesting to learn just how precious this landscape actually is. One of the Moraine’s most important functions is as a water recharge and discharge area. With its permeable sand and gravels, it absorbs and collects water quickly, and slowly recharges the deep aquifers below the ground. The clean and cold water that bubbles up from this aquifer feeds over 65 river systems, including Toronto’s Humber, Don & Rouge Rivers.
image via www.oakridgestrail.org
The Oak Ridges Moraine stretches 160km from the Niagara Escarpment in the west to the Trent River system in the east, and unfortunately is always under threat of new development, especially in areas north of Toronto. And we all know the almighty dollar usually always wins…
