A local conservation group is warning about the loss of wetlands the negative impact it could have on the health of Lake Simcoe.
Owen Steele is the Manager for Conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited and says if we continue to lose wetlands in the Lake Simcoe watershed, it won’t be a sustainable situation.
He says a recent study by them shows that there has been a disturbing loss of wetlands in Southern Ontario.
Steele says the study conducted by Ducks Unlimited indicating 72% of all the wetland in southern Ontario has disappeared.
During one study period, between 1982 and 2002, approximately 3,500 hectares of wetland disappeared every year in southern Ontario.
Steele says if we lose all the wetlands in the Lake Simcoe watershed, it would be equivalent to dumping 27 tonnes or 220,000 bags of lawn fertilizer in the lake,.
He says a study they conducted indicated that wetlands in the Black River watershed around Sutton on the east side of the lake save municipalities about $300,000 annually by stopping phosphorus from going into Lake Simcoe.
Steele is hoping this latest study will convince politicians to increase their efforts at protecting the Lake Simcoe Wetlands.
