Greater Golden Horseshoe Ontario is a huge province with extensive headwater areas Given the size and variety of the landscape this presentation will focus on headwater areas located in the Greater Golden Horseshoe ID: 482488
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Slide1
Headwaters in the
Greater Golden HorseshoeSlide2
Ontario is a huge province,
with extensive headwater areas.
Given the size and variety of the
landscape, this presentation will
focus on headwater areas located
in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, shown in the red circle. Slide3
the Greater
Golden Horseshoe is the area in beige
.
It surrounds and includes the
the Greenbelt, which itself arches
above most of Ontario’s major cities in the south-central part of the province.
In this
view… Slide4
Yet e
ven this area is still large, with extensive variations in
:
C
limate & Natural
H
eritage
;
G
eology & Headwater Types;
and
R
egional
S
ocio-economic Activity.Slide5
Let’s explore these variations
by examining three areas:Pigeon River Headwaters
The Britton Forest Tract, and
Short Hills
P
rovincial
P
ark Slide6
Short Hills Provincial Park
Located just 150 Kms N of northern border of California;
Annual average temperature of 8.8
o
C,
moderated by the presence of
L
ake Ontario;
Fertile soil supports mixed forests, including
rare Black
Walnut savannahs
Climate
&
Natural HeritageSlide7
Short Hills Provincial Park
Undulating terrain with thin soil covering the fractured rock of the Niagara Escarpment presents an abundance of ephemeral run-off, as shown, pocket wetlands, and small streams that
curl around the base of its many hills.
Geology
& Headwater
TypesSlide8
The landscape area around Short Hills is similar but flatter, making this one of the
best agricultural areas in Ontario – The Niagara Fruit Belt.
Short Hills Provincial Park
Regional
Socio-economic
Activity
As fruit includes grapes,
the
area
boasts an
extensive wine industry. Slide9
Britton Forest Tract, Halton Region
About 50 Kms N of Short Hills, with the
same annual average temperature of 8.8
o
C;
Further north and away from Lake Ontario,
Britton
has greater
temperature variations
;
Much less soil cover results in early
succession forests: evergreens, birch, maple;
Climate
&
Natural HeritageSlide10
The fractured dolomite on this flatter portion of the Niagara Escarpment captures a lot of water near the surface, in wetlands and streams, making Britton a forest almost
as full of water as it is of trees.Britton Forest Tract, Halton Region
Geology & Headwater TypesSlide11
While there are pockets of agriculture,
recreation, and tourism in the landscape around Britton, the primary socio-economic activity is aggregate extraction. Britton Forest Tract, Halton Region
Regional Socio-economic ActivitySlide12
Pigeon River
Headwaters Conservation Area
Another 75
Kms
N of Britton, Pigeon River
has an annual average temperature of 6o C;
Rich surface soils at
Pigeon, however,
host
a wider variety
of plant and animal life
than found at
the
other
two
locations
;
Its more northerly position and
higher elevation
result in a
LOT more snow;
Climate
&
Natural HeritageSlide13
Pigeon River
Headwaters Conservation Area
Pigeon
exemplifies the
Oak Ridges Moraine.
Geology & Headwater Types
This combination of surface and groundwater feeds 65 watersheds, which is why the Moraine is called The Rain Barrel of southern Ontario.
In addition to its small streams and wetlands, the sand and gravel deposits of the Moraine
allow
the water to
filter into
the ground
.Slide14
The land around Pigeon supports
mixed agriculture, recreation, some forestry, andsand & gravel extraction.
Pigeon River
Headwaters Conservation Area
Regional Socio-economic ActivitySlide15
In summary, headwater areas in the
Greater Golden Horseshoe are:
Highly varied;
Integrated to the ecological fabric of their watersheds; and,
Representative of the natural capital upon which the
socio-economic base of their rural areas is built. Slide16
For
more information about
these
areas, and maps to help you
explore them, please visit
Headwater Hikes in theEducation section of
our website. Slide17
Thanks for watching.
Please note that a
click-to-advance
version of
this presentation
is
available
on the
Education
page of
our website. Slide18
ontarioheadwaters.ca