Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) is a local conservation agency named in the
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
Conservation Authorities Act
The ''Conservation Authorities Act'' () was created by the Ontario Provincial Legislature in 1946 to ensure the conservation biology, conservation, restoration and responsible management of hydrological features through programs that balance huma ...
. Located in Southern Ontario, the agency focuses on the conservation of the
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
s of the
Ausable River,
Bayfield River,
Parkhill Creek, and Gullies (Bayfield North and South Gullies) watersheds. The headquarters is located in
Exeter, Ontario
Exeter is a community in the municipality of South Huron, in the southern portion of Huron County, Ontario, Canada, located approximately 40 kilometres north of London. The community proclaims itself the "Home of the White Squirrel", owing ...
.
The ABCA manages conservation and wildlife areas that were purchased for the preservation and protection of source areas and flood plain areas. Some environmentally significant areas are not publicly accessible.
Hay Swamp Management Area is administered by the agency.
History
The former Ausable River Conservation Authority was formed in 1946. There were local conservation organizations in Ontario before ABCA, and some others formed around the same time, but Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority lays claim to being Ontario's first conservation authority.
A community strategy group of 34 people met monthly between 2010 and 2011 to create a conservation strategy for the organization. This community group included local farmers; residents of rural, urban, and lakeshore communities in the watershed; municipalities; public health; youth; and other stakeholders.
The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority developed "The Path Forward: Your Community Conservation Strategy for Ausable Bayfield Watersheds".
The Conservation Strategy was adopted by the Board of Directors of ABCA on December 15, 2011, and the document was published and released to the public in March 2012.
Conservation areas
Ausable River Cut Conservation AreaBannockburn Conservation AreaClinton Conservation AreaCrediton Conservation AreaMorrison Dam Conservation AreaParkhill Conservation AreaRock Glen Conservation AreaSouth Huron Trail
- MacNaughton-Morrison Trail and Morrison Dam Conservation Area Sections
Zurich Conservation Area
References
External links
Ausable Bayfield Conservation
- official site
Conservation authorities in Ontario
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