Jan 30, 2019


Opportunity for Shoreline Restoration in Quinte Watershed

Watersheds Canada and Quinte Conservation are thrilled to announce an exciting new project to restore shoreline health in the Quinte Watershed.

A successful three-year Ontario Trillium Foundation grant will support this important shoreline and streambank rehabilitation program in the Quinte Watershed. Through collaboration with agricultural and residential property owners, three kilometres of degraded shoreline and streambank will be improved using 23 700 native plants. Shoreline and streambank property owners often experience barriers such as lack of knowledge regarding native plant species and/or a scarcity of physical and financial resources. Eliminating these barriers encourages more landowners to participate in shoreline and streambank restoration activities on their land.

This program will work towards addressing contributing factors of poor water quality and limited shoreline habitat within the Quinte Watershed. The Quinte Watershed experiences frequent blue-green algae blooms and an excess of nutrient inputs, all of which affect the local ecosystem and economy.

Quinte Conservation will assist in getting local landowners on board and making important connections with the local community. Maya Navrot, Education and Stewardship Coordinator for Quinte Conservation says, “The program is an excellent complement to our already established Agricultural Land lease Program and Seedlings for Shorelines Program. Natural Edge is a well-established program that makes the process of restoring a shoreline easy and engaging for the landowner”.

Local lake associations will also be involved, Vicki McCulloch, Friends of Stoco Lake Interim Chair/ Secretary says, “Re-naturalizing shorelines for the protection of Stoco Lake water quality and lake nutrient reduction was identified as a priority in our recently completed Lake Stewardship Plan. We are excited to have a planting program to promote to our waterfront property owners and farmers around the lake and throughout the Stoco Lake watershed.”

Eligible landowners will get a full-service restoration program, which includes the creation of a shoreline restoration plan for their property. Each customized plan will provide detailed descriptions of native trees and shrubs suitable for planting based on site conditions and landowner preferences. In the fall, once the plan is approved by the landowner, plant materials will be ordered and delivered to the sites for restoration, where Watersheds Canada staff and community volunteers will implement the planting. Each site will be monitored over time to document plant survival rate and before and after pictures will be taken.

We are looking for landowners whose property is in need of restoration along waterways including creeks, tributaries, and lakefront properties. If you are interested in learning more about the project or connecting with project staff for a confidential free site visit, contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 613-264-1244.

Funding is limited, so be sure to get in touch with us now to find out more about the program and to sign up to be a leader in protecting our vital freshwater resources.

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