From left are Pete Sabourin, RRCA field operations team lead, Lisa Van De Ligt, RRCA communications and stewardship team lead, Michael Lazaris, constituency assistant for MPP Nolan Quinn, Jacques Massie, RRCA vice-chair, Brendan Jacobs, RRCA stewardship specialist, Marie-Paule Godin, DUC manager of provincial operations for Ontario, and Meredith Meeker, DUC conservation programs specialist.
SDG COUNTIES, Ontario - The Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) are pleased to announce that RRCA’s Cooper Marsh Conservation Area has fully reopened after the completion of extensive repairs to the 673-acre marsh’s system of ring dykes thanks to provincial funding secured by DUC.
“We are incredibly grateful for our decades-long partnership with DUC,” said Jacques Massie, vice-chair of the RRCA’s board of directors. “We are thrilled to reopen the complete 12-kilometre nature trail system to visitors, where they will be able to see DUC’s reconstruction work to keep Cooper Marsh flourishing for decades to come.”
Thirty years ago, the area now known as Cooper Marsh consisted of dry, unproductive farmland that flooded occasionally. As the RRCA acquired the land for conservation, a partnership with DUC was formed to construct a system of dykes and pumps to manage and maintain water levels to create what became part of a provincially significant coastal wetland, a haven for wildlife, and an eco-tourism destination visited annually by over 40,000 people.
Work to repair and strengthen the berms began in fall 2022 with the financial support of Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks through the Wetlands Conservation Partner Program (WCPP).
“Cooper Marsh is a one-of-a-kind jewel. It’s an important site for waterfowl and provides habitat for so many other species, including several threatened wildlife species,” said Marie-Paule Godin, DUC’s manager of provincial operations for Ontario. “Beyond the provision of critical wildlife habitat, it is the perfect setting for attracting and educating people about the value of wetlands. Our longtime partnership at Cooper Marsh with the RRCA and this recent restoration project are success stories we’re quite proud of.”
Nestled on the picturesque north shore of the St. Lawrence River, a few minutes’ drive from South Lancaster, Cooper Marsh is part of the larger Charlottenburgh Marsh – one of the most significant wetlands in all of Ontario. The RRCA actively maintains, enhances, and restores this natural area, which also features viewing blinds and towers, a picnic area, and an interpretive centre.