through the building of small dams by Conservation Authorities. The North 

 Grey Region Conservation Authority constructed a fish ladder in connection with 

 the improvement of a dam in the City of Owen Sound on the Sydenham River. 

 The river now receives an excellent run of rainbow trout from Georgian Bay. 

 Many Conservation Authorities have discovered that nature trails constructed 

 in the conservation areas are an excellent means of providing public education 

 as well as public enjoyment. Most of the Conservation Authorities have constructed 

 nature trails in their major conservation areas. 



Research 



One Authority in particular, the Metropolitan Toronto and Region, has 

 undertaken a quite extensive program in the field of research, particularly into 

 the control of acquatic plants and algae in farm ponds. The Authority is also 

 doing research into the construction features of farm ponds with relation to good 

 fish habitat. They have also undertaken the experimental planting of plots of 

 various species of plants and shrubs which have value as wildlife habitat. This 

 type of research work by this Authority is being watched with great interest by 

 other Conservation Authorities in Ontario. 



Recreation 



Since many types of recreation facilities involve use of the land, recom- 

 mendations for the proper use and development of recreation resources are a 

 normal part of any land use plan. The conservation report made to the Authority 

 contains a section dealing with recreational resources of the watershed and includes 

 recommendations for the development of some of these areas. Such recommenda- 

 tions for the development of land for recreation use is made in conjunction with 

 other recommendations for the conservation use of land — such as those dealing 

 with the construction of reservoirs and with reforestation. 



The type of facility which, from the conservation point of view, has been 

 largely ignored and is greatly needed, is a public area within a drive of one or 

 two miles, at most, from the agricultural or urban worker's home. In the past, 

 the planning of recreation facilities in Ontario has been chiefly directed towards 

 two ends — facilities such as parks and playgrounds, within the tx>undaries of cities 

 and towns, and facilities for long and comparatively expensive vacations in 

 wilderness regions far from the agricultural and industrial areas of the Province. 

 The areas which are of greatest interest to Conservation Authorities are usually 

 those which lie in the zone of 20 to 50 miles from the centre of large urban areas. 

 These areas are beyond the interest of municipal park authorities and yet, in 

 many cases, are too close to urban areas for development as Provincial parks. 



The Authorities' place in the field of recreation, it must be emphasized, is 

 not a direct one. Recreational use of any site is developed in conjunction with, 

 and ancillary to, its other conservation needs. For example, flood plain lands, 

 valley slopes, source areas, reforestation land, woodland and wetland, are, in 

 many cases, suitable for the development of recreation as well as for other 

 conservation uses. 



Lands acquired for conservation purposes, parts of which are used for 

 recreation, are known as conservation areas. These areas are developed with such 

 recreation facilities as picnic tables, picnic shelters, fireplaces, swimming areas 

 and beaches. Facilities for camping and boating, fishing and hunting, skating, 

 skiing and nature study are also important. All of these facilities to a greater or 

 lesser degree are provided in the conservation areas. 



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