Waring’s Creek is threatened by two massive, high density urban developments that are proposed for its headwater recharge area in the town of Picton. The developers have not considered the cumulative impacts of these developments on the hydrology and groundwater movements to Waring’s Creek.
Waring’s Creek is the only cold water creek in Prince Edward County. With it being fed by groundwater, it is home to some very specific wildlife including the endangered Blanding’s turtle and the hopeful return of the Eastern Brook Trout. Funds are required to hire experts to conduct surveys so that these factors can be considered, and will guide decisions on the future of this watershed.
Waring’s Creek needs your help!
As stewards of this body of water, and in recognizing that growth is a part of any municipality, we are fighting for the water, the wildlife and the history that this watershed holds. We are looking to ensure that if a development does go forward, that these concerns and more are met:
- Stormwater Ponds routinely overflow in heavy rains and can be expected to overflow more often because of climate change.
- All of the runoff from the West Meadows subdivision is draining across the subject lands and into Waring’s Creek. Combined with the two proposed subdivisions, Loyalist Heights and Cold Creek, cumulative runoff will increase 396%.
- Low Impact Design measures to control or minimize runoff are “smoke and mirrors,” ineffective because most such measures are left up to individual homeowners.
- The water table in the Quinte region is shallow, and on the subject lands is only about 1 metre below the surface. The Waring’s Creek watershed is like an underground lake. Proposals for underground parking? You may as well be building an underground marina.
We are seeking funds to do studies and lay groundwork to defend this body of water and we need your help to make sure that there is no environmental impact for municipal growth on Waring’s Creek.
The Waring’s Creek Improvement Association (WCIA) is partnered with Small Change Fund on the Waring’s Creek Restoration and Defence Fund. For more information about the work that the WCIA does, please visit www.waringscreek.ca.
