PSW’s as we like to call them, are wetlands that have been identified through the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System (OWES), created by the Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) as areas of extreme importance to the environment and community. They have been determined significant due to their hydrological, biological, social importance, as well as any special features.

The Black/Harmony/Farewell watershed supports the Harmony-Farewell Iroquois Beach Wetland Complex which is one of the largest wetland complexes and largest swamp communities on the Iroquois Plain in the Greater Toronto Area (OMNR, 1999). It is commonly referred to as a wetland complex by biologists, which simply means it is made up of many small wetlands that are connected above and below the ground by water and land. This provides a higher degree of complex relationships between the plants and animals that live and visit this interconnected habitat feature. If these wetlands were isolated from one another they would be less attractive and more treacherous to a species such as the spotted salamander which depend on small pools to lay their eggs, but then migrate to forested areas. Amphibians, which include frogs and salamanders, are useful indicator species of wetland health because they are sensitive to ecological stressors that can influence micro-climate, air and water quality.

Another example of wildlife that requires these complex wetlands are turtles. Turtles travel great distances in order to find new habitat and lay their eggs at suitable sites. Wetlands provide a safe corridor for turtles to travel through and fulfill their life stages. Also, the continuing destruction of wetlands and other natural areas has had a significant impact on turtle mortality. Road mortality has increased substantially as turtles move along roadways to get to adjacent wetlands and occasionally create their nests in the soft shoulders of roads. As a result, they are becoming rarer within Southern Ontario, presently seven out of eight turtle species are at risk in Ontario.

The Harmony-Farewell Iroquois Beach wetland complex provides habitat for a variety of significant wildlife, such as the provincially significant Red-Shouldered Hawk; and the locally rare Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher.

Not only does the Harmony-Farewell Iroquois Beach wetland provide important habitat features, but it also provides significant hydrological functions. These wetlands play a key role in water storage and flood attenuation. They also provide highly significant discharge zones for Farewell Creek, evident through springs and seepage zones which support coldwater fisheries. Some areas of the wetlands contain sandy soils, which act as recharge zones for aquifers along the Lake Iroquois beach.

Watershed Management Planning
In 2008, CLOCA staff collected information on a variety of habitats and species present in the Black/Harmony/Farewell watershed in support of its Watershed Management Planning commitment. To find out more about this study or to add your name to the mailing list for upcoming open houses and or participation on our stakeholder group, please contact Tammy Chung, Watershed Planner. The existing conditions report will be available on the CLOCA website in early 2010.

Ontario Regulation 42/06: Regulation of Development, Interference with wetlands & Alteration to shorelines & Watercourses
CLOCA administers Ontario Regulation 42/06 Regulation of Development, Interference with Wetlands and Alteration to Shorelines and Watercourses. This regulation was created for the following reasons:

• To minimize the risk to loss of life and property damage as a result of flooding
• To direct development away from natural hazard prone land (ie. flooding, erosion)
• To determine whether or not in the opinion of the Authority, the development proposal will affect the control of flooding, pollution, or the conservation of land.

If you wish to do any construction in or near a wetland, you may require a permit. For more information on permits visit Regulation/Permits.