WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
Lynde Shores Conservation Area Restoration and Resilience Plan
Great Lakes coastal wetlands play a critical role in supporting the freshwater ecosystem, the economy, and local communities. However, they are under serious threat from climate change and human activities.
Issues such as inappropriate development along the shoreline, changes in land use upstream, and the increasing frequency of severe weather events are negatively impacting these wetlands. Climate change is expected to make existing problems worse, including the loss of natural habitats, pollution, and the spread of invasive species. Data from Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority’s (CLOCA’s) long-term monitoring programs show that climate change is already having a negative impact on the biodiversity and resilience of the wetlands.
Recognizing the severity of these challenges, CLOCA collaborated with Canada Water Agency (formerly Environment and Climate Change Canada) to enhance the health and resilience of these crucial ecosystems and have developed a series of restoration projects to mitigate the threats facing the coastal wetlands of Lynde Creek and Cranberry Marshes located within Lynde Shores Conservation Area.
Why Lynde Shores?
Canada Water Agency initiated a study to assess and enhance the resilience of Great Lakes coastal wetlands. That study aimed to understand vulnerability, develop adaptation strategies, and raise public awareness. Technical reports were produced by Canada Water Agency that focused on climate modeling (predicting future climate conditions), how wetlands will react, and how capable they are of handling changes. These findings provide important information for policymakers and others involved in wetland protection to help ensure these wetlands can survive in the face of climate change.
Through this study, the Lynde Shores Coastal Wetlands were found to be particularly sensitive and vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The results showed that these wetlands could experience a decrease in biodiversity (the variety of plants and animals), resilience (their ability to recover from damage), and water quality. This is mainly due to changes such as the loss of certain types of plants, including submerged aquatic vegetation (plants that grow underwater), meadow marshes, and swamp habitats.
Additionally, more frequent and extreme changes in water levels are putting the wetlands at risk. These changes can disrupt interspersion—the mix and arrangement of different habitat types within the wetland—reduce the availability of cool-water refuges for fish, and harm the natural features that protect the wetlands. Low biodiversity makes these ecosystems even more fragile.
Data from CLOCA’s long-term monitoring programs show that climate change is already having a negative impact on the biodiversity and resilience of the wetlands. As a result of these findings, CLOCA, in partnership with Canada Water Agency, has begun working on strategies to help the Lynde Shores Coastal Wetlands adapt to these changes. The goal is to build their capacity to transform and survive over the long term, ensuring this important habitat remains healthy for years to come.
Restoration Goals and Objectives
The Lynde Shores Conservation Area Coastal Wetlands are diverse and resilient ecosystems whose natural features and functions are valued and protected for present and future generations.
Photo Credit, Mike Struna
Introduction to Lynde Shores Conservation Area
Lynde Shores Conservation Area is located in Whitby, Ontario, and stands as a premier attraction, regularly earning the top spot of Trip Advisor’s list of attractions in the Whitby area. Conservation Areas across the Greater Toronto Area experience significant usage, which has surged following the onset of COVID-19. Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority estimates an annual visitation of approximately 200,000 individuals, based on parking information, which excludes visitors utilizing alternative transportation methods.
Walking and hiking trails, including the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, are big draws for the area, with enthusiasts visiting from across the Greater Toronto Area. Additionally, Cranberry Marsh is a popular location for many photographers and watchers of bird and wildlife species, as the wetland supports a significant number of migratory birds, marsh-obligate nesting birds, raptors and wildlife species. With limited natural environments accessible to residents in the Greater Toronto Area, Lynde Shores Conservation Areas is a critical area for forest bathing, nature walks, mental health breaks, and exercise opportunities. Lynde Shores Conservation Areas is an accessible space that ensures inclusivity and caters to individuals of all ages and backgrounds, with its wildlife viewing offerings particularly popular among children.
The Projects!
Wetland Interspersion Restoration
The spread of hybrid cattails (a mix of native and invasive cattail species) and the way Lake Ontario’s water levels are managed have led to a significant loss of interspersion (the mix of open water and plants) in the wetlands of Lynde Creek. The area used to be a hemi-marsh, meaning it had a healthy balance of water and vegetation, but now it has mostly turned into dense, single-species stands of
Typha Glauca (a type of hybrid cattail). This has decreased water quality and reduced biodiversity (the variety of plants and animals), resulting in a loss of important ecosystem services—the natural benefits wetlands provide, like filtering water, controlling flooding, and offering habitat for wildlife.
Restoring interspersion—bringing back the balance of open water and plant life—is critical for improving water quality, creating diverse habitats, and promoting bathymetry heterogeneity (variation in water depth, which supports different types of aquatic life). By carefully designing these areas, the wetlands will become more resilient to extreme temperatures, fluctuating water levels, and the more frequent and unpredictable changes in water levels caused by climate change. The result will be a stronger and more diverse ecosystem, rich in ecological and cultural value.
Project Summary: Creating channels and ponds within the dense cattail stands will establish open water areas that support a diverse range of fish, vegetation and wildlife. This balance of open water and plants will improve water quality, increase flood control, and enhance biodiversity.
Wetland Interspersion Project Summary, Credit: A. Morrison
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June 24, 2025
These aerial views face east with Victoria Street on the right and show the digging progress over time. The digging for this project began on January 7, 2025, and was completed by the end of March 2025.
Wetland Interspersion Restoration Project: Part 2
This project also aims to expand wetland climate refugia—areas that provide a safe haven for species affected by changing water conditions. Increasing the wetland’s ability to adapt to changing water levels will ensure it remains a healthy habitat for wildlife, even as conditions shift. The new climate refugia area is planned for the west side of Lynde Creek Marsh and will connect historic wetland habitats with newly created interspersion channels and the broader Lynde Creek Coastal Wetland. This project will help the wetland adjust to rising and falling water levels, allowing wetland plants to move and grow as conditions change. It will increase the wetland area during years with high water levels and provide safe, deeper areas during droughts.
Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Canada Water Agency worked together to develop plans for this project. Construction took place during the winter of 2025. Planning for the wetland refugia is still ongoing and is expected to be finished by winter 2025, with construction starting in the fall of 2025.
Wetland Restoration (Wetland Refugia and Adaptive Capacity)
A large amount of wetland habitat has disappeared in Southern Ontario over the last hundred years. This loss creates a serious
challenge because wetlands are essential for helping ecosystems cope with climate change and for providing safe habitats for many species, including marsh-obligate nesting birds—birds that can only live and nest in marshes. This project aims to improve water quality, create more wetland refugia (a place where species can survive and persist during environmental changes), and increase the ability of wetlands to adapt by reclaiming areas that once supported wetlands, and enhance current wetlands, so they can survive future climate extremes.
With a climate-resilient design, the restored wetlands will meet the needs of migratory birds, shorebirds, amphibians, and many other species. By creating both large and small wetland areas with different water depths and controls over how water flows, we can ensure that these wetlands remain strong and healthy despite the challenges posed by climate change. The larger wetland will include deep water sections that can hold water for longer periods, benefiting many local and migratory species. The smaller pocket wetlands will help support groups of species (called metapopulations) by varying in depth to meet the needs of different animals. Some of these smaller wetlands will mimic vernal pools, which are temporary ponds important for amphibians like frogs and salamanders. Additionally, some of the pockets will be designed to hold water during dry periods, providing a refuge during years of unpredictable rainfall and higher temperatures.
These newly created wetlands will connect Cranberry Marsh and Lynde Creek Marsh, allowing wildlife to move between them more easily. This will improve gene flow (the exchange of genetic material between populations), which strengthens the ability of species to survive and reproduce. It will also enhance the resilience of metapopulations and provide extra areas where species can find shelter as the climate changes. The increased habitat diversity will support a wider variety of wetland plants, which will help improve water quality. Additionally, planting riparian vegetation (plants growing along the water’s edge) and wetland meadow species will increase diversity even further, improve the wetlands' ability to expand, and contribute to better water quality.
Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Canada Water Agency, and BGC Engineering have been working together behind the scenes to plan this project. Before restoration can begin, the site will be plowed to allow archaeologists to examine the land for any cultural heritage that may be beneath the surface, to help ensure that any significant artifacts and/or sites are not disturbed during the restoration process. Construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2025.
Project Summary: New wetlands will be created, and existing wetlands restored or enhanced, to facilitate the migration of water as climate change drives rising water levels and more frequent storm events. Strengthening the landscape’s ability to adapt to fluctuating water levels through wetland creation will enhance flood control and provide refuge for wildlife during these environmental changes.
Climate Resilient Protective Wetland Features
The barrier beaches in this area have been documented to be eroding at a rapid pace. Extreme storm events, less winter ice, and changes in coastal processes (including increased shoreline hardening and the creation of piers which have disrupted the
Project Summary: While further studies are required to determine detailed plans, the objective is to construct protective features that safeguard the barrier beach from continued erosion and damage due to high water levels, intensified storm events, and limited sediment supply.
natural sediment flow in Lake Ontario) have collectively contributed to the risk of these important features disappearing. Without a protective barrier beach sheltering the wetland features from Lake Ontario, Cranberry Marsh would experience rapid, irreversible changes in water and habitat quality, resulting in a transformation that would undermine its ability to provide essential ecosystem services (such as filtering water and reducing flooding) and habitat for native species.
Through the implementation of nature-based solutions aimed at protecting and restoring the barrier beach, adverse impacts from high lake levels, intensified storm severity and compromised coastal process can be alleviated, ensuring the wetland thrives into the future. Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority and our partners are working towards developing a design for the Cranberry Marsh barrier beach that will ensure this habitat remains a healthy and vibrant ecosystem.
There is a considerable amount of planning required to complete a project of this magnitude. The planning phase will start April 1, 2025, with a goal of the project being completed by March 31, 2028.
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