Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1975-06-19, Page 17TIME TO CHAT — There was plenty of time to talk and discuss the problems facing the Ausable- Bayfield Conservation on, the tour that• took all day * and covered 344 miles. Elgin Thompson, and of Tuckersmith and chairman of the Authority was no doubt explaining. some of their problems to a fellow member of the authority. (Staff Photo) TO BE OR NOT TO BE — That question hasn't been answered and the future of this, old slaughterhouse on the Corrie Property near Clinton is uncertain. Its future may depend on the fate of old buildings on an adjoining prbperty and whether there will be a use for the buildings. _ (Staff Photo) THE HURON EXPOSITOR ;JUNE 075 e— SECTION SECTION AOsablefiari,LCortOniotion AOthOrity tours'. Recredtiori spots in our 'own dents in the summer progrant called SWEEP put in foot bridges that allOw visitors to cross the stream. People swim in the 28 acre reservoir all summer, although the, Authority has a sign posted "Swim at Your Own Risk". In the authority's brochure, it lists swimming, fishing, boating, trails and nature study as activi- ties to be enjoyed by visitors to the park. jf it had been a warmer day, many would have been tempted to take' a dip at Port Blake, 'a 17 acre stretch that includes wash- rooms, picnic tables and beach area. During the weekendS there is an admission charge of $1 that is the going rate at all of the more popular spots. For $7.50 a family can buy a season's pass that allows them entrance to any of a half dozen Conservation Area Parks. The Port Blake property is owned by the Ministry of the Environment for the future expansion of the Lake Huron Water Supply unit, but the authority has a 21 year lease on the land. Swim By Nancy Andrews People take for granted many of the facilities and spots of interests in their own locale. Those same people who poke their nose into every cranny in Europe, will continually by-pass many of those local spots ,that 4 attract tourists from the United States and other areas in Canada. The Ausable-Bayfield Conser- vation Authority held a 344 mile tour of its 1,000 square mile land holdings in Huron CoOnty last week. As Elgin Thompson, chairman of the Authority said, the tour was to "acquait" its new members and "refresh" the memories of itheir older members of its con- cerns. There are 32 members on the Authority including three provin- cial represen tatives. Since much of the work is done in committees the tour helps to acquaint the members on what is being done in - other committees, Mr. Thompson 'said. • r The Ausible River and the Bayfield Authorities were united into one authorfty in 1972. The bus was three-quarters full -, and Mr. Thompson _expressed disappointment that all the mem- bers didn't turn out for the trip twhich is almost an annual affair. The first' stop on the trip was at the Corrie Property near Clinton. Roger Martin, resource manager, for the authority said in the future with the purchase, of more properties along the Bayfield River, they hope to call this area, the Clinton Conservation Area. At present small treese have been planted Sand picnic tables placed over the 10 acres of, land. The authority plans to have the picnic pavilion ready for the official opening duirng Clinton's Centennial Week. Also; it hopes to buy land. adjoining the proper- ties and negotiations continue. The area. has the potential of being one of the largerconserva- tion areas, if other properties are bought along the gorge, he said. The Conservation Authority owns the Van Gastel , property which was, originally owned by Henry Ransford, the founder of one of the earliest salt mines in the area in 1830. The Authority isn't sure what this land will be used for, but it hopes to connect it to the Corrie Property. It could be used for recreation, for a historical museUin orfor a agricultural development area, Mr. Martin said. He said the authority handed out a question- naire at the Clinton Fair asking people what they think would best suit the areas. Public Meeting He said they plan to approach other people in the area and hold perhaps the first public meeting to seek public input on what should be developed on that property. It is at least a couple of years before anything is develop- ed he said, and the land is now under a sign "No Trespassing'. William Thirlwall of Lobo Township was the only one to venture down to the creek called Muskrat Bend in the late 1800's. He said there were a few fish in the creek and the water is 'beautiful' and would be good for kids to swim in because its "as clean as clean." Later in the day the authority voted to buy five acres of land for $10,000 adjoining the property. The purchase was to prevent conflicting land use and a grant of 50 percent could be obtained from the province under the Conserva- tion Act and the 1414t would come from the member municipalities based' on equalized assessment. The authority had a to budge for 1975 of $614,000, 7 per cent or $428,550 to, be fund b the. province and $182,850 by the municipalities. Although them are none of the authority's facilities within ten miles of Seaforth, like Clinton and Parkhill, its contribution is not based on the distance from the facility but on equalized assess- ment. In 1975, Seaforth paid $2195 as the town's share which is about $1 per man, woman and child. The idea behind this is that in spite of distance, everyone in the area gets advantages from con- serving land for recreation and parks. Clearly one of the most delight- ful holdings is the Bannockburn Wildlife Conservation area located near Varna. All those on the bus, including men from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the press toured the 62 acres of woodland. There were two entrances to the park but the group took the shortest because the other was still muddy. Last summer stu- ,,,The Thetford Conservation Authority includes about 33 acres pf bush and sand dunes located near Pinery Park. Camping is allowed, in the park, though half of the park is closed because of the cost of putting in extra washromti facilities and the upkeep. "This is where the most ' Vandalism occurs," chairman of the Authority Elgin Thompson said. Break Barbecues He said people have broken barbeques, _upset outhouses and done other acts of vandalism. Perhaps the two most com- mercialized areas are the Rock Glen and Parkhill Conservation Authorities. Rock Glen was acquired in 1954 and expanded to 65 acres in 1969: Arkona and has two or more springs that coat anything left in the spring for a time with a mineral deposit. Rock Glen is a favorite with fosil lovers who have caused some erosion near the top'of . the falls. The Authority was hoping to purchase land below the gorge called Hungry Hollow. During the trip this section was pointed out. It looked to be a rather unattractive, rocky piece of land. Members were told they would be "angry" when they heard what happened with this piece, of land. The 46 acres of West Williams Township property is owned by' United States citizens. The Authority's offer of $40,000 for the land was returned recently ,with notification that the earlier ,asking price of $100,000 was ..telsed to $400,000. Mr. Thomp- son said the asking price was unrealistic. The, Parkhill Dam area of 1885 acres was originally built , for water control to create a stream of water all year long. Now the Parkhill Dam area has various recreational uses including camp- ". ins, swimming on its beach, boating, picnicing, fishing and nature trails. • The Kime property, a 550 acre piece of land, was bought at a price of $190,000 and the Authori- ty decided to just hold the land for the time being. On this land the sides form a natural amphitheatre with seat- like ridges up the side.. This year the authority spent $205,000 on land acquisitions and though the Kime property was' acquired last year, , its in this year's budget. The Authority_sp‘nt $11,000 on conservation services such as tree planting and erosion assistance in the community. The Authority spent $89,000 on water control. An example of this was the Walker Drain installed near Grand Bend where flooding • has caused erosion of the sides of the Ausable River. This is a special project to benefit the two adjoining property owners so there will be a special levy on the municipality which will get the money through special taxes on the property owners. This area will need about 1,000 feet of banking at a cost of $70,000 to $125,000 depending on the method. Similar activities are occuring in Grand Bend where the banks of the Aus able River are eroding. About $40,000 will be spent on flood plain mapping this year; The first part of the mapping should be done by Fall, Mr. Martin said. Unlike other conservation areas the Authority didn't ask the municipalities for their consent to' start the flood mapping study. He said a number of munici- palities have asked for assistance and the authority agreed to do the entire watershed at one time. Power In the urban areas, the flood plain will be shown and this gives the authority the power to control development .in these areas. In the rural areas, however, the authority will only have an in-fill area which gives them power to view any plans for development. Mr. Martin said these areas are going to be subject to regulation, and the municipalities will be asked to revise their zoning by-laws. Another $140;000 will be spent this year to develop roads, parking lots, and picnic pavilions in the conservation areas. Recently the Authority estab- fished a foundation which will accept donations for the Authority Mr. Martin said: "More and More, member municiaplities can't pnt enough money in land aequisitons, as we think we should. ' ' At the meeting following the tour, the Authority agreed to ask the Conservation Authorities Branch and the Ministry of Natural Resources for permission to do a study on the feasibility of acquiring land in the "Big Swamp" in the Township of East Williams. For $1 per year, plus the cost of admission a Seaforth family can enjoy what Mr. Martin described as land worth "millions of dollars." He said there is no point in even guessing the Conservation Au inui ay's facilities' worth since its value would depend on its land use and it is very difficult to put a price on that. The Authority has ten full-time members on staff plus full and part-time tri4nbers who work hi the different areas, gate-keeping and doing maintenance. Although some of the areas don't have a tegniar worker duting the Stittitti4 a lot of work is being donei and the staff is there to cheek 'on the parka. COOL AND REPRESHING If it had been hotter, it would,' have been herd to resist the temptation 'of wading' through the water beloW the falls at Rock ' Glen. This is the view from Look Out Point. (Staff Photo) No Charge There is no admission charge to this park and it is ideal for hikers and nature lovers. Piles of brush can be seen where workers on the bridge had to hack some trees down to bring in the bridges. , The wood was left in piles to offer shelter to the wildlife. The land was bought about two years ago from a local farmer, but this year will be its first in operation since the foot bridges were only installed last year. . Last winter, there were some problems with snowmobiles blaz- ing trails through the woods leaving ruts and destroying small trees. All types of motorized vehicles are prohibited from -,At Rock Glen there is a 35 foirt entering the woods. .water fall where in the 1800's Members of the authority were, several.., mills operated. equally impressed. Jake Rader of " Rock Glen is located near Goderich said: "This is conserva- tion. This is the kind of land I'd like tq see them acquire." ' The group, also drove through the Hay Swamp Conservation Area just west of Exerter. The area has light, sandy, organic soil and the' area is managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources, out of Wingham. This area is open to the public and has, 2,000 acres of forests. The Authority has a total of 4,40 acres of land under the manage, ment of the Ministry of Natural Resources. Here the Ministry plants trees and supervises the cutting of the fordst. The tour visited all but two of ,the aut rity's holdings - Lucan a ort Franks. The rest of the ens are better known and` attract more visitors each year. The Morrison Dam area has 88 acres and supplies Exeter's major industries with water. Mr. Martin said this area is always busy and the reservoir is stocked annually with trout. TOURISTS ABOUND -- Although the‘Season Is just' beginning, 'members of the Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority weren't the on1' ones 'enjoying Rock Glen. 'These kids were just going to take' a look at the fall frorn Look Out point. ' (Staff Photo) ON A CLEAR DAY — POO Blake Is rather beautiful. One of the members of the tour was satisfied with the view from the cliff, but others ventured to the water's edge. They found Lake Huron was still pretty cold. (Staff Photo) WAITING FOR THE OTHERS — Leona Rowatt of*. Seaforth and Jack Reder of dodetich are Waiting for the Other/310 catoh tip by resting, againSt the new feet bridge Installed lest surnifter in the atttltitidWirit Wildlife Conservation Area. Beneath the britte'tfle sparkling Bannockburn River not Much larger than. otil4m1 ripples Sit; tStaffrbet0) '