Spring is coming! Join us at the beautiful Carp Riverwalk to help the Carp River and the birds and animals that depend on its Ribbon of Life.
Planting at the Carp Riverwalk in 2023.
Friends of the Carp River need at least 20 volunteers to plant 150 native trees and shrubs at the Carp Riverwalk on Saturday, 11 May, from 9:00am to 11:00am.
Volunteers need to dress appropriately for digging in early spring: hard-soled boots, preferably water resistant, gloves, and long pants. Hats and bug spray are highly recommended.
Age suitability.
All ages are welcome, but tree planting volunteers should be at least 12 years old. Younger children will not be able to dig through the turf.
High school community service volunteers are welcome. We’ll sign off your community service hours.
About the Carp Riverwalk stewardship program.
This year’s tree and shrub planting is the second in a multi-year program. Last year (2023) we had great support from the community and the 1st Carp Scouts.
Friends of the Carp River are responsible for environmental stewardship on the Riverwalk site. We have developed a five year stewardship plan with the following objectives.
Improve biodiversity.
Manage surface water runoff.
Improve the visibility of the river by removing invasive species along the river bank.
Provide Species at Risk habitat.
Educate and inform about good stewardship practices and the historic features of the site.
Eastern Meadowlark at the Carp Riverwalk. Meadowlarks are a ground-nesting Species at Risk who prefer open meadows.
We are working with the City of Ottawa’s Forest Management group to implement a four year native species planting program from 2023 and 2026. Planting native species addresses all of the above objectives except for improving river visibility.
Planting site at the Carp Riverwalk to absorb surface water runoff and improve biodiversity.
This year’s planting focuses on adding biodiversity and absorbing surface water runoff in a long swale that drains water from the top of the field to the Carp River.
The Carp Riverwalk is a 1.5 kilometer mowed trail along the Carp River below the Diefenbunker on 8 hectares (20 acres) owned by the City of Ottawa. The Huntley Community Association operates the Riverwalk in partnership with the Friends of the Carp River under an agreement with the City of Ottawa. The trail offers all-season use for walking, jogging, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing along the Carp River.
The Carp Riverwalk field must be mowed once a year to maintain an open meadow. A farmer cuts the grass for hay.
For years Friends of the Carp River have puzzled over this question about the network of mowed paths in the Glen Cairn wetlands between Hazeldean Road and Abbott Street East.
These pathways wind through a scenic area of natural wetlands and constructed ponds that are part of the city’s stormwater management system. Wildflowers, birds, and other wildlife make this area home. Walkers, bird watchers, and cross country skiers enjoy this oasis of nature in the Carp River watershed that is surrounded by development.
A mink with a fish at a Glen Cairn wetlands stormwater pond.
Mowed path at the Glen Cairn wetlands. (Photo by B. Hitchcock.)
Mowed path at the Glen Cairn wetlands. (Photo by B. Hitchcock.)
The answer is a 72-year old retiree named Bill Hitchcock, who’s been keeping these unofficial paths open for 14 years on his own time and at his own expense.
Bill comments on his labours.
I started cutting the trail behind Nairn Park in 2010 after seeing a neighbour cut a two hundred yard trail, under the sweltering sun, with his lawnmower because he loved to walk his dog there. I had a Yardman lawn tractor at the time, and I thought I would give it a go. I ended up having to cut hundreds of branches, dig out hundreds of rocks, shave about 60 ant hills, cut down a couple of small trees, install 5 culverts and two wooden bridges, dump about 130 trailer loads of fill on low spots including the culverts, and deal with my biggest challenge, dealing with people who wouldn’t clean up after their dog. Now most of the hard work is behind me and I just have to cut the grass. My reward is seeing people using and enjoying the trail. There are walkers, joggers, dog walkers, bicyclists, unicyclists, cross country skiers, snowshoers and the list goes on.
Bill on his lawn tractor. (Photo supplied by B. Hitchcock.)
(Photo by B. Hitchcock.)
Green infrastructure becomes a place for nature lovers.
The Glen Cairn wetlands are an impressive example of natural and engineered green infrastructure. Roughly 40 hectares (100 acres) in size, the site receives stormwater runoff from all the surrounding residential and commercial development. It combines this with natural inflow from the the upper Carp River, which enters the site through culverts under Terry Fox Drive. The river is recharged with cleaned water from the wetlands and continues its journey north under Hazeldean Road. Most of the site sits in the Carp River floodplain.
Bill’s four kilometers of mowed pathways lie on a network of berms between the ponds and wetlands. They provide raised vantage points for people to observe nature. Elderberry, willow herb, and Joe-Pye Weed bloom in profusion. The site is an e-Bird hotspot with over 70 species observed.
The grass pathways connect to the paved Upper Carp River pathway in Glen Cairn, which can be accessed by crossing Terry Fox Drive at the Winchester Drive intersection traffic lights. They also connect to the Carp River Restoration South Site pathway between Hazeldean Road and Highway 417.
Mowed pathway by the Carp River. (Photo by B. Hitchcock.)
Bill’s commitment is a notable example of citizen stewardship. Without his 14 years of dedication, this site would be quietly providing valuable ecosystem services, but offer little in terms of an inviting landscape for people to enjoy. Bill has enhanced the value of the Glen Cairn wetlands by creating pathways for recreation and respite in nature. Thank you Bill!
How to visit the Glen Cairn wetlands pathways.
There is no on-site parking, but the mowed paths can be accessed from the residential neighbourhoods that surround it. Parking on City property is available at the Water Baker Park ball diamond parking lot on Hazeldean Road. Follow the paved path under the Hazeldean Road bridge to the mowed pathway.
The 40 hectare Glen Cairn wetlands is circled in orange. Park at the ball diamond parking lot on Hazelden Road. (Map from GeoOttawa.)
Tour the 4 kilometers of pathways in Bill’s YouTube video.
The City of Ottawa has posted a development application for the old Karson facility at 3711-3725 Carp Road beside the Carp River and behind the post office. You can find the application and supporting documents here: Application # D07-16-23-0008.
Location of proposed development beside the Carp River.
Friends of the Carp River reviewed the application documents, particularly the Planning Rationale and Design Brief, Environmental Site Assessment, Environmental Impact Statement, and Draft Plan of Subdivision.
Brief overview of the proposed development.
The development consists of two mixed use blocks on Carp Road with commercial space on the ground floor and two floors of nine residential units above. There are five blocks of stacked residential dwellings with twelve units each. Total residential space is 78 units.
The development is adjacent to the Carp River and its floodplain. A 30 meter vegetated buffer is maintained between the river and the parking lot. Some of the parking spaces lie within the 100 year flood line.
Draft Plan of Subdivision for 3711 – 3725 Carp Road beside the Carp River.
Our comments.
We submitted our comments to the City and to Councillor Kelly.
Friends of the Carp River welcome the development of this property. This is an opportunity to remove an eyesore from the entrance to the village, remediate contaminated land, add medium density housing to Carp, and showcase the Carp River with a pathway along the buffer strip that will be improved with native plants.
We have three comments on the application.
1. The creation of a pathway in the floodplain’s 30m buffer area must be part of the project.
2. The site is nesting habitat for Snapping turtles. Suitable nest area(s) must be constructed to replace the nesting area being lost.
3. The site lies within Source Water Protection Area: Well Head Protection Area C for the village of Carp. Care must be taken with how the site’s contamination is dealt with during construction.
1. Construct a pathway along the river.
The City must require a community pathway along the river as part of site plan approval.
As the application notes, a pathway along the river at this site is included in the 2012 Carp Community Design Plan, but for some reason the application has punted its creation to some indefinite future action.
The best (and cheapest) time to construct such a pathway is when there is equipment on the site and when the buffer area is being remediated with native plantings as per the Environmental Impact Statement.
Other arguments include supporting the city’s new Official Plan, particularly under Healthy and Inclusive Communities.
We also strongly support the Environmental Impact Statement’s recommendations for native plantings in the buffer area.
The Carp Community Design Plan (2012) clearly shows a community pathway along the Carp River at the proposed development site.
2. Add turtle nesting sites.
As part of the buffer strip improvement, two or three turtle nesting sites should be created.
Another local organization, Friends of the Carp Hills, ran a turtle conservation project in Carp this year with support from the Canadian Wildlife Federation. The edge of the parking lot is heavily used by Snapping turtles from the Carp River for laying eggs. Predated nests adjacent to the river are easy to find.
The Common Snapping Turtle is a Species at Risk, Special Concern.
A Snapping turtle navigates the Karson parking lot during nesting season. 11 June 2023.
3. Site contamination must be carefully remediated.
The Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment describes the contamination of the site from its previous use as a garage and fuel storage area.
The site lies within Source Water Protection Area: Well Head Protection Area C for the village of Carp (see Figure 1).
Given the site’s soil contamination, care must be taken to protect both the river and Carp’s municipal well head in the village during construction.
Well head protection area within the village of Carp. (source: geoOttawa)
Twenty-seven volunteers planted 150 native trees and shrubs at the Carp Riverwalk on a beautiful spring day on 13 May, getting the job done in under two hours!
Volunteers planted a 400 meter long buffer strip between the Carp River and the south side of the Riverwalk loop. The twelve species of plants add biodiversity to the site, provide flowers for pollinators, and help absorb and filter runoff from the field. People who walk the trail will also enjoy the beauty and fragrance of the flowering plants.
Volunteers planting native trees and shrubs at the Carp Riverwalk in Carp.
Volunteers plant a buffer strip of native trees and shrubs between the Carp River and the Riverwalk.
The 1st Carp Scouts planted trees at the Carp Riverwalk.
Thanks to the 1st Carp Scouts who had 17 volunteers, to the high school students offering their service to the community, and to local individuals who just wanted to help out.
The City of Ottawa provided the trees and shrubs. Thank you to the city’s crew: forester Laura Wood, and Dave and Morgan who kept the mulch, tree guards, and cocoa mats flowing.
City of Ottawa crew supplied trees, shrubs, mulch, and tree protectors.
This is the first of four plantings at the Riverwalk under an environmental stewardship plan prepared by Friends of the Carp River. The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority reviewed the plan. The city’s forester Laura developed a detailed planting plan. The goals of the stewardship plan are:
improve biodiversity;
manage surface water runoff;
improve river visibility;
enhance Species at Risk habitat; and
educate and inform.
Cattle grazed the Riverwalk site for many years. There is low plant biodiversity and a high number of invasive species, especially Buckthorn. Planting native shrubs and trees will improve flora and fauna biodiversity, provide food for pollinators and native insects, and be aesthetically pleasing for site visitors when in bloom.
The City of Ottawa owns the 8 hectares (20 acres) of open fields on Craig Side Road below the Mess Hall and Diefenbunker. The Huntley Community Association has a maintenance agreement for the site with the City. Friends of the Carp River have an agreement with the HCA for environmental stewardship activities that improve the Ribbon of Life and enhance visitor enjoyment.
See you all next year!
Volunteers planted 150 native trees and shrubs at the Carp Riverwalk in Carp.
Anecdotally, West Carleton farmers claim that an inch of rain equals a rise of about twelve inches in the Carp River. Advances in technology are helping to build a computer model that soon will be able to model this scenario and many others.
Under a contract with the City of Ottawa, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) is developing updated floodplain mapping for the entire Carp River from Glen Cairn in Kanata to Fitzroy Harbour. The existing floodplain maps from 1983 are inaccurate due to climate change and new development, especially in Kanata.
MVCA’s Engineering group leads the project.
MVCA is using technology, software, and field data to develop and calibrate a new hydraulic model of the river. MVCA’s Engineering group leads the project. Friends of the Carp River spoke with full stack developer Daniel Post and engineer intern Timothy Yoon about the work they are doing to support the floodplain mapping project.
Interested in learning more about hydraulic models, hydrologic models, and how they are used in floodplain mapping? Friends of the Carp River also “interviewed” ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI. Its answers to our questions are “generated using a deep learning algorithm that has been trained on vast amounts of text data from the internet.” You can read its responses below.
MVCA staff Timothy Yoon and Daniel Post holding a GPS rod and water level gauge, respectively.
Daniel has a BA in History from the University of Victoria. After working in logistics and forestry, he decided to change careers and become a software developer. He moved east and started working for MVCA in June 2021. Daniel works on the front and back ends of web applications – what the user sees and the background processing. He also oversees MVCA’s automated monitoring network, which gathers numeric data that he transforms into an easier-to-understand visual form.
Timothy has a BSc in Environmental Engineering (water resource option) from the University of Waterloo. After a stint in construction, he worked at the Toronto Region Conservation Authority in erosion hazard monitoring. He joined MVCA in the summer of 2022 and is getting the technical experience needed for his PEng certification. As a water resource engineer intern, he performs technical reviews of permit applications, supports floodplain mapping, collects and validates data, and researches monitoring technology. Timothy is also a licensed drone operator.
MVCA calibrates the model using water level data from the river.
Developing the floodplain map involves multiple steps. One of these is collecting data that can be used to calibrate the computer model. Daniel and Timothy installed battery-run gauges that measure the water level in the Carp River at three locations in Kanata.
A data logger records temperature and water level data. Daniel or Timothy collects the recorded data via Bluetooth when one of them visits the sites every couple of weeks. The water level data will be used to validate levels simulated by the hydraulic model. MVCA is particularly interested in spring freshet levels in the four-kilometer section of the river that was restored in 2016-2018 in Kanata.
Gauge in the Carp River. (Photo by Friends of the Carp River.)
Gauge in Kanata. (Photo by MVCA.)
Gauge in Kanata. (Photo by MVCA.)
There are some challenges with placing gauges in the Carp River. The upper section of the river is heavy with silt which clogs the gauge’s sensors. To capture accurate readings the gauge’s sensor is required to take readings in an area with minimal debris and silt. Therefore, to minimize silt accumulation around the sensor area, a stilling well is utilized with PVC pipes to house the gauge sensor. In the past there has been an issue with road salt, which corroded the metal components of sensors in Poole Creek at Maple Grove Avenue.
Recent photo from MVCA’s drone of the restored section of the river between Highway 417 and Richardson Side Road, looking north. (Photo by MVCA.)
Other information will also be used to develop the model. In 2022 MVCA recorded elevation data at cross-sections of the river using high precision GPS equipment. LIDAR data will provide detailed topographic information, greatly improving the mapping accuracy compared to 1983. Drone footage could be useful if there is significant flooding this year as it could visually record the flood extent, which could then be used to validate the model.
Forty years ago, LIDAR, precision GPS data (for non-military applications), and drones were not available. The hydraulic model and floodplain maps were developed using an aerial survey from a fixed wing aircraft. Meteorological data, topographical maps, and photogrammetric data were also used. In 1983 the hydraulic analysis was carried out with the software program HEC-2, developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The hydraulic modelling software used today employs the same basic principles as those used in the 1983 study, but the accuracy of the input data is much greater.
What is a 1:100 floodplain?
In Eastern Ontario, the 1:100-year floodplain is the regulatory standard, calculated as having a 1% Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) or a 1-in-100 chance of occurring in any given year. MVCA is mapping the 1:100 flood lines and others requested by the City, including the 1:350-year (0.29% AEP) flood. The 1:350-year flood was identified by the City of Ottawa Climate Strategy as a City-wide climate resilience strategy and flood protection criteria. It is comparable to the return period of Hurricane Hazel.
How will the new hydraulic model be used?
When completed the calibrated hydraulic model will allow the City of Ottawa and MVCA to see how the Carp River responds to precipitation and spring freshet scenarios. They can also use the model for land use planning to see how proposed changes in the landscape due to new development affect the river.
MVCA plans to hold public reviews of the updated floodplain maps this fall. Will farmers’ historic observations about rainfall and river rise still hold true after all the changes upstream? Come out to the public meetings and ask the engineers!
Friends of the Carp River (FCR) interviewed the AI language model ChatGPT developed by OpenAI about how hydraulic and hydrologic models are used in floodplain mapping. Here is the text from our interview.
FCR: What is a hydraulic model and how is it used in floodplain mapping?
ChatGPT: “A hydraulic model is an essential tool in floodplain mapping as it helps to simulate how water will behave during a flood event. The hydraulic model is a mathematical representation of the physical processes that occur when water flows over the land surface, through the river channels, and onto the floodplain.
To use a hydraulic model in floodplain mapping, several steps are typically followed:
Data collection: First, data on the area to be modeled is collected. This may include information on the topography, land use, river and stream networks, and other features that affect water flow.
Model development: Using the collected data, a hydraulic model is developed. This involves creating a computerized representation of the area, including its rivers and streams, and the surrounding land. The model is calibrated by comparing its output to real-world data collected during past flood events.
Flood simulation: Once the model is calibrated, it can be used to simulate different flood scenarios. This involves inputting information on the amount and timing of rainfall and other factors that could affect water flow.
Floodplain mapping: The output of the hydraulic model can be used to create floodplain maps. These maps show areas that are likely to flood during different types of floods, such as a 100-year flood or a 500-year flood. This information can be used by planners and policymakers to make decisions about land use, emergency preparedness, and other factors that affect flood risk.
Overall, a hydraulic model is an essential tool in floodplain mapping, as it allows us to simulate how water will behave during a flood event and to identify areas that are at risk of flooding. This information can be used to make decisions that reduce the impact of floods on people and property.”
FCR: What is a hydrologic model and how is it used in floodplain mapping?
ChatGPT: “Hydrologic models are commonly used in floodplain mapping. A hydrologic model is a computerized representation of the physical processes that control the movement of water through a watershed. It simulates the flow of water into and out of the watershed, as well as the amount of water that is stored in the soil, groundwater, and other features of the landscape.
Hydrologic models are used in floodplain mapping in several ways. First, they can be used to estimate the amount and timing of runoff that will occur during a rainfall event. This information is used as input to hydraulic models, which simulate the flow of water through rivers and streams and onto the floodplain.
Second, hydrologic models can be used to assess the impact of different land use scenarios on flood risk. For example, they can be used to simulate the effect of changes in land cover or the construction of new buildings on the amount of runoff that is generated during a storm.
Finally, hydrologic models can be used to develop flood frequency curves, which show the probability of different flood magnitudes occurring over time. These curves are used to identify areas that are at risk of flooding and to determine floodplain boundaries.
Overall, hydrologic models are an important tool in floodplain mapping, as they allow us to understand the complex interactions between rainfall, runoff, and the landscape. This information is critical for reducing the risk of flooding and protecting people and property from its impacts.”
FCR: What data is needed to make a hydrologic model?
ChatGPT: “To make a hydrologic model, several types of data are typically needed. These include:
Topographic data: Topographic data, such as digital elevation models (DEMs), are used to create a digital representation of the landscape. This information is critical for estimating the amount and timing of water runoff.
Land cover data: Information on land cover, such as vegetation types and urban areas, is used to estimate the amount of water that is absorbed by the landscape and the amount that becomes runoff.
Soil data: Soil data is used to estimate the amount of water that can be stored in the soil and the rate at which it can be released as runoff.
Climate data: Information on historical rainfall and temperature patterns is used to develop hydrologic models that can simulate the behavior of water in a watershed.
Streamflow data: Streamflow data, such as water level and discharge measurements, are used to calibrate the hydrologic model and to validate its output.
Hydrologic model parameters: Parameters such as infiltration rates, Manning’s roughness coefficients, and storage capacities are used to represent the physical properties of the watershed in the hydrologic model.
Once these data have been collected and processed, a hydrologic model can be created. This model is then used to simulate the flow of water through the watershed, and to estimate the amount and timing of runoff that will occur during a rainfall event. The output of the hydrologic model is then used as input to a hydraulic model, which simulates the flow of water through rivers and streams and onto the floodplain, ultimately resulting in a floodplain map.”
Friends of the Carp River recently spoke with Susan Bradley Noad and her husband Julian Noad about the Bradley Falls on Huntley Creek. Susan and Julian generously shared photos, family history, and stories about the Bradley Falls on the family’s historic farm. The falls played a central role in peoples’ lives from early European settlement in Huntley Township to recent times. Today there is little awareness of the falls and their beauty.
Huntley Creek is the Carp River’s longest tributary. It is also one of the least well-known since the creek runs entirely through private properties. Its headwaters lie in wetlands north of Highway 7 from where it flows for 21 kilometers north and east through forests and farmland to the Carp River near Huntmar Drive.
Huntley Creek Watershed. (From MVCA 2017 stream watch report for Huntley Creek.)
Huntley Creek flows through what used to be the Bradley Farm on Bradley Side Road near Richardson Side Road in West Carleton. Here the creek cascades over a fault line in limestone rock, creating a small waterfall of grace and beauty. This is its story.
Bradley Falls on Huntley Creek, a tributary of the Carp River. (Copyright Bradley family from their photo collection.)
The 1800’s.
We know that the falls lie in the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people, but we have no First Nations history of the falls so our story begins with the European settlers.
After the War of 1812, King George III deeded property in March Corners (March Township) to Captain William Brown Bradley for his service to the Crown. He then traded his March property (200 acres and £40) for 100 acres of land in Huntley owned by William Erskine. He was attracted by the potential of the creek and falls to power a mill. He farmed the land and built a woolen mill. Bradley Farm was born.
Captain William Brown Bradley was born in 1771 in Savannah, Georgia. He died in 1850 and is buried in Beechwood Cemetery. His wife Catherine Clements died in 1864 and is interred at Christ Church Huntley, which still stands on Carp Road at McGee Side Road. They had five children including William Brown Bradley Junior (Lt Col).
On land deeded by John Cavanagh, settlers built Christ Church Huntley, which was completed in 1838 using limestone quarried from the creek at Bradley Farm.
In the 1800’s the Bradley family ran a carding mill and a sawmill powered by the creek and its falls (then called Bradley Creek and Bradley Falls). Captain Bradley’s son, Lt Col William Brown Bradley, took over the farm from his father. His business is described in a 1930’s article in the Ottawa Evening Citizen.
Huntley Creek above the falls. (From the Bradley family photo collection.)
[Lt Col] Bradley … operated a saw mill and a carding mill and made potash. A creek known as Bradley’s Creek ran through the Bradley farm and enabled the [colonel] to operate by water power.
[Lt Col] Bradley was of service to the people of Huntley and March as his saw mill enabled the farmers to get lumber close at hand to erect houses to replace the pioneer log houses.
Potash was a source of fertilizer, which was shipped to Europe where there was high demand. Farmers stored their ash from burning bush land in ash houses and sold the ash to buyers as a source of income.
Today only the foundation of the mill remains near the falls.
The 1900’s.
Dairy cow under the bridge over Huntley Creek below the falls. (Photo by Ruth Bradley, circa 1950.)
Susan grew up on the Bradley farm in the 1950’s and 60’s. Her father had a herd of roughly 30 dairy cattle.
They sent the milk to Clark Dairy in Ottawa. The family grew hay to feed the cows. She remembers wagons of hay crossing the bridge over the creek.
Clark Dairy, founded at 634 Bronson Avenue in 1932, and later on Clyde Avenue in Ottawa, was an independently owned dairy until 1974. The Clark brand was retired in 1981 and the milk was branded Neilson. – Retro Canada, Facebook.
The family retained a close connection to Christ Church Huntley. They hosted an annual Sunday School picnic at Bradley Falls. Only women, children, and the pastor attended.
Sunday School picnic, circa 1950’s. Copyright Bradley family.
Sunday School picnic in 1955. Copyright Bradley family.
From the family’s oral history as told by Janet Bradley, Susan’s sister:
The Sunday School picnic was held each year at Bradley’s Falls. Mothers and kids would arrive in the afternoon. The kids would swim in the pool below the Falls and get sprayed by the water.
The falls offered a place to cool off after a long day of haying or on a hot summer day. At night adults would go spearfishing with flashlights in the pool below the falls. Here’s another account by Janet Bradley from the 1960’s.
The pond below the falls was about two feet deep but it seemed just fine to us for swimming. We would head down from the house with our towels and wearing our swimming suits and in those days we always had bathing caps made out of thick rubber and usually some bright colour like pink or green or yellow. The most important piece of swimming attire however was the rubber shoes. These were to prevent slipping on the moss covered rocks but more importantly to keep the blood suckers from our feet. That didn’t mean they didn’t get us though. Hardly a swimming event took place without the need to pull the blood suckers off our arms, our legs, our hands. It’s funny how that didn’t bother or deter us. Now I cannot imagine swimming in those circumstances. But then it was just taken for granted and did not spoil the fun or splashing around in the pond, standing under the spraying shower and searching the pools for stranded minnows and tadpoles.
In 1980-81 Susan’s parents sold the farm to Mitel who used it as a conference centre and a place for electromagnetic interference testing. In 1993 Mitel sold the property to the Royal Ottawa Hospital.
The 2000’s.
In 2017 the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority surveyed Huntley Creek with landowners’ permission and documented what it found in a report. The health of Huntley Creek is generally good. It benefits from flowing through mostly natural areas with few road crossings.
Recently the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre bought 25 acres from the hospital to build a new facility for helping youth overcome substance abuse. Construction of the facility near the falls began in 2022.
The story of Bradley Creek and Bradley Falls illustrates the importance of our rivers and creeks in our lives past and present. Water has the power to drive our machines. It provides respite from heat and a place for a community to gather. It also has the power to help with healing. The young people at the Treatment Centre will add their own stories to two centuries of history at Bradley Falls.
Bradley Falls, November 2007. (Photo by Julian Noad).
Bradley Falls, April 2009. (Photo by Julian Noad).
History of the Ottawa Valley. J. L. Gourlay. Excerpts from 1896 provided by Susan Noad.
A History of the Bradley Family, 1700 – 2000. Private publication of the Bradley family. Copy provided by Susan Noad.
Ottawa Evening Citizen, 1930’s article on Lt Col William Brown Bradley, son of Captain William Brown Bradley. From the Bradley family collection. (Typed copy provided by Susan Noad.)
Our crew of Buckthorn Warriors removed invasive Buckthorn from about 25 meters of Carp River shoreline on Saturday. We deployed our Extractigators to pull most of the Buckthorn out by its roots and opened up a short view of the river where the bank is narrow.
Native species (Nannyberry, Hawthorn) are growing on a section with a wider bank. We left these undisturbed to protect the shoreline and help reseed cleared areas.
This is a multi-year project. Another 75 meters remains to be cleared.
Thanks to everyone who came out to help. See you next year!
Saturday, 22 October, 1:30pm to 3:30pm. At the Carp Riverwalk. Meet at the Craig Side Road parking lot.
We need Buckthorn Warriors (aka Volunteers) to cut down and haul away invasive buckthorn that is growing along the banks of the Carp River.
Buckthorn is a nasty invasive species that grows along our waterways and wetlands. The buckthorn is blocking off the view of the river from the Carp Riverwalk. It also prevents native species from establishing by releasing chemicals from its roots that discourage other plants’ seeds from germinating.
Buckthorn invaders at the Carp Riverwalk.
Do you have what it takes to be a Buckthorn Warrior?! We have two activities for hardy volunteers:
cutting down buckthorn for volunteers who are competent and experienced users of pruning saws and large loppers; and
hauling away the cut buckthorn to decompose.
Volunteers must:
wear sturdy boots and work gloves;
arm themselves with a pruning saw and/or large pruning loppers if they want to remove buckthorn;
sign a waiver (PDF), which you can download ahead of time and bring to the event; and
This activity is not suitable for children, but it could be used for high school community service.
We will be working on the river side of the barbed wire fence where there is a steep bank. We will cut and remove as much buckthorn as we can within the two hour period. This is a multi-year project that will ultimately remove over 100 meters of buckthorn along the shoreline.
Friends of the Carp River recently completed a 5 year Stewardship Plan for the Carp Riverwalk. It includes planting native species, adding interpretive signs, and removing invasive species. These projects will increase biodiversity, manage surface water runoff, improve habitat, and enhance the Riverwalk experience. The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority reviewed the Plan, because work is being done on the river’s shoreline and in its floodplain.
We will meet at the parking lot on Craig Side Road below the Mess Hall. See the map below.
Winter is coming. Join us in the Game of Thorns at the Riverwalk!
Flowing into the next Millennium: a year in the life of the Carp River.
In 1999, Friends of the Carp River and the West Carleton Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) jointly undertook the creation of the Carp River Millennium Calendar. The calendars were sold at cost for $5. By the end of 1999, less than 100 of the 2000 printed remained unsold, a remarkable achievement in a rural community before social media and online shopping!
Photos for the calendars came from the community. The EAC ran a Focus on the Carp River photo contest to raise awareness of the river’s beauty and its challenges. Around fifty people submitted photos.
Thirteen winning photos were selected by author, photographer, and naturalist Michael Runtz. Friends of the Carp River founder David Spence wrote the educational captions for each month’s photo.
Carp River Millennium Calendar.
Local businesses sponsored the prizes and sold calendars at the registers. We also sold calendars at the Carp Fair in September.
See the back cover below for information about the contest, the sponsors, and the winners.
Over the next year we will publish one calendar photo per month starting with August. Enjoy!
Carp River Millennium Calendar back cover.
Calendar photos and captions will be posted each month over the next year, starting in August 2022.
Friends of the Carp River are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year and next. David Spence, then Chair of the West Carleton Environmental Advisory Committee, founded the organization in 1997/1998 with volunteers from the local community. Many of the same people who answered the call to help restore the river’s Ribbon of Life are still involved today.
In a series of posts and articles, we will commemorate our anniversary by looking back at our accomplishments and looking forward to future plans.
Celebrate the river with us! If you have old stories and photos of the Carp River, please share them to our social media or send us a message at Contact Us.
Michael Walters, David Spence, and Dwight Eastman.
