A trail upgrade to increase accessibility at the Wawanosh Wetland Conservation Area is coming soon, a spokesperson with the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority says.
A stone dust trail will be replacing between 1,200 and 1,300 meters of grass and bare-soil trail on the north loop of the Sarnia conservation area, given to the regional conservation authority from the Ministry of Transportation and Communication in 1982, said Greg Wilcox, conservation areas manager with the conservation authority.
Expect the wetland to close for about a week to create the two-metre-wide trail, to both extend the life of the trail system and make it more accessible, Wilcox said.
The conservation authority is waiting on exact timing for the about $75,000 project to be confirmed with contractor KT Excavating, he said
“We want to do it when it’s dry, so likely August or September,” he said.
“But we don’t have that pinned down yet.
Hopes are to announce more specific dates for the project, and related conservation area closures, about a week before work starts, he said
“We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation in respecting the closures,” he said
Wawanosh is one of four conservation areas in line for trail upgrades in the coming months, conservation officials said.
Similar stone dust trail work is planned at the Strathroy Conservation Area.
At Coldstream Conservation Area in Middlesex Centre, boardwalk and bridge replacements and a parking lot expansion are planned.
And boardwalk and parking lot upgrades are planned for the Clark Wright Conservation Area near Strathroy.
Overall, the projects are expected to cost about $400,000, Wilcox said..
Funding sources include Envirofriends of Coldstream and Poplar Hill Lions, Nature London, donations from residents near the Clark Wright Conservation Area, and about $250,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, officials said in a press release.
All the conservation areas saw an increase in use near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and heavy use has continued, especially in the winter, Wilcox said.
“All of these are very well attended properties.”
The conservation authority lists 20 conservation areas at scrca.on.ca.