I wrote this update for The Land Between Charity website
One of the first water accessible natural areas I discovered when I moved to the eastern edge of the Kawartha Lakes area over thirty years ago was beautiful Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area. I remember exploring a few kilometres south of busy highway #7, which connects Toronto with Ottawa, to discover what would become a personal refuge. A ten minute walk on a dirt trail led me to an amazing site - a woman sunbathing in a reclining chair in half a foot of water perched on the lip of a pouring waterfall.
The Crowe River is wide and shallow here and and runs from old railroad bridges crossing small islands in the north end (now a major all terrain vehicle route) through the center of the 400 acre conservation area to a series of small rapids at the south end. Cottages surround most of the shoreline of the smallish lakes here, so it's difficult to find access to uncluttered areas like Callaghan's where one can swim and wade, kayak, picnic and enjoy unspoiled tranquility.
This eco-paradise was basically benignly neglected and unspoiled for decades. It is under the management of the Crowe Valley Conservation Authority, which primarily oversees the control of several dams and maintains the water levels of the series of lakes the Crowe River flows through. CVCA has a small staff and a smaller budget from the several municipalities the Crowe flows through, and after a pair of wooden change rooms/outhouses were burned by vandals decades ago, the CVCA has had little interest or ability in operating at Callaghan's.
Callaghan's remained unspoiled and off the beaten track until the old wooden rail bridges were rebuilt as part of the Eastern Ontario Trail Association system. The original goal of EOTA was to provide trails for the many snowmobilers who enjoy the areas interconnected trails in winter. But a new menace to the sanctity of Callaghan's has been popularized, the all terrain vehicle - intended for farm and hunting use, ATV's have quickly become the summertime plaything of a new group of riders. Unlike snowmobiles, which are almost exclusively trail ridden, the ATVers like to "explore" and drive their noisy buzzbombs wherever they can. One of the ATVers favourite pastimes in recent years has been to drive up and down the shallow Crowe riverbed through the heart of Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area. I've found a dead mother snake with tire tracks across her belly. Bass nests in the shallows, and snake, frog and turtle habitats have been churned up and destroyed by the riders. Signs forbidding such illegal and harmful trespassing be damned!!!
Two summers ago an informal group of about thirty cottagers, adjacent year round residents, and concerned locals met in the Callaghan's parking lot to discuss the many problems which have developed. Number one is the invasion of the ATVers, but there are also issues with illegal camping and littering. An OPP representative attended an early meeting, and initially seemed helpful in ticketing the illegal ATV trespassers and campers. The OPP attended one weekend and did a ticket blitz, but soon lost interest. Apparently now when area residents complain of ATVs zipping around destroying wildlife habitat the OPP ignore their calls.
There are many, perhaps too many, overlapping groups invested with the care of Callaghan's. The buck has been passed back and forth between the CVCA, several of the area's municipal councils, the OPP, and EOTA. Leaders have come forth from the informal citizens group, and become frustrated at the lack of progress. Currently one member, a retired engineer, has taken on the daunting leadership task almost singlehandedly, and has already accomplished the enlarging and barricading of the parking lot from ATVs and other motorized interlopers. Marc has also established good relationships liaising with CVCA, EOTO and the local councils.
There are many rare and endangered species within the boundaries of Callaghan's, including butterflies and orchids. The first battles to protect them and the many unique natural habitats within Callaghan's have been won with the parking lot restoration and the building of brush barricades across illegally built trails by the ATVers, but the war is far from over.
I wish I could write that the war is being won by a unified group of concerned citizens, and that the responsible organizations are finally taking a full interest and assuming their responsibilities for protecting and preserving Callaghan's. But the truth is, the future of Callaghan's Rapids lies on the shoulders of one extremely concerned and efficient citizen. If there is a good citizen medal, Marc certainly deserves to receive it in spades.
Here's Marc's addition to the update:
Thank you for the accolades. You are correct that the battle for Callaghan's is not over. The most important project is Phase III, or the EOTA trail barricades. Without these barricades, ATVs, jeeps and pickup trucks will continue to descend upon our quiet refuge. This also facilitates unwanted camping, partying and riparian zone damage. I estimate the mucking trail damage at over fifty thousand dollars for example. The mucking trail project or Phase I will not be complete until the ruts are backfilled with moss and saplings have been planted throughout the trail. Though I have shouldered a lot of the heavy lifting, several volunteers from the Crowe River Group, funding, staff and equipment from the CVCA and from Horsing Around Ranch were instrumental in the execution of Phase I and II. Many thousands of dollars from a few patrons was donated to the CVCA to fund Phase II. They too deserve a lot of credit, so please include them in all your future communications. This initiative has morphed into a community driven project that includes the Crowe River Group, the CVCA, the Municipality of Marmora and Lake, EOTA, agencies at the Provincial level such as the Ontario Geological
Survey and others. Bobbie has indicated funding for academic science research may be possible. As time goes on, the list of contributors will get very long because we need as much help and expertise as we can get. For example, the CVCA has indicated that the McGeachie Conservation Area infrastructure is so well done, that we will copy it for Callaghan's. This will make implementation simpler and foster a kind of "branding" within the CVCA parks (McGeachie, Callaghan's and the Gut). Therefore, the group that designed and implemented the McGeachie infrastructure indirectly facilitated our efforts at Callaghan's.
I am in the middle of the needs analysis, final design and specification for Phase III. I anticipate completion of the specification by the end of January. This specification will be forwarded to general managers Cindy Cassidy (EOTA) and Tim Pidduck (CVCA) for final review and acceptance. Then the specification and request for funding will go to their respective boards (an agenda item) for approval and appropriation. If I have done my job well, they will see fit to make funding available for the completion of Phase III before April 1, 2022. Hopefully, Don Barrons Excavating will be available to complete the work in early May in time for the new season. This is the project management hat I wear and sometimes use that title, but is only one of many hats I wear.
The other hats I wear are that of a park ranger and naturalist. When I am not doing project management, I am keeping the trails clear of fallen trees, random security patrols, and forest management tasks. This is a forest ranger hat. I am also photographing and identifying animal tracks like a resident lynx and snowshoe hare. The main difference between Bobcat and Lynx tracks is not size, but the characteristic trailing edge left by the Lynx because of its furrier rear paws (shown below). This fur also helps the Lynx stay on top of powdered snow. No blood letting yet!
I will be at this for ten more years. The more people I can get involved in this
project the better. The project manager work and barricades are the highest
priority for 2022. Without the barricades nothing else counts! Next in line
is the forest ranger work. The park must be maintained and kept safe and
clean. This work is "blue collar work" and requires a strong back and a lot
of hands-on skills. The naturalist work is more cerebral, but requires good
bush savvy and observation skills including but not limited to nature
photography. Let the world know what skills are needed, and also they
must be prepared to do this for free: volunteer work. It is my humble opinion
that identifying rare species at this time is not a good investment. They
cannot thrive (if any at all) without securing the periphery of the park and
regular maintenance.
Thanks Chris
Marc
The Mad Hatter!
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