Engineering a wetland
Engineered wetland features
The wetland improves water quality throughout the lake. The Lake Scugog Enhancement Project enhances the waterfront, providing everyone a beautiful shoreline and lovely area for strolling, bird watching and reflection.
The stone edge on the berm’s lakeside will provide a great habitat for small fish and the interior of the walkway will be friendly for turtles as well.
Socially, the wetland is contained by a 245-metre berm, which features a walking trail. This trail will extend the Township of Scugog’s trail system, offering more public access to the shoreline and activities for a healthy and active community.
The engineered wetland is also an educational opportunity to demonstrate how landscaping urban areas with practical features can help slow, store, spread or soak stormwater.
Habitat diversity and preservation
The wetland provides habitat for nesting birds, fish and turtles, including an ice-resistant naturalized shoreline edge by using root wads, logs, rocks, and native aquatic and shoreline plants.
Naturalized vegetation planted in the engineered wetland act as catchments for suspended solids and help uptake nutrients, preventing them from reaching the lake.
Together, the shoreline, berm walkway and interior naturalized wetland will provide an abundance of natural habitat for both aquatic and land animal and vegetation species.
Expanded park access
Containing the engineered wetland will be a 245-metre berm that features a public walking/biking trail. This trail extends the Township of Scugog’s trail system, offering more public access to the shoreline and activities for a healthy and active community.
All along the waterfront there are multiple outposts for fishing access, and the walking trail offers further opportunities for anglers to cast their reels.
In the winter, this trail may also provide safe snowmobile access to the town and stores, keeping travellers from crossing the lake’s surface – where there’s the risk of breaking through the ice.
Extended walking trails
The raised walking trail around the engineered wetlands offers many social benefits, including expanding the Township of Scugog’s trail system, and connecting the Joe Fowler Park and Baagwating Park trails, and serves as a next step in creating a possible trail leading to Scugog Island.
At three-metres wide, it’s fully accessible for strollers, wheelchairs and non-motorized vehicles, and features fishing platforms. The lakeside slope will feature a rock buttress and live-stake vegetation.
On the trail, there’s a greater opportunity for bird and turtle watching, as well as more seating areas for reflection and relaxation. Benches face both the lake and engineered wetland, offering a view into the turtle nesting area and habitat enhancement.
Stormwater management
The engineered wetland will receive pre-treated stormwater runoff from the oil and grit separators and naturally remove pollutants from stormwater runoff before they reach the lake. It also slows and controls the velocity of water during heavy storm events. This wetland also helps protect a newly-dredged Port Perry Bay from quickly refilling with sediment. Stormwater management is necessary to improve water quality of Lake Scugog.
Join us in enhancing Lake Scugog
The success of this project requires contributions from many, including governments, foundations, businesses and personal charitable donations.
We are looking for visionaries to join us in caring deeply about Lake Scugog, its ecosystem and the people in its community. Join the Township of Scugog’s journey in environmental leadership and in its commitment to the communities in Scugog.
Get involved today. Contact us at
Phone: 416-409-8296
Email: lsepfundraising@gmail.com
