The Credit River Watershed EarthCache

Thanks to the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation for supporting this Earthcache listing.

Visit the co-ordinates, above, inside Erindale Park (with lots of parking). Enjoy the river! ~ Please watch children near the water at all times.

Photos of you in the area are always nice to see and add to the interest of the geocache page. Please consider adding some of your own.
Favourite: If you like this Earthcache, please consider giving it a favourite point so others will know you enjoyed the experience. Thanks a bunch for visiting ~ hope you had fun.

Questions:

1) Estimate the width of the Credit River at this spot.

2) Estimate how fast the Credit River is flowing at this spot at the time of year you are visiting

3) Assuming the river is 1.5 meters deep on average; estimate the flow rate of the river during your visit ~ width X speed X 1.5 = cubic meters per second

4) Look around you and in the water. In your opinion, does this watershed area look health? Why or why not?

5) Estimate how high the top of the exposed bank of the river is from the surface of the water at the time of your visit?

6) From this area, is one of the 3 main landscape features in the Credit River Watershed (mentioned above) visible?

7) What is the name of the municipality where the Credit River Watershed enters Lake Ontario?

8) Name one thing you can do to protect the watershed in your area

Those who send answers will receive a bonus.

What is a Watershed?

A watershed, also known as a drainage basin, is an area of land that sheds its water into rivers and lakes.

Surface water from rainfall, melting snow, smaller streams, reservoirs, and wetlands soaks into the ground and the overflow, once the ground is saturated, needs to runoff into streams and creeks reaching larger rivers and eventually lakes. The water underground filtered through sandy soil and rocks also runs off to these steams and rivers. From there the water in rivers feeds the lakes and lakes feed the oceans.

A large watershed area is naturally formed containing ridges and hills, which direct the water above and below the surface to streams and rivers. A smaller runoff area (a small watershed) that drains into a larger river system (a larger watershed) is called a sub-watershed.

The Credit River Watershed

The Credit River Watershed runs from Orangeville in the north to Port Credit in Mississauga in the south. At Port Credit the Credit River feeds into Lake Ontario after travelling 90km. Lake Ontario will then drain through the St. Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. The Credit River watershed consists of 22 sub-watersheds and runs through 9 municipalities. Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) has been working to protect the Credit River Watershed since 1954.

Three main landscape features in the Credit River Watershed are: the rocky ridge of the Niagara Escarpment, the sand and gravel ridge of the Oak Ridges Moraine, and 15km of the Lake Ontario shoreline.

Types of Watersheds Drainage Divides

1) a continental divide – occurs when water on each side of the boundary flow to different oceans

2) a major drainage divide – occurs when water on each side of the boundary come from different sources to meet and will eventually end up in the same ocean

3) a minor drainage divide – occurs when water on each side of the boundary separate but meet up later.

Features of a Watershed

1) Size – larger sheds drain a larger area and have different characteristics

2) Boundary – determines if water is flowing toward or away from an area

3) Terrain – determines if an area will flood and erode if terrain is steep or have slower rivers if flatter

4) Soil type – sandy soil will absorbs water whereas clay soil will not absorb much water affecting erosion and groundwater accumulations differently

The Importance of Watersheds

The drainage shape of watersheds not only direct water but also filter and clean water as the water runs off and soaks through sand and rocks underground. In a healthy watershed the wells, rivers and lakes have cleaner water. Animals, trees, and plants drink from rivers and lakes. Humans mostly get their drinking water from the lakes. Wildlife need clean watersheds for food and shelter.

Wetlands are important for gathering the water that floods once the soil is too saturated. They eventually filter the water pollutants, replenish ground water and provide a unique habitat for wetland ecosystems.

Water sources and communities downstream from the top of a watershed area are affected by the health of the waters and land above it. If the land is contaminated with chemicals or animal waste, for example, the water will not be as clean as it makes it way to the bottom of the watershed into the lake.

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This Earthcache brings you to the Credit River inside Erindale Park, the largest park in the city of Mississauga. This area is known as the Norval to Port Credit Sub-watershed.

There are 5 barbecue and picnic areas and lots of well-marked walking trails (also for cyclists and cross-country skiers) including the David Culham Trail that winds through forested areas along the Credit River. For more information or to reserve park space for group picnics or wedding photography, please call the Customer Service Centre at: 905-615-4100.

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We grew up around the Credit River and would like to share this area with you. Please respect the park and remember to take all trash back out of the area with you: Cache In Trash Out (CITO)

Congratulations to Flintstone5611 ~ Fred & Wilma for FTF!

CedarNCo have earned (GSA) Geological Society of America's highest earthcache level:

Platimum Earthcache Level is awarded by Geo Society .org for visiting and logging 20 or more EarthCaches in 5 or more states/provinces/countries and have created 3 or more EarthCaches.