Conservation Lands Management and Restoration

We Conserve Lands in the Credit River Watershed

We are the stewards of over 2,800 hectares (7,000 acres) of natural space in the Credit River Watershed. The watershed extends from the Headwaters in Dufferin Country to Port Credit in Mississauga where it drains into Lake Ontario. We provide visitors with unique experiences in nature, supporting healthy communities and a sustainable natural environment.

Our conservation areas serve a variety of functions:

• Protect natural features and functions
• Provide large regional and nature appreciation and recreational opportunities
• Promote mental and physical well-being
• Provide economic benefits (through local tourism, employment, ecosystem goods and services)
• Mitigate flooding, erosion caused by severe weather events
• Clean water
• Capture carbon
• Provide habitat
• Conserve cultural resources

Our Conservation Areas

We operate a system of 58 conservation areas. We provide visitors with unique experiences in nature, supporting healthy communities. Our conservation areas also support active lifestyles that promote physical and mental well-being. Our lands provide ecosystem goods and services, and our stewardship also reduces the impacts of severe weather events resulting from climate change.

We’re committed to the long-term health of our conservation areas. We work to protect these natural features and functions for future generations.

Discover our conservation areas.

The Land inventory was created in compliance with the Conservation Authority Act.

Conservation Areas Strategy 2025-2030

Conservation Areas Strategy provides direction for CVC’s lands for the next five years. The strategy has been completed in compliance with the Conservation Authority Act and includes public and stakeholder consultation.

Conservation Areas Strategy provides decision-making guidance and long-term planning for the management and expansion of CVC conservation areas.

View the full Conservation Areas Strategy.

The strategy identifies four objectives for conservation lands management.

Management Plans

We create management plans to define the long-term vision for a property and outline the strategies, actions and decisions needed to achieve that vision. Management planning is a key strategic priority for CVC. Learn more about managements plans and how you can get involved:

Active management plan:

• Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area

Completed management plans:

• Belfountain Conservation Area
• Island Lake Conservation Area

Restoration Projects

We are restoring ecosystems and creating wildlife habitat for a resilient Credit River Watershed on our conservation lands. Learn about our latest projects:

Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area

We are creating a new conservation area on the shores of Lake Ontario. We’re transforming the area to be more natural, diverse and ecologically functional by naturalizing the shoreline, reestablishing coastal wetlands and restoring streams draining into the lake to provide habitat for fish, migrating birds and wildlife.

Learn more about the Jim Tovey Lakeview Conservation Area.

Pits to Parks Restoration Project

CVC is making a plan to ecologically restore Pinchin Pit, a former aggregate site located in the Town of Caledon, using clean excess soil. Our goal is to recreate a rolling hill topography, create and enhance forest, grassland and wetland habitat and transform the property into a publicly accessible conservation area.

Learn more about the Pits to Park Restoration Project

Monora Park: Dam Mitigation

We’re decommissioning the dam and pond at Monora Park due to the decline of the dam structure and increased public safety risk. The goal of the project is to restore Monora Creek and the surrounding wetlands while considering safety, social, recreational and economic values.

Learn more about the Monora Park Dam Mitigation.

Rattray Marsh: Ash Tree Management

The goal of this restoration is to replace dead or dying ash trees with native trees and shrubs and remove invasive plants so a healthy forest with diverse species can return and thrive.

Learn more about ash tree management at Rattray Marsh.

Upper Credit Conservation Area: Grassland Restoration

We’re transforming a former farm field overgrown with non-native and invasive plants into a thriving grassland with native plants and grasses. It will provide critical habitat for species at-risk such as eastern meadowlark, bobolink and grasshopper sparrow.

Learn more about the Upper Credit CA grassland restoration.