Conservation Authorities in Hastings

Three of southern Ontario's 38 conservation authorities blanket centre and lower Hastings County and protect the major rivers of the south: the Trent, the Crowe, the Moira and the Salmon. There is no conservation authority organized for the York River drainage basin in the north.

Quinte Conservation

This authority covers a 6,397-square-kilometre area that includes the drainage basins of the Moira, Napanee and Salmon rivers and all of Prince Edward County. This area is home to over 110,000 people living in 18 municipalities, including three counties. Quinte Conservation owns over 12,141 hectares of land ranging from small parcels at its 39 water control structures to large tracts of over 400 hectares, many with significant natural features. It maintains about 30 conservation areas within its jurisdiction. Quinte Conservation is broken into three regions, representing different drainage areas: the Moira River region, the Napanee region and the Prince Edward County region.

Lower Trent

The natural beauty of the Trent River valley has, for centuries, encouraged people to settle in close proximity to it. A major transportation route for native Indians, the river provided abundant fish and game, and fertile soil for agriculture. Early settlers were also drawn to the river and, following the American Revolution, many Loyalists ventured westward to settle along the Trent River.

A movement to protect the environment of the Trent began in the 1950s, leading to the establishment of the Lower Trent Conservation Authority in 1968. Its area of jurisdiction covers 2,121 square kilometres and includes the area stretching from Lake Ontario to Rice Lake and from Grafton to Quinte West. Today, Lower Trent Conservation owns approximately 1,450 hectares of natural open space. Most of the conservation authority's jurisdiction lies within Northumberland County.

Crowe River Valley

A major tributary to the Trent River from Hastings County is the Crowe River. Originating from Paudash Lake in Faraday Township, the Crowe flows south through Wollaston, Marmora and Lake townships, draining a valley which straddles the Hastings-Peterborough county border. Eventually it flows through Marmora before emptying into the Trent. The Crowe Valley Conservation Authority, established in 1958, covers 2,000 square kilometres of the Crowe River watershed.

It maintains four conservation areas with 500 hectares of parkland where people can learn to appreciate the natural habitat and enjoy the outdoors. The authority's main activity is flood control. It operates a system of dams and weirs on the Crowe River and its tributaries to control water levels and prevent flooding.