Watershed News

Please be advised that the Homestead museum and Conservation Centre will open Thursday, September 24th at 2:30pm, as staff is off-site with education programming until that time. The grounds are open for walk through access from dawn to dusk daily.

Please note the parking lot at Hillman Marsh Conservation Area will be closed for grading and surfacing improvements on Monday, September 21.

(from left) Stakeholder Committee Representative Wayne King, Mayor Hilda MacDonald, Chief Nikki van Oirschot, ERCA Chair Molly Allaire, ERCA CAO Tim Byrne and Veronique Hiriart-Baer, Director General, Freshwater Management Directorate, Canada Water Agency celebrate the commencement of Phase 1A of construction for the Hillman Marsh Restoration Project. Leamington - The Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) and partners including Caldwell First Nation, Canada Water Agency,

Essex Region – The Essex Region Conservation Authority Board of Directors has approved its draft 2027 Budget for circulation to member municipalities. “Total municipal funding for 2027 remains consistent with the 2026 level, offset by accumulated surplus in order to alleviate a source of budget pressure for our participating municipalities," said Tim Byrne, ERCA CAO. In 2025, the Province enacted Bill 68, the Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2025 (No. 2), which

The Thomas Road Entrance to the Cypher Systems Group Greenway in Amherstburg and a section of the trail extending to Concession 3 will be closed for utility works until the end of September. The Cypher Systems Greenway from North Malden Road (Victoria) to Pinkerton Side Road in Essex will be closed for utility works from September 8 until September 14. Thank you for your patience as these important projects are completed.

All eyes will be on the skies this September as Holiday Beach Conservation Area becomes one of the best places in North America to witness the fall raptor migration, with tens of thousands of hawks and other birds of prey soaring overhead on their annual journey south. As communities across Canada celebrate the natural places that make this country strong, the Festival of Hawks invites visitors to experience the Essex region’s globally significant migration corridor and the s

The Essex Region Conservation Authority has recently undertaken targeted control of Flowering rush within the managed shorebird habitat cell at Hillman Marsh Conservation Area. Flowering rush is a restricted invasive aquatic plant in Ontario that can form dense stands, displace native vegetation, reduce biodiversity and alter wildlife habitat, including bird nesting and rearing areas. Early control is important in preventing this invasive species from spreading further into t

Before backpacks are packed and alarm clocks return, take time to soak up the beauty of one of nature's most spectacular seasons. Across the Windsor-Essex region, the final weeks of summer bring an incredible display of colour, wildlife and wonder. Goldenrod and asters brighten trailside meadows and forest edges, monarch butterflies drift through the air, and young barn swallows prepare for their first journey south. Watch for turtle hatchlings making their way to water, the

The Province of Ontario is proposing regulations under the Conservation Authorities Act to establish how many members participating municipalities may appoint to merged regional conservation authorities. Under the current proposal, the Essex Region Conservation Authority will be merged with the Lower Thames Valley, Upper Thames River and St. Clair Region Conservation Authorities to become the Western Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority. Under the proposal, local members

Essex Region – Cyclists of all ages and abilities are invited to experience the Essex Region by bike this fall as the Essex Region Bike Tour returns with scenic road routes, peaceful Greenway trails and a lakefront celebration in support of local trail infrastructure. “We are thrilled that this year’s 60- and 100-kilometre routes will take riders along picturesque county roads through Essex, Amherstburg, Harrow and Kingsville, while Greenway cyclists can enjoy safe, off-road

Essex Region – The trail at Collavino Conservation Area in Amherstburg has fully reopened following a temporary partial closure to protect turtles through the nesting season. Throughout the nesting period, turtle researchers monitored the site. Collavino Conservation Area, located in the Detroit River watershed, has a high concentration of Species-at-Risk, including Blanding’s Turtles, Eastern Spiny Soft Turtles and Snapping Turtles. Collavino Conservation Area opened

The Contractor for the subject works is planning on performing directional drill work next Tuesday, August 11. This work would require the closure of the ERCA Greenway from 2nd Concession Road (Thomas Road) and 3rd Concession Road in Amherstburg. The duration would be 3 days. Thank you for your patience during these upgrades.