Westside Creek wetland restoration completed beside Bowmanville recreation complex

Restoration of 3.9 hectares of degraded Westside Creek wetland on the east side of the new South Bowmanville Recreation Complex is complete, creating approximately 1.3 hectares of open-water habitat, according to the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA). The project, just north of Highway 401, began in summer 2026, with digging completed in early October.

CLOCA says the work was intended to restore wildlife habitat, improve water quality and help the wetland function as a flood buffer. Westside Creek connects the site through an approximately two-kilometre channel to Westside Marsh Coastal Wetland, within Bowmanville Westside Marshes Conservation Area to the south.

According to CLOCA, invasive species had severely degraded the site, which lacked a diversity of species and open-water areas.

Crews dug open-water areas and channels to restore a mix of water and vegetation, using the same techniques employed at Lynde Shores Conservation Area north of Victoria Street. CLOCA says the approach also creates variations in water depth that support different types of aquatic life.

Workers removed invasive phragmites from the wetland and European buckthorn from the surrounding uplands. Native trees were planted in the upland areas in late September. Monitoring for invasive species will continue, with follow-up spot treatments as needed.

The project was completed in partnership with the Municipality of Clarington and Ducks Unlimited Canada. CLOCA and Ducks Unlimited secured $1.5 million from Ontario’s Wetlands Conservation Partner Program for 2026. That funding supported both the Westside Creek work and expanded restoration and public recreation opportunities at Lynde Shores Conservation Area.

CLOCA says future plans for the Westside Creek site will likely include a public recreation component, such as trails and a lookout.