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Janetville Creek

Janetville Creek, located southeast of Lake Scugog near the community of Janetville, is an important watercourse within the Kawartha Conservation watershed. Flowing through a landscape rich in natural and agricultural areas, the creek ultimately empties into the Scugog River, contributing to the overall health of the regional water system.

The watershed covers an area of approximately 22 square kilometers and features 27 kilometers of watercourses. Natural vegetation accounts for 30% of the landscape, with mixed forests dominating the area. These forested spaces, including 19 hectares of forest interior and 1.25 hectares of deep forest interior, provide critical habitats for local wildlife and help maintain ecological balance.

Janetville Creek also includes significant natural features, such as wetlands that support biodiversity and play a role in water filtration and flood control. Environmental monitoring has found that the surface water quality is rated as fair, with phosphorus levels slightly exceeding provincial guidelines. Benthic macroinvertebrate assessments indicate a Family Biotic Index (FBI) score of 6.06, suggesting room for improvement in aquatic ecosystem health.

Janetville Creek is a vital part of the Scugog River watershed, supporting both environmental and community needs. Conservation efforts and sustainable land-use practices are key to ensuring the long-term health and resilience of this important watercourse.

A shallow creek flows beneath swooping trees into a forest

View Map Of

Janetville Creek

Watershed characteristics

Learn about the characteristics of the Janetville Creek watershed.

The total watershed area is 22 km² or 2,241 ha and the total watercourse length is 27 km.

The dominant forest type is coniferous forest including:

  • Forest interior: 19 ha
  • Forest deep interior: 1.25 ha
  • 30% natural cover

Provincially Significant Wetlands

  • East Cross Creek Wetland #15: 19 ha
  • East Cross Creek Wetland #38: 208 ha

Environmental conditions

The following grades show the environmental conditions for the Janetville Creek watershed.

Surface water quality
Indicator Result Grade Status

Total phosphorus

0.056 mg/L        

C

Fair

The surface water quality grade was based on total phosphorous (TP) and/or benthic macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects) family biotic index (FBI). The provincial water quality objective for TP in rivers and streams is 0.03 mg/L and 0.02 mg/L in lakes. These guidelines were set because levels highter than these guildelines provide conditions for nuisance algae and aquatic plant growth. A TP value below 0.03 mg/L (rivers) or 0.02 (lakes) meets the provincial guidelines and is in the B (good) or A (excellent) grade range, while the result for benthic macroinvertebrates must be 5.00 or lower to receive a B (good) or A (very good to excellent) grade.

Forest conditions
Indicator Area cover Percent cover Grade Status

Forest cover

5.30 km²

23.7%

C

Fair

Forest interior

0.9 km²

3.9%

D

Poor

Forested riparian cover

0.8 km²

51.3%

B

Good

The combined forest conditions grade for Janetville Creek is ranked as fair.

Wetland conditions
Indicator Area cover Percent cover Grade Status

Wetland cover

2.8 km²

12.7%

A

Excellent

 

 

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