Mariposa Brook

Mariposa Brook is a significant watercourse located west of Sturgeon Lake in the Kawartha region.The brook is bisected by Highway 7 and extends eastward, flowing through the communities of Oakwood and Little Britain before joining the Scugog River.

The Mariposa Brook watershed encompasses approximately 229 square kilometers, with a total watercourse length of 294 kilometers.The landscape is characterized by 29% natural vegetation cover, predominantly mixed forests.This includes 808 hectares of forest interior and 81 hectares of deep forest interior, providing essential habitats for various plant and animal species.

Notable ecological features within the watershed include several Provincially Significant Wetlands, such as the Mariposa Brook No. 40 complex (581 hectares) and the Scugog River and Mariposa Brook wetland (397 hectares).These wetlands play a crucial role in maintaining regional biodiversity, water quality, and flood regulation.

Environmental assessments indicate that the surface water quality of Mariposa Brook is rated as fair, with total phosphorus concentrations averaging 0.041 mg/L, exceeding the provincial objective of 0.03 mg/L for rivers and streams.The health of benthic macroinvertebrate communities, as measured by the Family Biotic Index (FBI), is considered fair. Forest conditions within the watershed are rated as fair, reflecting the need for conservation efforts to enhance the area's natural environment.

Understanding the characteristics and environmental conditions of Mariposa Brook is essential for effective watershed management and conservation initiatives, ensuring the preservation of its ecological integrity and the health of the broader Scugog River system.