Soil loss from Wilmot land purchased impacting local watershed: Expert

An area of land purchased for the Wilmot land assembly is now facing some challenges, with a local expert saying the soil is eroding and now polluting the nearby Nith River.

It comes after the Region of Waterloo purchased the section of land last year, which covers over 151 acres. It’s just a portion of the total 770 acres currently pegged for the Wilmot land assembly.

“You remember that while conducting due diligence on the land purchase, the region hired a contractor to destroy the standing corn crop,” Anne Loeffler, a retired Conservation Specialist and Professional Agrologist, said. “The contractor repeatedly tilled the land, and this left the soil bare, shattered, and highly vulnerable to erosion.”

She said this isn’t a new issue and didn’t come as a surprise, adding that she notified the region of the potential implications of overtilling the land last year.

“Last November, I wrote to this council, warning of the potential for serious soil erosion. I provided recommendations for best management practices to mitigate the risk. Unfortunately, the region did not take any action to address the potential erosion from the site.”

Loeffler said the erosion has now caused sediments to slip into the Nith River, causing possible ongoing and future problems for the municipalities that rely on the local watershed. She said it could cause various filtering issues for areas of the region that rely on the river’s fresh drinking water.

While the issue itself is one that Loeffler attempted to address last fall, she does say that the problem has become far worse than she originally had anticipated.

“This is not a normal amount of soil erosion. This is absolutely appalling,” said Loeffler. “This is what happens when soil gets pulverized by repeated tillage and is then left without any protective cover. In my 30-year career as a conservation specialist, this is easily the worst erosion that I have seen on flat land.”

Loeffler stated that immediate action needs to be taken to prevent further damage to both the land and the Nith River. She said it’s become more important than ever for the region to focus on preventative measures that come with focusing on environmental impacts.

“Currently, the region’s inaction pollutes drinking water, damages the environment, leaves the region vulnerable to legal action, and undermines public confidence in how public lands are managed.”