Brooklin Lions Wilderness Trail > Trail Guide > Post 11

Revised Sept. 15/00. The latest version of the guide is always available on http://www.lionstrail.org


Post 11: Storm Water Pond

Remember the water cycle? Well, Brooklin’s streets are a part of that cycle. Water that makes its way to the streets and the storm sewers heads directly to the East Lynde Creek. The creek travels down to Lake Ontario which is a part of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence drainage basin that empties into the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Don’t forget the transpiration and evaporation along the way! In the past, storm sewers often led directly into our creeks and rivers. The East Lynde receives one such outflow at the south-west corner of the Brooklin Memorial Park. Some of that water is now diverted to a recently built storm water pond.

The pond is designed to receive storm water at the northerly or deep end and it outflows at its southerly or shallow end into the creek. This human built aquatic feature allows most sediments to precipitate into the pond thus minimizing the chance of silting the creek bottom. Occasionally the pond has to be dredged. The pond itself is habitat for sedges and cattails that are essential in trapping many pollutants enhancing the cleansing value of the pond. Some of the wildlife seen at the pond include Tree and Rough-winged Swallows, Green Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Green Frogs, various dragonflies, Red-bellied Dace, and water striders.

Hey Kids!

Spring:

When the rain falls on your street, where does it go? Do you know about the water cycle?

Summer:

The water in the storm water pond empties slowly into the East Lynde Creek which travels south to join the West Lynde Creek and continue south to a large body of water. Can you name that body of water?

Fall:

Pioneers used to throw toxins and waste into the creeks because they thought it flushed away. Today we know it doesn’t just flush away. Where does it go? Where do most people in the south of Durham Region get their drinking water?

Winter:

Snow is a part of the water cycle, although when frozen it doesn’t move very far. It eventually returns to the cycle two or three ways. Can you name two ways snow returns to the water cycle?

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