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UTRCA: Pond Improvements Have Potential

The Upper Thames Conservation Authority says they respect Woodstock's decision to preserve Southside Pond. Last night, council voted 6-1 in favour of keeping the pond, which wasn't the preferred option to improve water quality and fish habitat. However, Brad Hertner with the Upper Thames Conservation Authority says the new additions to the pond will have some potential. "We came at it purely from a watershed, water quality, and habitat perspective, fully realizing that is an important community asset and has some really important cultural heritage. We think that the chosen option will reflect some of the concerns we had for water quality. We hope we can work with them to maximize the environmental improvements that it will provide." Council's decision ironically came on the same day the UTRCA released it's latest round of watershed report cards. Cedar Creek once again got a "D" for water quality, but Water Quality Specialist Karen Maaskant says there are signs of improvement. "More recently in the last 5-years, in a lot of regards it is improving, but it still remains one of the more stressed as far as water quality." Hertner says Southside Pond is just one small part of Cedar Creek, and the community will have a chance next year to get more active on improving it. A community meeting is being planned for around January, and a "Friends of Cedar Creek" group is expected to be launched sometime in 2013.

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