Watershed Statistics

Stream Length - 30.4 kms
Total Area - 2429 hectares
Population - 700
# of Civic Addresses - 214

The Southwest River system lies in the heart of the KNWSA boundaries. It is a complex system, made up of steep terrain, 3 large ponds, productive agriculture land, and a strong community. There is a strong history of a watershed group being active in the community, formerly led by Don MacEachern. The Spring Valley Watershed Association worked hard at stream cleaning. They were leaders in the community in modern farm bridge construction. Their pioneering work is an inspiration to KNWSA.

The largest freshwater section of the Southwest River, knows locally as the Spring Valley Brook, starts west of the Irishtown woods in the highlands of Spring Valley. The brook runs along steep sloped field and picks up other tributaries before flowing into a series of three ponds in short succession. The local history of the mill ponds in the system is strong, and the attachment to the ponds and brook is evident.

Local farmers and landowners are very supportive of watershed work. Extensive recleaning was performed by KNWSA in 2010. A short branch leading toward the big hill on the Irishtown Road was cleaned for the first time. A double silt trap was made on each side of the new farm bridge at Wash-Wool corner on the Ramsay Rd. The silt traps constructed in 2009 on the Leards Mill Rd. were cleaned. A four tier rock dam was built upstream from there, and hundereds of trees were planted.

Several projects are in the planning stages for the Southwest River in 2011. This watershed is the main subwatershed in the Nitrates and Watershed Nutrient Planning pilot project on the Southwest River. For more information on this project click here.