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The health of a river is tied to the health of the natural areas surrounding it.
In the early 1800s, the Grand River watershed was mostly forest. But during the 19th century, most of the forests were cleared as settlers developed their farms, cities and towns. This caused a number of environmental problems, including soil erosion, extreme flooding and very low river flows during the summer months.
Since that time, tree planting initiatives have increased forest cover in southern Ontario, including the Grand River watershed. We have planted more than 30 million trees throughout the watershed since the 1930s.
Current information on forest cover and natural characteristics by subwatershed is available on our Natural Heritage Systems webpage.
In partnership with other agencies, groups and landowners, we promote reforestation and the protection of remaining forests.