Tony Vogel is a second-generation farmer from Williamstown in South Glengarry. Vogel’s operation, Carry-On Farms, previously had a dairy component, but the farm now focuses on cash cropping.

“Corn, beans and wheat,” says Vogel in his trademark energetic and friendly manner. “We also own a tile drainage company.”

Vogel has been incorporating sustainable practices on his land for the past several decades, including tree planting, rock chutes, and more recently, a four-acre, on-line, headwater wetland rehabilitation project between a corn field and a horse pasture.

“There was apparently a pond here for as long as we could remember. When we moved here in ’71, it was all washed out, eroded,” he says.

Evidence of human alterations at the on-line pond was visible: the wetland featured a cement dam with the year 1965 stamped into it. After getting established on the farm, Vogel’s family dredged the pond, digging right to the springs that contribute to it. Vogel recalls the pond could reach depths of 12 feet during the early 1970s. Erosion was still a recurring problem, however, both from surface runoff and high water flows in the spring.

“We had a heck of a time trying to keep the pond going, but then – probably in the mid ‘80s – we discovered what are called rock chutes. It’s common knowledge now, but at the time, rock chutes were a new idea.”

Now a common on-farm best management practice to prevent erosion, rock chutes are used to protect riparian areas from concentrated field surface flows or overtopping during high water events. They can also be used to prevent bank erosion at tile outlets.

After installing a rock chute at a strategic spot by the wetland, the Vogels enjoyed the results of better bank integrity. “It worked pretty good for a heck of along time,” he says.

Years later, however, the wetland’s flows were not ideal for efficiently capturing nutrient residues coming from Vogel’s fields’ tile drain outlets, leading to an excess of algae in the pond and reduced biodiversity. “You couldn’t control it,” he says. “Wildlife didn’t seem to be interested in coming to the pond anymore.”

In 2019 Vogel connected with the Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) and secured technical and funding assistance to rehabilitate the wetland. The project was an ideal candidate for support through the local Remedial Action Plan for the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern. A rehabilitated wetland would improve water quality by acting as a filter, capturing excess nutrients from surface runoff and tile drain outlets. 

Completed in 2020, the rehabilitation leveraged the existing drainage network. A berm was constructed to raise water levels, and a fixed rock spillway was put in place to allow excess water to overtop the berm into the Raisin River, preventing potential flooding upstream. To create a greater diversity of habitat, the basin was recontoured for depth variety. Bank slopes were regraded to increase transitional habitat and eliminate issues with bank slumping and erosion. After regrading, the banks were seeded to create an herbaceous buffer for even more stabilization, nutrient filtration, and habitat.

“You know, we’re a lot more conscious of bank erosion than we were 30 or 40 years ago. The banks were too steep back then,” says Vogel. “Now, we put decent slopes on them, so that you could plant trees and have vegetation, so it doesn’t wash out. Steep banks are just too susceptible for erosion.”

Vogel is thrilled with the rehabilitation project’s results, including the robust native vegetation surrounding the wetland. “I can’t believe the way the cattails came in. With the plants and the new grading, the water is clean throughout the summer.”

The project now provides cleaner water within the Raisin River watershed, which is home to several species-at-risk sensitive to poor water quality and sedimentation. Vogel adds that, based on nutrient tests from his tile drain outlets, overall nutrient loss from his adjacent field is minimal even before water reaches the wetland. He credits this in part to proper nutrient application. “We make sure to spread fertilizer at the right time of year, not before a great big rainstorm, and all that.”

The rehabilitation project also serves as a natural water control measure, collecting water that could otherwise flood onto land during the spring melt or high precipitation, and releasing it slowly downstream and into the soil. 

To further enhance wildlife habitat, Vogel included nesting structures for waterfowl near the wetland’s edges. Upstream, 1,000 red pine – one of Vogel’s favourite tree species – were underplanted in a managed woodlot to increase water infiltration by reducing the peak flows entering the wetland. The trees will also enhance the forest’s structure and maintain long-term tree cover.

Vogel is beaming as he proudly showcases his wetland: now a highly functional piece within the greater workings of his farming operation. “We’re always learning new stuff. It’s always good to be involved in doing something good for the environment and for agriculture in general.”

Landowners interested in implementing stewardship projects on their own properties are encouraged to contact the RRCA to learn about available funding and technical assistance.

Vogel’s wetland project was undertaken in part with the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Water Agency. This project has received funding support from the Government of Ontario. Such support does not indicate endorsement by the Government of Ontario of the contents of this material. The project also received funding support through ALUS Ontario East. Views expressed here are those of the RRCA.