Bassmasters win Berkley award

The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority applauds the York Bassmasters for winning the Berkley Conservation Award.

York Bassmasters won the prestigious award for their efforts in the Bogart Creek Restoration project.

"The York Bassmasters deserve this recognition," said Gayle Wood, LSRCA's Chief Administrative Officer.

"Their hard work, in and out of Bogart Creek, has helped restore a critical part of the East Holland River. They have made a wonderful contribution to the work of restoring Lake Simcoe."

Presented annually, the award recognizes work by the Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society Federation groups that gives back to the community and restores native lands.

The Berkley Conservation Institute created the award at the BASS Federation Nation banquet, which will be held in Greenville, South Carolina later this year.

The York Bassmasters helped remove trash and old fencing materials, clear the area of several invasive plant species, plant trees, stabilize stream banks and repair a fish ladder.

Since Bogart Creek feeds the East Holland River, the project is part of the larger river clean-up.

The clean-up is a multiyear, $17-million campaign to restore the most degraded and populated river in the lake's watershed.

Hundreds of erosion control, tree planting, manure storage and septic system upgrade projects will improve the water quality in the river and in the lake itself.

In partnership with the municipalities through which the East Holland flows, the conservation authority and the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation launched the clean-up campaign last fall.