Medway Creek is a
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
Thames River
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
in southwestern
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, draining into the North branch of the Thames at the
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by resident ...
.
Medway Creek runs a 214 km watercourse, providing a 205 km
2 watershed, the majority of which is Middlesex county farmland. The Creek begins just north of Elginfield Rd (Highway #7), just east of
Lucan, Ontario. Tributaries that flow into Medway Creek include Cook Drain, Elginfield Drain, Edgewood Drain, White-Fitzgerald Drain, Risdon Drain, Mills-Guest Drain, Colbert Drain and Snake Creek.
30% of the watercourse is natural, while 49% is channeled; the final 21% is buried in tile drains.
The Creek drains just after running through the Medway Heritage Forest in Northwest London, which is one of the few wooded areas that still hides the creek from housing development or farmland. Traveling north on Highway #4 (Richmond St.), one can plainly see the creek's wandering path, as it frequently crosses the road. However, 34% of the
riparian zone
A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...
, a 30-metre buffer on each side of the creek, is in permanent vegetation (forest and meadows).
Features of the watershed
* 83% of the land is used for agriculture. A large portion of the soils in the watershed are silt and clay loams.
* The Arva Moraine Wetlands Complex is a provincially significant wetland. Three other wetlands are locally significant.
* Groundwater is a source of drinking water in a large portion of the watershed, including a municipal water system in Birr. Groundwater supports wetlands, forests and streams; approximately 65% of local stream flow is fed by groundwater.
* 46 fish and 13 freshwater mussel species have been recorded in Medway Creek. Gamefish include Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike and Rainbow Trout. Most of the watercourse has a higher average temperature, which supports warmwater species.
See also
*
List of Ontario rivers
This is the list of rivers which are in and flow through Ontario. The watershed list includes tributaries as well.
Dee River, flows between Three Mile Lake and Lake Rosseau.
List of rivers arranged by watershed Hudson Bay
Atlantic Ocean
...
References
{{reflist
External links
Upper Thames River Conservation Authority
Landforms of London, Ontario
Rivers of Middlesex County, Ontario