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Watercourse Protection Projects
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The Halls Creek Watershed
The Halls Creek Watershed is part of
the greater Petitcodiac River watershed. Its total surface area
of 125 km2 encompasses all of the watercourses that drain into
Halls Creek. The six main branches of Halls Creek extend through
Lewisville (Humphreys Brook) Parkton and Mapleton (Gorge Brook,
North Branch) and the Irishtown area (Ogilvie Brook). Located
at the northwestern edge of the watershed, Lutes Mountain (700
feet) is the highest elevation in the area.
The lower sections of Halls Creek are
under tidal influence. In fact, at its confluence with the Petitcodiac
River, Halls Creek is an estuarine environment. In other words,
it is a region under tidal influence where saltwater and freshwater
mix. On Humphreys Brook the tidal range extends up to approximately
300 meters north of the Lewisville Rd. On the main branch Halls
Creek (or West Branch), tidal range extends to the tidal flats
located upstream from the Crowley Rd., north of the Université
de Moncton campus and along Wheeler Blvd.
The watershed's diverse habitats support
a suprising variety of animals, including deer, eagles, beavers,
blue herons, muskrats, owls and brook trout. Brackish, salt and
freshwater marshes recycle nutrients back into the environment
and contribute to the nourishment of a mutitude of aquatic species
located as far away as the Bay of Fundy. The human component of
the environment also depends on the weatershed's resources. For
example, the McLaughlin Reservoir serves as Moncton's secondary
drinking water supply.
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