The Oak Ridges Moraine is one of Ontario's most significant landforms. This irregular ridge stretches 160 kilometres from the Trent River in the east to the Niagara Escarpment in the west. The Escarpment and Moraine together form the foundation of south-central Ontario's natural heritage and greenspace systems. Strategically located north of and parallel to Lake Ontario, the Moraine divides the watersheds that drain south into western Lake Ontario from those that drain north into Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe and the Trent River system. The Moraine shapes the present and future form and structure of the Greater Toronto region, and its ecological functions are critical to the region's continuing health.
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| Oak Ridges Moraine Area (Map by NCC) |
The Moraine's sands and gravel deposits act like a giant rain barrel, storing rain and snow melt. This underground water is then filtered through layers of sand and gravel (aquifers) and slowly released as cool fresh water to the rivers and streams flowing north into Lakes Simcoe and Scugog and south into Lake Ontario.