Stormwater pond gets major makeover, cutting pollution flowing to Lake Simcoe

In 2024, the Town of Innisfil and the Conservation Authority partnered to upgrade the Victoria Green stormwater pond in Stroud, Ont. (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority - LSRCA)

A former stormwater pond in Stroud is now doing much more than collecting runoff, it’s helping protect Lake Simcoe.

According to the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), upgrades completed in 2024 transformed the Victoria Green pond into a natural reservoir designed to improve water quality.

Working with the Town of Innisfil, the conservation authority added wetlands, vegetation and bioretention features that slow down water and help filter out pollutants.

“The existing pond was aging and built to hold water, with limited ability to clean it before it flowed downstream,” says LSRCA.

Teams created 169 square metres of wetland habitat and restored roughly 7,800 square metres of natural area.

“The project installed 587 shrubs and 1,927 aquatic and perennial plants, along with bioretention cells that help absorb and treat stormwater,” states the authority.

The end result is expected to reduce phosphorus entering Lake Simcoe by an estimated 2.77 kilograms each year.

The Victoria Green project was selected as one of the top 10 restoration projects in 2025.

The conservation authority says it worked with different municipalities, landowners and developers on projects ranging from restoring rivers to planting forests and redesigning stormwater systems.

According to its website, LSRCA has been restoring and managing the Lake Simcoe watershed since 1951.