In the past, part of the peat bog belonged to the Borough of Lennoxville which, through several land acquisitions in the 20th century, pursued the objective of securing its drinking water supply. Water from the esker was the main source of supply for Lennoxville between 1921 and 1949, before becoming a secondary supply until 1986. Following municipal mergers, the City of Sherbrooke became the owner of the land, before transferring it to the University of Sherbrooke and Bishop’s University in 2010.

In the meantime, Nature Eastern Townships (NET) became the owner of a 44-hectare piece of land in 2007, next to what would become part of the universities’ property. With this acquisition, NET wishes to perpetually preserve these natural environments and restore the portion of the peat bog that was previously degraded. The restoration work carried out in 2013-2014 includes activities such as the building of dams, blocking of culverts and cutting of woody vegetation. It aims to restore the water table levels in this area of the bog, reduce erosion and sediment transport to Racey Brook, and promote the return of plant and wildlife species usually found in open bog ecosystems.

To protect the natural environment of the bog area, a conservation easement now links the universities’ property to that of NET. This status provides legal protection for over 227 hectares, which represents 94% of the total area of Johnville Bog.