Summary Report and Implementation Plan - Partners in Project Green

GTAA Living City Project
Integration Etobicoke Creek and Implementation
Watershed
Table 1
Key Recommendations and Benefits to Greater Toronto Airport Authority
No. Key Recommendations Overall Benefits to GTAA
Aquatic Eco-Systems – Etobicoke Creek Fisheries Management Plan
1. Protection and management of small riverine coldwater habitat just upstream of the airport for
the target species of sculpin.
2. Protection and enhancement of Etobicoke Creek habitat (upstream and downstream of
GTAA) for darters and smallmouth bass in the small and intermediate riverine warmwater
management zones.
3. Riparian vegetation (dense woody vegetation to be established 30 metres on each bank).
- Improved water quality and
erosion controls.
- Protection of wildlife and
habitat.
- Priority habitat banking
locations and habitat
information for further runway
construction on airport lands.
4. Natural channel design during alterations (the GTAA has already employed natural channel
design during the Spring Creek realignment and it is anticipated that it will continue with future
projects).
5. The protection of baseflow through limiting or mitigating imperviousness in this area.
Terrestrial Natural Heritage
1. Restoration and creation of natural corridors:
- Natural corridors to link existing patches in the GTAA study area should be maintained and
enhanced whenever possible.
- Linkages need to be restored between the GTAA terrestrial system and natural areas
surrounding the study area, as suggested in TRCA’s regional target system.
- Enhance connections between forest and wetland habitats.
- Establish an east-west connection on table lands.
2. Natural cover in the south needs to be preserved and increased to ensure there is an even
distribution of more desirable quantity of natural cover throughout the watershed.
3. Future urban development should minimize stresses on the natural heritage system during
development and redevelopment.
4. Flora and fauna inventories should be consulted, as any change or alteration of habitats could
result in the loss of habitat-dependent species.
5. Restoration activities should be undertaken to increase the size, improve the shape of existing
habitat patches and promote forest interior conditions to support sensitive species and
important ecological processes.
6. Land securement where possible in order to meet system targets.
7. Expansion of the target natural heritage system.
8. Mitigation of the negative effects of the matrix (surrounding land use) by ensuring that new
development and expansion take into consideration the location of sensitive species and
communities to mitigate all potential threats.
- Protection and enhancement of
habitat.
- Provide for the movement,
dispersal and regeneration of
flora and fauna species within
the study area.
- Improved water quality and
erosion controls.
- Aid in the implementation of
the LBPIA Wildlife Control Area
recommendations.
- Several opportunities to restore
GTAA-owned lands including
agricultural fields.
- It is well understood that
large manicured fields and
agricultural crops create a
considerable hazard
in attracting medium to large
flocking species (e.g., Canada
geese,
ring-billed gulls) into the
vicinity of an airport. In
light of this management
consideration, it is
recommended soybean fields
and open meadows located
in the western vicinity of the
airport around the airstrips
would be better managed as
forest and woodland habitat.
9. That within the landscape surrounding the airport, restoration of natural forested cover should
take preference over manicured, open habitat and agricultural crops such as soybean and corn.
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