Barrie Creeks, Lovers Creek, and Hewitt's Creek Subwatershed Plan

The Barrie Creeks, Lovers Creek and Hewitt’s Creek Subwatershed Plan
5.3 Factors impacting status - stressors
There are a number of land uses, activities and other factors that can have an effect on the
health of the aquatic community in the subwatershed. These include:
• Barriers,
• Bank hardening and channelization,
• Enclosures,
• Flow diversion,
• Uncontrolled stormwater and impervious surfaces,
• Municipal drains,
• Removal of riparian vegetation,
• Water quality and thermal degradation,
• Loss of wetlands,
• Invasive species, and
• Climate change.
These factors are discussed in detail in the following sections:
5.3.1 Barriers
Barriers to fish movement in the form of dams, perched culverts, and enclosed watercourses
serve to fragment the fish community by preventing fish from accessing important parts of their
habitat. The impoundments created by dams serve to increase water temperatures, raise
bacteria levels, and disrupt the natural movement of fish, benthic invertebrates, sediment and
nutrients. The natural movement of each is imperative for a healthy aquatic system.
The Lake Simcoe Basin Best Management Practice Inventory (LSRCA, 2009) looked at barriers
to fish movement, which included dams, perched culverts, weirs and other barriers, and
sections of the bank that have been hardened or channelized. The BMP inventory covered 92%,
76% and 100% of the watercourses in the Barrie Creeks, Lovers Creek and Hewitt’s Creek
subwatersheds, respectively.
The BMP Inventory has identified 40, 56, and 3 barriers to fish movement, respectively, in the
Barrie Creeks, Lovers Creek and Hewitt’s Creek subwatersheds thus far (Figure 5-8).
Chapter 5: Aquatic Natural Heritage 225