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

The Barrie Creeks, Lovers Creek and Hewitt’s Creek Subwatershed Plan
The Lake Simcoe Integrated Watershed Management Plan (LSRCA, 2008) aspires to have all
streams within the watershed naturally vegetated, with a 30 metre buffer containing natural
vegetation on either side of the watercourse. Although the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan does
not specify a quantitative target, it sets a target of “naturalized riparian areas on Lake Simcoe
and along streams”, referring to a minimum to a 30m width along watercourses and the Lake
Simcoe shoreline.
Of the three subwatersheds, Lovers Creek has the most well-buffered riparian areas, with 71%
of the 30 m riparian zone existing under natural cover. The Barrie Creeks and Hewitt’s Creek
subwatersheds are less well buffered, with 35% and 52% respectively (Table 6-3, Figure 6-15).
The land use within the 30 m buffer for the Barrie Creeks watercourses is mainly high intensity
development and natural heritage cover. As distance increases away from the watercourse,
natural heritage cover decreases at the same rate that the high intensity development
increases, indicative of some effort to retain natural vegetation along watercourses in this highly
urbanized subwatershed. Percentage of riparian buffer that is agriculture or low intensity
development land use remains relatively low and constant as distance away from the
watercourse increases (Figure 6-12).
Figure 6-12: Riparian cover percentage per buffer distance for Barrie Creeks.
The 30 m riparian area within the Lovers Creek subwatershed is primarily composed of natural
heritage cover which decreases somewhat as distance from the watercourses increases.
Percentage of agriculture and high intensity development are relatively similar within the 30m
riparian buffer, with both slightly increasing with the increased distance away (Figure 6-13).
Chapter 6: Terrestrial Natural Heritage 281