Lake Erie North Shore Watershed Plan - Niagara Peninsula ...

LAKE ERIE NORTH SHORE WATERSHED PLAN
Carolinian Canada‟s „Big Picture‟ identifies existing natural cores, corridors and potential
linkages in Canada‟s Carolinian life zone while Regional Niagara‟s Core Natural
Heritage System consists of core natural areas to Niagara Region and potential linkages
to areas identified as core areas. These layers and all subsequent layers were used in
the analysis and identification of potential restoration areas in the Lake Erie North Shore
Watershed.
The criteria for each restoration category (riparian, wetland and upland) were derived
from several sources including Environment Canada‟s (2004c) framework for guiding
habitat rehabilitation (Appendix G).
Each type of habitat restoration (riparian, wetland, upland) has been prioritized as most
suitable, moderately suitable or least suitable. Areas suitable for riparian, wetland and
upland habitat restoration may overlap on the following watershed restoration strategy
maps due to the methodology from which they were derived. When this occurs, the most
suitable restoration project should be implemented based on field verification, available
project funding, landowner partnerships as well as the opportunity to enhance ecological
linkages.
Restoration Suitability Mapping
The criteria used to create the restoration suitability mapping were derived from several
sources (Appendix H). The criteria for each restoration category (riparian, wetland and
upland) vary and have been weighted differently based on the suitability of the land for
habitat creation. A complete list, including the rationale, methodology and reference for
each criterion used in the suitability analysis are presented in Appendix H, and the top
three criteria for each restoration category are presented below.
Riparian Habitat Restoration Suitability
The criteria used to identify riparian habitat restoration suitability include, for example,
stream bank erosion rates. This criterion is used because riparian areas identified as
having high erosion rates resulting from an upslope contributing area and slope gradient
analysis are most suitable to restoration with bioengineering. The proximity to a
watercourse or waterbody identified riparian suitability because these areas contribute to
both riparian buffers and floodplains, and restoration in these areas will improve the
hydrological, habitat and water quality functions in the watershed. Land use type is
ranked third in terms of identifying suitable areas for riparian restoration. Areas classified
as scrub, low intensity agriculture, or natural areas are much more suitable to restoration
than areas classified as industrial or urban.
Wetland Habitat Restoration Suitability
The criteria used to identify wetland habitat restoration suitability include, for example,
soil drainage because the drainage class of an underlying soil determines the amount of
water the soil can receive and store before runoff. The more poorly drained the
underlying soil, the more suitable the area is for wetland restoration. The wetness index
predicts zones of water saturation where steady-state conditions and uniform soil
properties are assumed. Similar to riparian restoration, land use type plays a role in
determining areas suitable for wetland restoration.
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