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

LAKE ERIE NORTH SHORE WATERSHED PLAN
Seven of the eight field sites are within a designated municipal drain (three in Furry Drain, one in Chalmers
Dickout Drain, and three in Little Marsh Drain). Bank instability and relatively deep unconsolidated sediment
deposited along the channel bed was noted at a number of field sites. The possibility of rills/gullies present at
almost all of the field sites indicates the potential for additional sediment entering the watercourse. Rill prevention
measures such as slope re-grading, erosion control blankets, and seeding should be implemented along the
adjacent property. Excessive sediment deposition can cause problems in the watercourse, such as lateral
channel adjustments, increased turbidity, filling in of pools, and impacting fish habitat. Long term monitoring of
sediment accumulation should be completed to avoid any potential problems and this can be done by the use of
sediment traps. Six of the eight field sites are moderately entrenched, which means that flood waters will have
little to no access to the floodplain. Confining the flood waters to the channel results in the loss of the adjacent
floodplain, which impacts the hydraulic function of the watercourse (floodplains are storage areas for flood waters)
and the physical habitat (loss of floodplain vegetation and the organisms that live there). It will also change the
channel geometry overtime due to increased velocity, stream power, and channel slope. Increasing the variety
and diversity of native plant species within small buffer zones will provide cover and habitat for fish, insects, and
invertebrate along the watercourse. All recommendations should be discussed with the Drainage Superintendent.
Naturalizing Drains and
Drain Best Management
Practices
Promote Good Shoreline
Stewardship
Blue Flag Beach Program
Ecological Linkages
between Natural Areas
Riparian Buffer Education
and Grant Program
Wetlands are Worth It
Program
In addition to having an impact on aquatic and riparian habitat, drain maintenance has the potential to become
quite costly through repeated maintenance activities. Naturalizing drains can potentially lengthen the time
between maintenance events by reducing the amount of sediment entering and remaining in the drain. Best
Management Practices for drain maintenance should be developed in consultation with, but not limited to, the
following agencies; OMAFRA, DFO, MNR, Conservation Ontario, OFA, DSAO, CFFO, and the agricultural
community to reduce ecological impacts to aquatic systems and to prevent sediment from returning to the drain.
Any future maintenance of this watercourse should be done in accordance with Best Management Practices for
drains. To review examples of current BMP mitigation measures, refer to Appendix I.
Work with partnering stakeholders to promote shoreline areas that have been maintained naturally or restored to
find a balance between natural processes and shoreline protection measures.
Work with partnering agencies to mitigate water quality issues and work towards Blue Flag Beach status. Blue
Flag status meets high standards with respect to water quality, environmental management, environmental
education and safety and services (Blueflag.ca) and is known globally. Blue Flag beaches have the potential to
increase tourism in the area.
Opportunity potential is present for creating ecological linkages between natural areas creating larger contiguous
natural features. Such areas have the potential to enhance movement of flora and fauna between natural areas
as well as provide habitat and ecological diversity for a wide range of species.
Many landowners keep their properties manicured or plant crops to the edge of the creek. The NPCA‟s program
aimed at educating landowners about the benefits of buffer zones along watercourses should be extensively
promoted. In addition, landowners should be made aware of and encouraged to participate in the NPCA‟s Water
Quality Improvement Program. This program provides grants to a maximum of 75% of the cost of a project with
caps between $2,000 and $10,000.
Wetlands provide important water quality and ecological functions in a watershed by augmenting low flow, acting
as natural filtration systems and helping to reduce flooding by acting like giant sponges and absorbing excess
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