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

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LAKE ERIE NORTH SHORE WATERSHED PLAN<br />

sediment and contaminant loads<br />

from adjacent road before<br />

outletting to <strong>Lake</strong> <strong>Erie</strong><br />

All restoration measures should where possible, benefit Species at Risk and provincially rare species<br />

Carolinian and native species should be used for all projects<br />

Project Opportunities Recommended Action for Public and Private Lands<br />

NPCA <strong>Lake</strong> <strong>Erie</strong> <strong>North</strong><br />

1. Quarrie Road (LE3Ma): This section of the watercourse has been channelized and lacks any<br />

<strong>Shore</strong> Geomorphic<br />

depositional features along the stream bed which indicates little flow diversity within the channel Bank instability<br />

Assessment Study (NPCA is present in the form of bare soil extending up the bank, as well as slumping. The buffer zone along the left<br />

2009b)<br />

bank is small due to the proximity of the road and therefore results in little canopy cover and habitat. There are<br />

some small coniferous trees in the buffer that will provide cover in the future when they get bigger. A failed<br />

culvert exists at <strong>Lake</strong>shore Road. There is an area where vegetative debris is being thrown onto the bank. This<br />

debris will eventually end up in stream which can cause debris jams and impact water quality. The water that<br />

flows through this channel is pumped out from the old quarry. Dense aquatic vegetation, duckweed, and algae<br />

were noted during a site visit in 2008. Recommendations for this field site include planting deep rooted<br />

vegetation along the banks and stabilize the soil. The presence of bank slumping usually indicates that<br />

vegetative roots are too shallow to stabilize the bank. Increasing the variety and diversity of native plant species<br />

within the buffer zone will provide cover and habitat for fish, insects, and invertebrates along the watercourse.<br />

Water quality should continue to be monitored in this watershed. Due to the impact on water quality it is advised<br />

that landowners stop throwing vegetated debris over the bank. The failed culvert should be replaced with a<br />

properly sized culvert.<br />

Naturalizing Drains and<br />

Drain Best Management<br />

Practices<br />

Promote Good <strong>Shore</strong>line<br />

Stewardship<br />

Integrated Roadside<br />

Vegetation Management<br />

(IRVM) Program<br />

Ecological Linkages<br />

between Natural Areas<br />

In addition to having an impact on aquatic and riparian habitat, drain maintenance has the potential to become<br />

quite costly through repeated maintenance activities. Naturalizing drains can potentially lengthen the time<br />

between maintenance events by reducing the amount of sediment entering and remaining in the drain. Best<br />

Management Practices for drain maintenance should be developed in consultation with, but not limited to, the<br />

following agencies; OMAFRA, DFO, MNR, Conservation Ontario, OFA, DSAO, CFFO, and the agricultural<br />

community to reduce ecological impacts to aquatic systems and to prevent sediment from returning to the drain.<br />

Any future maintenance of this watercourse should be done in accordance with Best Management Practices for<br />

drains. To review examples of current BMP mitigation measures, refer to Appendix I.<br />

Work with partnering stakeholders to promote shoreline that have been maintained naturally or restored to find a<br />

balance between natural processes and shoreline protection measures.<br />

<strong>Niagara</strong> Region and municipalities should work together to expand <strong>Niagara</strong> Region‟s IRVM Program. IRVM<br />

integrates the use of native vegetation with appropriate management techniques to produce a cost-effective,<br />

environmentally sound management alternative for roadside weed and erosion control while providing numerous<br />

ecological benefits (e.g. buffer strips). Focus of program expansion should be directed to main roads and roads in<br />

areas with a high shallow intrinsic susceptibility.<br />

Opportunity potential is present for creating ecological linkages between natural areas creating larger contiguous<br />

natural features. Such areas have the potential to enhance movement of flora and fauna between natural areas<br />

as well as provide habitat and ecological diversity for a wide range of species.<br />

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