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

LAKE ERIE NORTH SHORE WATERSHED PLAN
Special Studies
Riparian Buffer Tax
Incentive Program
Septic System Education
and Funding Program
Septic System Re-
Inspection Program
Road Salt Impact Study
Subwatershed
Hydrogeologic
Characterization
Fish Habitat Classification
Groundwater Intrinsic
Susceptibility Studies
Potential Contaminant
Sources of Point Source
Pollution
Site Specific Water Quality
Sampling
the total project cost after all receipts, invoices, and water well decommissioning records are submitted to the
NPCA.
Recommendations for Further Study
Partial exemption on property taxes for the establishment and maintenance of effective riparian and conservation
buffers on property. Buffers provide a wide range of functions and benefits depending on their location (e.g.
adjacent to watercourse or separating land uses).
Improperly functioning septic systems and abandoned septic systems are a known threat to water quality. A septic
system education and funding program should be developed and implemented to ensure that private septic
systems are functioning properly, and to ensure that abandoned systems are decommissioned.
Areas that have been identified as „septic hotspots‟ through the NPCA Groundwater Study and areas that have a
high intrinsic susceptibility should be considered priority for such a program. Municipal councils could approve and
endorse the allocation of funds from property taxes or general revenue to fund the program. This approach may be
facilitated with council knowledge that a percentage of inspected septic systems will also require remedial action on
the part of some property owners, including the installation of new septic systems. Owners may also pro-actively
undertake action if they are aware that a program is underway. Both will affect the number of permits issued in a
municipality, and may generate revenue as a result (MMAH 2001).
Through RMN‟s Salt Vulnerability Study (2005) the entire LENS study area has been ranked as having a
moderately high vulnerability to road salt from regional roads, however this study was not conducted on local
municipal roads; therefore it is recommended that a similar study be completed by the respective local
municipalities to determine the impact of road salt applications on local municipal roads to the surrounding natural
features..
Development of subwatershed scale hydrogeologic characterizations would provide optimal information to make
informed decisions in regard to applications and for use in planning decisions and policy development.
The watercourses in this subwatershed have not been evaluated in terms of importance for fish habitat. It is
recommended that this assessment be completed so this information can be used for proper resource management
and land use planning decisions.
The Groundwater Study (2005) has identified most of the Beaver Dam Creek P.C. subwatershed as having a high
shallow intrinsic susceptibility (Figure 16a & 16b) The intrinsic susceptibility of groundwater considers only the
physical factors affecting the flow of water to, and through, the groundwater resource. Additional studies should be
conducted in this watershed to ensure that current and future land uses do not conflict with the protection of
groundwater resources in susceptible areas as part of the NPCA‟s Groundwater Study (2005) and proposed
Source Protection Plan.
An inventory of potential contaminant sources and threats to water quality was identified as part of the objectives
for the NPCA‟s Groundwater Study (2005). An updated inventory to confirm potential contaminant sources and
locations is recommended as well as further investigation into the possible effects these potential contaminants
may have on surface water quality and aquatic habitat and whether or not a contaminant management plan is
needed.
Enhanced sampling methods upstream and downstream of potential points of contamination should be considered
to help identify priority areas for remediation and/or restoration. For instance, partner with the Lorraine Bay Water
Quality Group to help identify potential sites and to help initiate sampling.
204