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

LAKE ERIE NORTH SHORE WATERSHED PLAN
and cover. There is an area where vegetative debris is being thrown onto the bank. This debris will eventually
end up in stream which can cause debris jams and impact water quality. Dense instream vegetation and algae
were noted during a site visit in 2008. A grate covering the culvert at Vimy Road may restrict larger fish from
entering the watercourse. Water quality should be monitored in this watershed. Due to the impact on water quality
it is advised that landowners stop throwing vegetated debris over the bank. An assessment should be completed
on whether or not the concrete block wall or the riprap could be replaced with a soil bio-engineering structure. This
would increase habitat and cover along the channel and still provide bank stabilization. All recommendations
should be discussed with the Drainage Superintendent.
1. 2. Vimy Road (OMCMb): This section of watercourse is managed as a municipal drain; Oil Mill Creek Drain. It
has been channelized and lacks any depositional features along the stream bed which indicate little flow diversity
within the channel. Bank instability is present in the wooded area as bare soil extending up the bank which may
be due to the dense canopy cover over the channel. Small debris jams exist within the wooded area and there is
some trees right at the edge of the channel indicating bank instability. In the open area of this park the buffer zone
consists of a few trees and a manicured lawn that is mowed to the edge of the watercourse. Fairly large amounts
of duckweed and algae were noted along this channel during a site visit in 2008. In the upstream sections of the
study site there are areas where relatively deep unconsolidated sediment is deposited along the channel bed.
Few to no pools exist along the bed but there is stagnant water present throughout the field site. Measurements
taken at channel cross sections would indicate that the watercourse has varying degrees of entrenchment, from
minor to complete entrenchment. This results in flood waters having limited to no access to the floodplain.
Therefore, the energy within the flow is contained in the channel. Recommendations for this site include not
grading the channel banks too steep during the dredging process so that deep rooted vegetation can become
established along the banks and stabilize the soil. Creating a buffer in the open area of the park with a variety of
native plant species will help to create cover and habitat for fish, insects, and invertebrates. Water quality should
be monitored in this watershed. Monitoring the accumulation of sediment along the channel bed can be done by
the use of sediment traps throughout the watercourse. Alternatives to traditional drainage design, such as wetland
creation, floodplain development, and increasing channel curvature should also be considered. All
recommendations should be discussed with the Drainage Superintendent.
These two field sites are within the designated municipal drain Oil Mill Creek Drain. Both of the sites had areas of
bank instability but only the upstream site had relatively deep unconsolidated sediment deposited along the channel
bed. There are a number of small tributaries entering the main channel, as well as bare soil exposed along the
banks. These two factors may be contributing to the sediment along the channel bed. 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. Increasing the variety and
diversity of native plant species within small buffer zones increases canopy cover, habitat, and also provides a filter
mechanism for sediment and chemicals from runoff of fields and roads. Water quality should be monitored in this
watershed. All recommendations should be discussed with the Drainage Superintendent.
Naturalizing Drains and
Drain Best Management
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
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