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

LAKE ERIE NORTH SHORE WATERSHED PLAN
Naturalizing Drains and
Drain Best Management
Practices
Blue Flag Beaches
Integrated Roadside
Vegetation Management
(IRVM) Program
Ecological Linkages
between Natural Areas
Riparian Buffer Education
Program
Wetlands are Worth It
Program
Agricultural Best
Management Practices
Program
Abandoned Well
Decommissioning 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 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.
Niagara Region and municipalities should work together to expand Niagara Region‟s IRVM Program. IRVM
integrates the use of native vegetation with appropriate management techniques to produce a cost-effective,
environmentally sound management alternative for roadside weed and erosion control while providing numerous
ecological benefits (e.g. buffer strips). Focus of program expansion should be directed to main roads and roads in
areas with a high shallow intrinsic susceptibility.
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 Conservation
Authority‟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
water. The Wetlands are Worth It Program through NPCA‟s Water Quality Improvement Program aims to assist
landowners that are interested in restoring, protecting, rehabilitating and creating wetland habitat on their property
by providing grants to a maximum of 75% of the cost of a project with a grant ceiling of $10,000.
The NPCA‟s program aimed at educating landowners about the benefits of rural and agricultural best
management practices should be extensively promoted. In addition, landowners should be made aware of and
encouraged to participate in the Conservation Authority‟s Water Quality Improvement Program. This program
provides grants to a maximum 75% of the cost of a project with caps between $5,000 and $12,000 depending on
the project.
Abandoned wells that are not properly decommissioned (capped and sealed) pose a threat to groundwater
resources by providing a direct route to groundwater. The NPCA has a well decommissioning program in place for
its jurisdiction. Grants are available for the decommissioning of unused water wells only. Priority is given to
hydrogeologically sensitive areas, projects located in areas with a high density of domestic water wells, and areas
where watershed plans have been completed or are ongoing (NPCA 2007). Approved grants will cover 90% of
well decommissioning costs to a maximum of $2,000 per well (limit of 2 wells per property). This is a
reimbursement program, which means that the landowner will pay the full cost to the contractor, and will be
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