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

LAKE ERIE NORTH SHORE WATERSHED PLAN
Subwatershed: A subunit of a watershed; often defined as the drainage area of a
tributary or watercourse (e.g. Wignell Drain).
Threatened Species: A species that is at risk of becoming endangered in Ontario if
limiting factors are not reversed (MNR No Date)
Topography: The relief of the land surface.
Watershed: An area of land from which surface runoff (water, sediments, nutrients and
contaminants) drain into a common water body (e.g. Lake Erie).
Watershed Management Plan: A proactive document created cooperatively by
government agencies and the community to manage the water, land/water interactions,
aquatic life and aquatic resources within a particular watershed to protect the health of
the ecosystem as land uses change (Ministry of Environment and Energy and Ministry of
Natural Resources 1993).
Wetlands: Lands that are seasonally or permanently covered by shallow water, as well
as lands where the water table is close to or at the surface. In either case the presence
of abundant water has caused the formation of hydric soils and has favoured the
dominance of either hydrophytic plants or water tolerant plants. The four major types of
wetlands are swamps, marshes, bogs and fens (Provincial Policy Statement 2005).
Wildlife Habitat: Areas where plants, animals and other organisms live, and find
adequate amounts of food, water, shelter and space needed to sustain their populations.
Specific wildlife habitats of concern may include areas where species concentrate at a
vulnerable point in the annual or life cycle; and areas which are important to migratory or
non-migratory species (Provincial Policy Statement 2005).
Woodlands: Treed areas that provide environmental and economic benefits to both the
private landowner and the general public, such as erosion prevention, hydrological and
nutrient cycling, provision of clean air and the long-term storage of carbon, provision of
wildlife habitat, outdoor recreational opportunities, and the sustainable harvest of a wide
range of woodland products (Provincial Policy Statement 2005).
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