Background Report - Town of Georgina

Sutton Secondary Plan Review Study May 2008
Existing Environmental Conditions and Opportunities/Constraints Analysis
Project No. TA4468
The location of PSW’s, LSW’s, ESA’s, significant woodlands is presented in Figure 3.
3.12 Natural Hazards and Lake Simcoe Shoreline
Natural hazards, such as areas subject to flooding, erosion, steep slopes and unstable soils are associated
with the Black River, other watercourse and wetlands within the Sutton Secondary Plan Review Study
area. The Lake Simcoe Shoreline is also recognized as a “natural hazard” due to flooding, erosion and
dynamic beach hazards. Future development should be directed away from natural hazards, in
accordance with the policies of Section 3.0 of the Provincial Policy Statement (2005) and Ontario
Regulation 179/06.
Future development within the Sutton Secondary Plan Review Study area should also comply with the
regulations of the pending Lake Simcoe Protection Act legislation. This new legislation will provide
water quality protection targets for future growth within the Watershed.
4.0 OPPORTUNITIES & CONSTRAINTS OVERVIEW
Based on the above environmental characterization, the key features within and adjacent to the study area
that requires protection in the context of future urban land use includes the following:
• Black River and Lake Simcoe;
• Provincially Significant and Locally Significant Wetland complexes;
• Environmentally Sensitive Areas (wetlands, upland forest, shoreline shoals);
• Large, contiguous forest blocks (significant woodlands, greenlands);
• Corridors and connecting linkages – Black River, large forest blocks; and,
• Environmental buffers/setbacks (stream channels, wetlands, upland forest edge).
The environmental protection framework for the Sutton Secondary Plan area is based largely on the
LSRCA Natural Heritage System for Lake Simcoe Watershed (Beacon Environmental and LSRCA, July
2007), and consists of the following levels of constraint:
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