Fort Erie Creeks Watershed Plan - Niagara Peninsula Conservation ...

% wetland
% original wetland**
TABLE 5.3.9:
INTEGRATED RATING OF TERRESTRIAL NATURAL HERITAGE SYSTEMS
FRENCHMAN’S CREEK
Natural Area Form Minimum Guideline 2002/2005* Status Target Target area (ha)
10
18.8 OK
Max. 67.6; Min. 27 (coarse
estimates, much missing
data)
% natural cover
- Aquatic
- Beach/dunes
- Prairie
- Shrub/Meadow or
Marsh
- Treed 30
36.5
13.8
126 ha forest largely
covered by maturing
shrub/meadows
22.6 +7.3%
Slough Mosaic 28.2 % (original %) 8.5% (loss of 69.8%) +20% of natural 126 ha
Largest Forest Patch 200 ha 117.4 ha 200 ha +82 ha: if let shrub
mature & ignore roads,
very little new area
needed
% Forest Interior
- > 100 m from edge 10%
6.2
+3.8% +65 ha, possible as
- > 200 m from edge 5%
1.8
shrub matures
% riparian cover (30 m either
side)
75% 58.3 +16.7% 24.0 ha
i.e., 8 km (1-side) or
4 km (2-side)
% Regional EPA 18%
16.6 OK
% Regional ECA
20.0 OK
Natural Landscapes
Target (original)
Distribution
61.6 fine soil lowland
20.1 fine soil mesic
64.1
19.8
Add to coarse soil
upland
6.0 alluvial
0.8 Shallow lowland
6.9 Shallow mesic
2.2 Shallow upland
2.3 Coarse soil upland
10.1
0.5
2.7
2.4
0.5
Subwatershed Form
Description
Area
1723.5 ha
Outfall
Niagara River
Shape
Sideways L
Topography
Flat headwaters. Base of L has some gentle slopes esp. along creek valley
Alterations since Settlement Clearing for agriculture. Drain extensions in headwaters. Development and golf courses in corner of the L.
Quarry in headwaters pumping water.
Shore
No lake shore
Natural Area Distribution Well-distributed. Less at L corner. More near mouth.
Function
Implications of Form on Function
Habitat
Good habitat especially as mature though lost some diversity where slough mosaic levelled.
Water Protection
Good though lost some flow moderation capacity where slough mosaic levelled.
Other
Lower watershed part of potentially significant corridor for biota migration in response to climate change.
IBA
Key Natural Heritage Issues Levelled slough mosaic
QEW bisects subwatershed.
Urban expansion in corner of L.
Other Issues
Erosion along reaches below quarry and below tracks.
Main stem is critical fish habitat
* June 2005 for wetlands; December 2005 for Regional EPA and ECA; 2003 for Natural Cover; 2002 for Forest.
** Maximum is sum of original lowland, alluvial and organic landscapes (where soil data). Minimum is sum of
40% of original lowland + 40% of original alluvial landscape + 100% of original organic landscape to account for
slough mosaic that is not all wetland.
March 2008 166 Fort Erie Creeks Watershed Plan
General Report (105116)