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

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Detailed Site Assessment The results from the Detailed Site Assessment are documented in Appendices ‘WC-B’, ‘WC-C’, and ‘WC-D’, where cross-sectional, bank, planform and substrate characteristics are provided. This field assessment has enabled the quantification of channel processes and functions such as linkages to floodplains which occur at the cross-section and reach scale. The collected data will also be suitable for detailed analyses of sediment transport, channel thresholds and stability. In addition to the Detailed Site Assessment, the Appendices ‘WC-B’, ‘WC-C’, and ‘WC-D’ include detailed reach descriptions, as well as a summary of the site conditions which were either observed during the “road-side” assessment or through the completion of detailed field work. These descriptions provide a synopsis of the present geomorphic conditions which were recorded during field reconnaissance completed in November and December 2005, as well as in the Summer of 2006. As such, the reach descriptions only present a snap-shot of the present field conditions, and may not typify the exact watercourse conditions for the entire reach. The aforementioned significant features are some of the factors imposing a risk to the channel and its stability. Although results documented in Table 2.4.1 illustrate additional reaches having low channel stability, there were no significant features within the proximity of these systems which would have resulted in the present condition of the channel. Importance: 2.5 Fish and Aquatic Habitat Aquatic resources include aquatic habitats and the communities of organisms which they support. Investigations are focused on fish and fish habitat. Fish populations and communities are indicators of ecosystem health, and angling is a popular form of outdoor recreation. Fish habitat is protected under the Fisheries Act. 2.5.1 Background Information • “Niagara Regional Municipality, Fish Habitat Types with Management Rationale” (MNR, February 25, 2000) • 2003, 2004 and 2005 fish collection data from the MNR, Vineland Office. • Royal Ontario Museum historical fish collection data. • Colour digital aerial photography. • Map showing potential barriers to fish migration (NPCA). • Known spawning locations for musky (NPCA). • Known spawning locations for smallmouth bass in Lake Erie from MNR (Brunet et al, 1987). • Proposed Environmental Policies Natural Heritage Map that includes fish habitat mapping (Regional Municipality of Niagara website). • Fisheries and habitat information for drains (NPCA) • Friends of Fort Erie Creeks 2004 Summer Work Report. March 2008 39 Fort Erie Creeks Watershed Plan General Report (105116)
Field Investigations 2.5.2 Work Activities The large study area, with many hundreds of kilometres of watercourses, necessitated a scoped, efficient and effective approach to field investigations. This focused on the information required to characterize the watershed’s aquatic resources at a relatively coarse scale. Generally, effort was directed toward fish community characterization in areas where the fish community was largely unknown, the investigation of barriers to fish migration, and in gathering additional habitat detail to refine the watercourse descriptions, the characterization of constraints, and the identification of rehabilitation opportunities. It was not possible to inventory specific habitats (i.e. pike spawning habitats) at the level of this subwatershed study. An initial field reconnaissance was undertaken during the fall of 2005, but the primary field investigations occurred in the spring and summer of 2006, when spawning, general habitat, fish migrations, and fish communities were investigated. Twenty-two locations were electrofished on April 25 and 26, 2006, to generally characterize spring fish communities, and provide basic fish community information over the portions of the study area not sampled by the regular MNR sampling program. An iterative process between aerial photographic interpretation and field investigation/ground truthing was undertaken to characterize stream habitat over the entire study area. During all these investigations many hundreds of digital photographs were taken at associated coordinates determined with a hand-held GPS unit, to facilitate habitat characterization and the determination of constraints and opportunities. The information gathered throughout the winters of 2005/2006 and 2006/2007, as well as the results of the field investigations, have been compiled and analyzed. The general results are provided in Section 2.5.3. A copy of the data collection sheets, waypoint chart, and a CD containing all of the photos are included in Appendix ‘NH-B’. Overview 2.5.3 Findings/Constraint Identification The clay soils and relatively flat topography of the study area has resulted in generally low gradient watercourses and swamp habitats. This has resulted in few barriers to fish movement, either at natural topographic breaks or at infrastructure crossings such as roads, railways, pipelines, etc. Black, Beaver, and Baker Creeks are the lowest gradient watercourses, while the remainder have slightly higher gradients that are reflected in their fish communities. Instream habitat diversity within the study area can generally be characterized as below average. Rather than being a mix of low gradient (flatwater and sluggish), medium gradient (runs and short riffle sections) and high gradient (long sections of riffles and rapids), watercourses in the study area are mostly low-gradient, and many sections have been dredged and/or straightened to facilitate the drainage of agricultural and residential land. While there are many areas of good quality flatwater habitat, and occasionally sections of watercourse with coarse substrates and higher gradient riffle or run habitats, the study area watercourses are usually variations of flatwater habitats as illustrated in the map of instream habitats (ref. Figure AB-1). March 2008 40 Fort Erie Creeks Watershed Plan General Report (105116)
Page 1 and 2: FORT ERIE CREEKS - WATERSHED PLAN M
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page No.
Page 5 and 6: TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page No.
Page 7 and 8: TABLE OF CONTENTS GENERAL REPORT AP
Page 9 and 10: 1.3 Administration This study has b
Page 11 and 12: 2. WATERSHED AREA CHARACTERIZATION
Page 13 and 14: sediment and topographic breaks. In
Page 15 and 16: The make up of the Halton Till and
Page 17 and 18: Any modest level of additional grou
Page 19 and 20: NPCA Groundwater Study did delineat
Page 21 and 22: oundary under the Drainage Act. The
Page 23 and 24: The majority of the urban areas of
Page 25 and 26: groups. A soil map based on the hyd
Page 27 and 28: Baker Creek TABLE 2.2.5: Con’t SU
Page 29 and 30: Creek and Baker Creek have higher u
Page 31 and 32: Location Node TABLE 2.2.8: FREQUENC
Page 33 and 34: RiverCAD TM has been used to develo
Page 35 and 36: Culvert ID Watersheds TABLE 2.3.1:
Page 37 and 38: Culvert ID Watersheds TABLE 2.3.1:
Page 39 and 40: agricultural purposes prior to 1955
Page 41 and 42: fields. Due to the scale and qualit
Page 43 and 44: were constructed between 1978 and 2
Page 45: level survey of the site extending
Page 49 and 50: Marginal Habitat: those fisheries h
Page 51 and 52: natural channel, except for a 1.3 k
Page 53 and 54: The fish community in the lower por
Page 55 and 56: TABLE 2.5.2: RECENT MINISTRY OF NAT
Page 57 and 58: Characterization of the natural her
Page 59 and 60: TABLE 2.6.1: TERRESTRIAL NATURAL HE
Page 61 and 62: The soil units included in each lan
Page 63 and 64: • Percent of interior forest: >10
Page 65 and 66: Subwatershed TABLE 2.6.4: COVER TYP
Page 67 and 68: The main percentage shift from “o
Page 69 and 70: and 1976. These changes removed a f
Page 71 and 72: The regulated species are listed in
Page 73 and 74: TABLE 2.6.9: PROVINCIALLY & NATIONA
Page 75 and 76: illed Gull (spring migration only),
Page 77 and 78: ated Locally Significant, a high pr
Page 79 and 80: subwatersheds, many of the forest p
Page 81 and 82: proportions; many of the mesic site
Page 83 and 84: TABLE 2.7.4: NPCA BENTHIC INVERTEBR
Page 85 and 86: Site ID Date Alkalinity Aluminum Am
Page 93 and 94: A review of the NPCA water quality
Page 95 and 96: TABLE 2.7.1 SUMMARY OF ANNUAL CONTA
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The Lake Erie Shoreline Management
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ackshore. In most area, the structu
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3. SUMMARY OF POLICIES, OBJECTIVES
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TABLE 3.1.1: SUMMARY OF ACTS AND GU
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Level of Government Regional Level
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The Clean Water Protection Act 2006
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3.1.3 Stream Morphology It is NPCA
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Type 3: areas with low productive c
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The principles advanced in the docu
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TABLE 3.1.3: SUMMARY OF POLICIES, S
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e) To ensure the preservation of La
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• Prevent installation of barrier
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Targets: • Priority to long-term
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The purpose of the hydrologic model
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Watershed / Subcatchment TABLE 4.1.
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TABLE 4.1.4: 100 YEAR PEAK FLOW COM
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Watershed Damage Location NPCA Floo
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not necessarily reflect absolute ch
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potentially increase the erosion in
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TABLE 4.22: SUMMARY OF ANNUAL CONTA
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Several Special Policy Areas includ
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TABLE 4.3.2: TERRESTRIAL NATURAL HE
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TABLE 4.3.2: TERRESTRIAL NATURAL HE
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Subwatershed TABLE 4.3.4: MODERATE
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Similar to other Fort Erie Creeks,
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the channel as part of the Niagara
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In order to summarize the findings
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lakes, seepage areas, recharge/disc
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Regional Municipality of Niagara ca
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• Maintain existing shading veget
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d) Restoration of the slough mosaic
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‣ Enhancement for subwatersheds w
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and value of the stream system. The
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If there is no registered floodplai
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TABLE 5.3.1: INTEGRATED WATERCOURSE
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communities in natural channels wit
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TABLE 5.3.5: INTEGRATED RATING OF T
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TABLE 5.3.7: INTEGRATED RATING OF T
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% wetland % original wetland** TABL
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TABLE 5.3.11: INTEGRATED RATING OF
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TABLE 5.3.13: INTEGRATED RATING OF
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5.4 Local Subwatershed Opportunitie
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ase conditions have almost eliminat
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c) Confirm and/or refine wetland bo
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• Kraft Drain north of Dominion R
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REACH NAME TABLE 5.4.3: PLANNING LE
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TABLE 5.4.6: SUMMARY OF LOCAL OPPOR
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TABLE 5.4.10: SUMMARY OF LOCAL OPPO
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TABLE 5.4.14: SUMMARY OF LOCAL OPPO
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Watercourses (erosion, fisheries) T
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In addition to the priority assigne
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TABLE 6.1.2: SUMMARY OF PRIORITIZED
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TABLE 6.1.6: SUMMARY OF PRIORITIZED
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TABLE 6.1.10: SUMMARY OF PRIORITIZE
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Cost Summary Each of the subwatersh
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In terms of water quality, the NPCA
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REFERENCES American Forests, 1999.
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Kingston, M.S. and E.W. Presant. 19
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS Alluvial Soil Sed
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Enhancement Strategies and actions
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Hydraulics Science pertaining to fl
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Off-line Stormwater infrastructure
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Settlement Area In the Fort Erie Cr
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ECA EIS EMC END EPA FEC FRC HEC-RAS
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