8132 - NPCA SNF Watershed Report.indd - Niagara Peninsula ...

Watershed ObjectivesEach watershed in the Niagara Peninsula ConservationAuthority’s jurisdiction is unique, having its own set ofwatershed planning objectives. The watershed objectives forthe South Niagara Falls watershed have been categorized basedon the watershed’s resource components, including the socialand built environment. In accordance with the Provincial PolicyStatement (Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing2005b), Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (OntarioMinistry of Public Infrastructure Renewal 2006), RegionalPolicy Plan (Regional Municipality of Niagara 2007) and publicinput, natural resources will be managed on a watershed scalein the South Niagara Falls watershed to:Water Resources• maintain, enhance or restore natural stream processes tosupport human uses, agricultural needs and ecologicalfunctions in accordance with Ontario Water Quality Objectivesand Remedial Action Plan (RAP) delisting criteria;• protect, improve or restore all vulnerable areas (surface andgroundwater features that can be easily changed or impactedby activities or events);• ensure the equitable distribution and sustainable use ofavailable surface and groundwater to protect water qualityand quantity, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and humanhealth, and to supply existing and planned uses includingmunicipal drains;• ensure that storm water management practices minimizestorm water volumes and contaminant loads, and maintainor increase the extent of vegetative and pervious surfaces;• manage and mitigate flooding risks to human life andproperty within acceptable limits;• minimize erosion caused by human activity through theestablishment and implementation of a comprehensive,priority based erosion control program; and• maintain, improve and provide opportunities for farmrelatedinfrastructures such as drainage and irrigation.Fish and Aquatic Habitat• protect, enhance and restore populations of native speciesand their habitats in the watershed.Natural Heritage and Resources• protect, enhance and restore the health, diversity andecological functions of the natural heritage systems in thewatershed and their linkages to natural heritage systems inadjoining watersheds;• protect, enhance, and restore woodlands and other naturalheritage features and their ecological functions for the longterm;• maintain, restore and improve the linkages among surfacewater features, groundwater features, hydrologic functionsand natural heritage features and areas, and their ecologicalfunctions; and• preserve all wetlands in the watershed.Communication, Education and Recreation• foster and develop partnerships between and amongstagencies, interest groups and landowners;• promote awareness of the linkages between healthy water,healthy lifestyles and economic viability of rural and urbanland uses;• promote the wise use of groundwater and surface waterresources in terms of human, agricultural and ecologicalneeds; and• maintain, create and promote existing and new outdoorrecreational areas.Development• promote environmentally-sound land use decision making inthe watershed for current and future urban development andrural/agricultural land useWatershed CharacterizationLocation and General Description ofthe South Niagara Falls WatershedThe South Niagara Falls watershed includes all of LocalManagement Areas 2.14 and 2.17 as identified in the NWS(Regional Municipality of Niagara 2006), including a portion ofthe City of Niagara Falls, City of Welland, City of Port Colborneand Town of Fort Erie. Several subwatersheds form the SouthNiagara Falls watershed including Grassy Brook, Hunters Drain,Lyons Creek, and Tee Creek, which all drain into the WellandRiver. Bayers Creek, Niagara River subwatersheds 9, 10, 11, 12,13 and 14 as well as Usshers Creek are also included in thewatershed. However, these watercourses drain to the NiagaraRiver through multiple outfalls (Figure 1). A brief descriptionof these subwatersheds follows.Grassy BrookThe Grassy Brook subwatershed is primarily agricultural innature. However, a small portion of Chippawa, located in theCity of Niagara Falls, is located in the northern section of thissubwatershed. Several woodlands dot the landscape, and twoknown provincially significant wetland complexes are locatedin the Grassy Brook subwatershed.Hunters DrainHunters Drain is currently not designated as a municipaldrain, and it is a tributary of Lyons Creek. The Hunters Drainsubwatershed includes a small portion of the Chippawa urbanarea. The remainder of this subwatershed consists of agriculturalareas and woodlands.Lyons CreekThe operation of the Welland Canal affects both the WellandRiver and Lyons Creek. For example, siphons and reservoirshave been created to support operations of the canal. The extentof the inflows into the Welland River and Lyons Creek varieswith the daily and seasonal operations of the canal (RegionalMunicipality of Niagara 2006).4