Upper Welland River Watershed Plan - Niagara Peninsula ...

UPPER WELLAND RIVER WATERSHED PLANdredging and filling near spawning and nursery habitat,loss of riparian vegetation,stream alterations including fish barriers,poorly managed stormwater runoff,impaired water quality (e.g., sediment and nutrient loadings, increasedtemperature), andloss of groundwater recharge capability (Fisheries Act, Section 34).The watershed strategy will focus on preserving Type 1 fish habitat in the watershed, and itwill suggest restoration alternatives to maintain and improve Type 2 fish habitat. However,only watercourses within the Region of Niagara have been assessed in terms of importancefor fish habitat. It is therefore recommended that the remaining watercourses in the UpperWelland River that have not been evaluated are assessed to assist in proper decisionsregarding management of the watercourses.Flow Augmentation of Lake NiapencoDuring low periods in winter and summer when melt water, groundwater and precipitationcontributions are at their lowest, the natural flow of the Welland River‟s low-grade,precipitation driven system is inadequate to offset reverse flow dynamics caused by theWelland Canal water introduction and water level fluctuation associated with hydro generation(Yagi and Blott 2008).In 1971 the Binbrook dam and reservoir, also known as Lake Niapenco, was completed. Thedam and reservoir serve four primary purposes which include:conservation of wildlife and habitat,flood control,augment low water flows downstream of the dam in the Welland River, andfor recreational purposes (NPCA 2006b).In 1997 the operational procedures of the dam were revised due to significant concernregarding ecosystem degradation in and around the reservoir as a result of the current falldraw down practice. It was concluded that operations which stabilize the water level wouldvastly improve aquatic habitat in the reservoir and enhance shoreline vegetation growth thusreducing erosion of the reservoir banks and reduce sediment loading (NPCA 2006b). Inaddition, landowners downstream of the reservoir preferred a reduced operating level whichwould allow for the capture of high runoff events and provide some degree of flood control(NPCA 2006b).However, the effect of the flow augmentation from Lake Niapenco on downstream aquatichabitats has been identified as a concern in the NWS. Similarly, in the study entitled NiagaraRiver Watershed Fish Community Assessment (2003-2007), Yagi and Blott suggest “Ongoingflow monitoring is needed to determine the amount of low flow augmentation needed tomaintain fish habitat in the Welland River downstream of the reservoir”.Climate ChangeMost climatologists agree that climate change and warming of the Earth‟s atmosphere isoccurring. In addition, there is also broad agreement that human activities are primarilyresponsible for the changes to global climate that have been observed during the last half of73