Central Welland River Watershed Plan - Niagara Peninsula ...

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CENTRAL WELLAND RIVER WATERSHED PLANProgramWetlands are Worth It ProgramSpecial StudiesExecute the Agricultural Non-PointSource (AGNPS) Model in thissubwatershedRiparian Buffer Tax IncentiveProgramSeptic System Re-InspectionProgramCombined Sewer Overflows andExtraneous Flow ReductionProgramNaturalizing Drains and Drain BestManagement Practicesresources by providing a direct route to groundwater. The NPCA has a well decommissioning program in placefor its jurisdiction. Grants are available for the decommissioning of unused water wells only. Priority is given tohydrogeologically sensitive areas, projects located in areas with a high density of domestic water wells, andareas where watershed plans have been completed or are ongoing (NPCA 2007). Approved grants will cover90% of well decommissioning costs to a maximum of $2,000 per well (limit of 2 wells per property). This is areimbursement program, which means that the landowner will pay the full cost to the contractor, and will bereimbursed for 90% of the total project cost after all receipts, invoices, and water well decommissioningrecords are submitted to the NPCA.Wetlands provide important water quality and ecological functions in a watershed by augmenting low flow,acting as natural filtration systems and helping to reduce flooding by acting like giant sponges and absorbingexcess water. The Wetlands are Worth It Program through NPCA‟s Water Quality Improvement Program aimsto assist landowners that are interested in restoring, protecting, rehabilitating and creating wetland habitat ontheir property by providing grants to a maximum of 75% of the cost of a project with a grant ceiling of $10,000.The AGNPS modelling exercise is intended to provide watershed managers with a tool to enable them todesign BMP‟s and to target priority areas where projects would improve water quality conditions. The AGNPSmodel simulates surface runoff, sediment, and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) transport using a singlestorm event based model that considers the impact of water quality and quantity from non-point sources. Themodel also considers all variables affecting water quality including for example, soil, slope, nutrient inputs, landmanagement practices, precipitation, drainage sediments inputs, erosion and existing water quality.Partial exemption on property taxes for the establishment and maintenance of effective riparian andconservation buffers on property. Buffers provide a wide range of functions and benefits depending on theirlocation (e.g. adjacent to watercourse or separating land uses).Areas that do not receive municipal water and sewer services and that have medium and high groundwatervulnerability should be considered priority for such a program. “Municipal councils could approve and endorsethe allocation of funds from property taxes or general revenue to fund the program. This approach may befacilitated with council knowledge that a percentage of inspected septic systems will also require remedialaction on the part of some property owners, including the installation of new septic systems. Owners may alsopro-actively undertake action if they are aware that a program is underway. Both will affect the number ofpermits issued in a municipality, and may generate revenue as a result” (MMAH 2001).Although combined sewers are no longer installed, existing infrastructure can have negative environmentalimpacts when during heavy rain events and snowmelts the combined sewer may reach capacity dischargingexcess wastewater in the watercourse. In an effort to help reduce the load on these sewer systems, a programsimilar to Port Colborne‟s Extraneous Flow Reduction Pilot Program is recommended. This program involvesthe “inspection of private sanitary sewer services to assess their condition and the presence of any improperconnections, followed by recommendations and City funded improvements to remove sources of rainwaterfrom the sanitary sewer system” (City of Port Colborne 2009).In addition to having an impact on aquatic and riparian habitat, drain maintenance has the potential to becomequite costly through repeated maintenance activities. Naturalizing drains can potentially lengthen the timebetween maintenance events by reducing the amount of sediment entering and remaining in the drain. BestManagement Practices for drain maintenance should be developed in consultation with, but not limited to, thefollowing agencies; OMAFRA, DFO, MNR, Conservation Ontario, OFA, DSAO, CFFO, and the agriculturalcommunity to reduce ecological impacts to aquatic systems and to prevent sediment from returning to the146
CENTRAL WELLAND RIVER WATERSHED PLANEnvironmentally ResponsibleMaintenance Practices for GolfCoursesExpansion of Niagara Region‟sOrganic Deicing Material ProgramMunicipal Road Salt Impact Studyand Initiation of an OrganicDeicing Material Program forsensitive areasPotential Contaminant Sources ofPoint Source Pollutiondrain. Any future maintenance of this watercourse should be done in accordance with Best ManagementPractices for drains. To review examples of current BMP mitigation measures, refer to Appendix I.By integrating golf course management practices with wildlife management, such as incorporating enhancednatural areas into the landscaping, golf courses have the potential to offer a wide range of habitat for wildlife.In addition, encouragement of environmentally responsible maintenance practices, if not already adopted, willbe beneficial to water quality and the aquatic habitat. Investigation into the Audubon Cooperative SanctuaryProgram for Golf Courses should be explored for golf courses if such a program has not already beenadopted. In addition, environmentally friendly practices should be encouraged (e.g. chemical free practices).In the upper portion of Coyle Creek subwatershed, Regional Road 20 traverses the Fonthill Kame-DeltaComplex; an area of high groundwater vulnerability and a significant groundwater recharge area. Expansion ofNiagara Region‟s Organic Deicing Material Program to include Regional Road 20 is recommended to reducevulnerability of this area to the negative impacts of road salt during winter maintenance practices.Through RMN‟s Salt Vulnerability Study (2005) the majority of the Central Welland River watershed has beenranked as having a moderately high vulnerability to road salt from regional roads for surface water, wetlandand fish habitat features. However this study was not conducted on local municipal roads; therefore it isrecommended that a similar study be completed by the respective municipalities to determine the impact ofroad salt applications on municipal roads to surrounding features. Once complete, it is recommended that anorganic deicing material program be initiated, such as Regional Niagara‟s, for areas that have been identifiedas vulnerable to road salt from municipal roads. In this subwatershed, numerous municipal roads traverseareas of high and medium vulnerability as well as significant groundwater recharge areas. It is recommendedthat the initiation of an organic de-icing material program be implemented in these areas.An inventory of potential contaminant sources and threats to water quality was identified as part of theobjectives for the NPCA‟s Groundwater Study (2005). In the Coyle Creek subwatershed numerous points wereidentified; fuel storages, lumber yards, automotive wreckers, cemeteries, pipeline transfer stations, andpotential PCB‟s. An updated inventory to confirm potential contaminant sources and locations isrecommended as well as further investigation into the possible effects these potential contaminants may haveon surface water quality and aquatic habitat and whether or not a contaminant management plan is needed.147
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Central Welland River Watershed Plan - Niagara Peninsula ...

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