ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGENDA
January 18, 2018 10:00 AM
Page
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. DECLARATION OF INTEREST
3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES
2 - 5 - November 16, 2017 - EAC Meeting Minutes
- Minutes - Detail
4. PRESENTATIONS
6 - 49 - CRCA - Michael Daiken - Wiltse Creek
5. BUSINESS
- Official Plan Review Process
- Waste Management Provincial Policy Changes - EAC Working Group Meeting
50 - 53 - Idling By-law Update
6. INFORMATION ITEMS
54 - 60 - December 11, 2017 Council Meeting Minutes
61 - Creating Invasive Plant Management Strategy Workshop
7. ADJOURNMENT
Page 1 of 61 CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF LEEDS AND THE THOUSAND ISLANDS ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
November 16, 2017 at 10:00 AM
Members Present: Chair Emily Conger Councillor Last Cathy deKroon Matt Fiene Kurt Liebe
Staff: CAO, Greg CAO Deputy Clerk, Kimberly Almeida
Regrets: Councillor Huff
The Committee met in regular session on the morning of November 16, 2017 at 10:00 AM in the Lansdowne Council Chambers.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. DECLARATION OF INTEREST
None.
3. ADOPTION OF MINUTES
- October 19, 2017 EAC Meeting Minutes
Resolution #026-17 (DeKroon, Last)
THAT the October 19, 2017 EAC meeting minutes be adopted as circulated. Carried.
Resolution #027-17 (deKroon, Last)
Page 2 of 61 Environmental Advisory Committee Minutes - November 16, 2017
THAT the EAC recommends that Council approve an amendment to the EAC Terms of Reference pertaining to minutes, such that any changes or additions required, be made before adoption of the minutes as opposed to usual practice of adopting as amended. Carried.
4. PRESENTATIONS
- Invading Species Program
Ms. Powell presented an Invasive Species Powerpoint presentation and recommended that the Invasive Plant Council do a deputation to Council to spread awareness of the issues and serve as an education for the public.
Resolution #028-17 (Conger, Last)
WHEREAS there are many invasive plant species within the Township boundaries (giant hogweed, dog strangling vine, garlic mustard etc.);
AND WHEREAS the EAC's mandate provides that the Committee offer input on the potential impacts that human activity or development has on the natural environment;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the EAC recommends that staff invite the Ontario Invasive Plan Council to do a deputation to the Township Council on the Ontario Invading Species Awareness Program to promote education and remedial efforts of these invasive species.
Carried. 5. BUSINESS
- Wiltse Creek - Update
Ms. Conger stated that she contacted Queens university regarding the algae bloom exploration project regarding Wiltse Creek. The CAO and the Chair will meet with the Queens University representatives and CRCA to discuss this project.
Page 3 of 61 Environmental Advisory Committee Minutes - November 16, 2017
- Environmental Technologist - Update
The CAO will handle this item, no update at this time.
- Gananoque Watershed - Update
No Update at this time.
- Budget Discussion
The Committee spoke about the request received from the CAO to present a powerpoint during the budget deliberations regarding a high-level overview of the achievements and expectations in 2018 of the Committee.
- Waste Management Organics Reduction
The Committee spoke about the previously developed waste management working group and how to begin promoting organic waste reduction and diversion in lieu of an EAC meeting in December. Potential dates are the week of December 6-8 and December 11-14.
- Round Table Discussion
The Committee spoke about the round table discussion on the agenda as a standing item for visitors to be able to speak further on their subjects at this point.
- Official Plan Process
Mr. Liebe provided an update on the Official Plan visioning sessions beginning on November 20, 2017. The Committee spoke about their involvement in the Official Plan Process. The members will reach out to FAB to come to the Committee to speak to their input on the Official Plan.
Page 4 of 61 Environmental Advisory Committee Minutes - November 16, 2017
6. ADJOURNMENT
Resolution #029-17 (deKroon, Fiene)
THAT the EAC adjourn.
Carried.
______Chair, Emily Conger Secretary, Kimberly Almeida
Page 5 of 61
DATE: SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 REPORT # IR-072-17
TO: FULL AUTHORITY BOARD
FROM: MICHAEL DAKIN RESOURCE PLANNER
1.0 TYPE OF REPORT CONSENT ITEM [ ] ITEM FOR BOARD CONSIDERATION [ ] 2.0 TOPIC WILTSE CREEK
3.0 RECOMMENDATION
THAT report IR-072-17, Wiltse Creek, BE RECEIVED; and,
THAT staff BE DIRECTED to continue to communicate and share expertise with stakeholders involved in the Wiltse Creek water levels matter and to promote water quality and wetland best management practices and stewardship activities to landowners in the watershed.
4.0 PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to confirm direction from the Full Authority Board on the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority’s (CRCA) role and responsibilities with respect to Wiltse Creek and the Wiltse Creek Marsh. Specifically, this report provides information regarding CRCA’s role relative to high water level issues in the creek and watershed.
This report is intended to provide insight regarding the nature and complexity of the problem and the challenges associated with maintenance activities. The report also provides recommendations for how CRCA can best contribute to a long-term solution that aligns with its mandate.
Page 6 of 61
CATARAQUI REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY REPORT IR-072-17 – WILTSE CREEK SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 P a g e | 2 OF 10
5.0 BACKGROUND
Wiltse Creek is a tributary watercourse that drains into the Gananoque River. The subject area of interest (Attachment #1) is located in the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands between the outlet of Charleston Lake and where Wiltse Creek enters the Gananoque River. This portion of the Creek is relatively flat and low-lying with a broad floodplain. The area is dominated by the provincially significant Wiltse Creek Marsh. Wiltse Creek conveys flows from a large upstream drainage area including Charleston Lake and many tributaries. A municipal drain system known as the Smith-Bolger Drain (Black Creek) is also located on the system. The Conservation Authority owns property in the vicinity at Eden Grove and Marble Rock that includes both marsh and upland areas.
Water levels in the Wiltse Creek system are controlled upstream by the Charleston Lake Dam at Outlet and downstream by the Marble Rock Dam on the Gananoque River. Both dams are operated by Energy Ottawa (formerly “Fortis”).
The regulatory floodplain (1% probability event) covers a relatively large area around these waterbodies. The surrounding area has experienced recent flooding during heavy rainfall and freshet events (e.g. spring 2014, spring and summer 2017). Cattail mats, beaver activity, and sediment build-up in the Wiltse Creek Marsh may contribute to high water levels from time-to-time.
For several years CRCA staff have discussed the impact of high water levels along Wiltse Creek with various stakeholders, including the Township, landowners, Ontario Ministries of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Leeds County Federation of Agriculture, etc. These impacts include reduced navigability of the creek, poor agricultural drainage, and occasional backflooding in upstream waterbodies.
CRCA staff have also completed an initial assessment of the characteristics of Wiltse Creek (Wiltse & Black Creeks Depth and Blockage Investigation, S. Watt, October 2015 – Attachment #2). This report was prepared in light of concerns expressed about sediment accumulation and blockages in the watercourse channel.
Page 7 of 61
CATARAQUI REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY REPORT IR-072-17 – WILTSE CREEK SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 P a g e | 3 OF 10
To date, the topic has not been discussed directly at the CRCA Full Authority Board. The Wiltse Creek area was part of a Full Authority watershed tour in May of 2015 and there was some discussion of the impacts of the spring freshet of 2014 in the Wiltse Creek area provided in reports IR-048-14, 2014 Flooding Events – What We Learned and Possible Changes, and IR-055-14, 2014 Flooding Events – Supplementary Report. The primary focus of CRCA staff to date has been to keep an open dialogue with stakeholders, monitor and assess conditions and continue to fulfill CRCA’s flood forecasting and warning role.
Recent flooding events (e.g.127 mm of rain measured at the Outlet Dam in less than 24 hours between July 24 and July 25, 2017), upstream site alteration activities (municipal drain cleanout, farming practices adjacent to creek and tributaries) and other factors (sediment accumulations, cattail blockages) reported by some of the stakeholders have led to calls for more direct CRCA involvement. Specifically, there have been requests from landowners and members of the agricultural community for CRCA to coordinate and fund maintenance activities at the mouth of the creek and potentially elsewhere in the channel including a large- scale dredge.
6.0 STRATEGIC PLAN
This report supports Goal ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ in the Strategic Plan, Cataraqui 2020.
Goal B: To implement policies that will protect life and property from natural hazards such as flooding and erosion.
• Implement preventive policies for lands which may be subject to natural hazards.
Goal C: To conserve woodlands, wetlands and natural habitat
• Protect significant natural heritage features through planning policies and procedures.
• To cooperate with other partner agencies to fulfill terms of agreement to review impact of development proposals on fish habitat.
Page 8 of 61
CATARAQUI REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY REPORT IR-072-17 – WILTSE CREEK SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 P a g e | 4 OF 10
Goal D: To facilitate protection of natural resources in order to conserve, restore, develop or manage them.
• Implement a land management program reflecting the different types of properties under CRCA ownership.
• Enhance the Authority's technical advisory program to member municipalities and the public to protect or enhance natural areas and functions.
7.0 INPUT FROM OTHER SOURCES
This report stems from previous discussions over the last several years between CRCA staff and various stakeholders, as outlined in Section 5.0 above.
The report summarizes and builds on the findings of the report titled Wiltse & Black Creeks Depth and Blockage Investigation, completed in October 2015 (Attachment #2) by the former Water Resources Engineer.
The report also reflects input from other staff members, including meeting notes from the former General Manager, and discussions with current staff including, Manager, Watershed Planning & Engineering and, Technologist, Water Resources.
8.0 ANALYSIS
This section provides an overview of the findings of the 2015 Wiltse Creek report, an update on recent events, discussion of challenges, and proposes CRCA’s roles and responsibilities for action.
Page 9 of 61
CATARAQUI REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY REPORT IR-072-17 – WILTSE CREEK SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 P a g e | 5 OF 10
Wiltse & Black Creeks Depth and Blockage Investigations, CRCA, 2015
This report stemmed from previous discussions with stakeholders. CRCA offered to use internal expertise to complete field work to determine the location of specific blockages in Wiltse Creek and to assess sediment build-up. The purpose was to assist with planned maintenance work (e.g. municipal drain cleanouts) and to alleviate longer-term sediment build-up/flooding issues. The key findings include:
• there is minimal fall between the two dams (Outlet and Marble Rock); • there is minimal outflow from Charleston Lake during drier times of the year; • the majority of sediment in Wiltse Creek appears to come from the Black Creek tributary (Smith-Bolger Drain), with a major source believed to be from agricultural runoff; • from field observations and a review of aerial photographs from different years, there were no apparent obstructions in the creek, no high spots or blockages to hold water from flowing; • the main flow channel of the creek has been apparent for decades; • a “delta” with cattail mats and other vegetation has formed at the creek mouth (at the confluence with the Gananoque River) with a generally shallower area present; • the presence and extent of the delta is anticipated to fluctuate over time (high some years, low in others); • water levels in the creek appear to be controlled solely by operation of water control structures and levels are generally consistent from year to year with exceptions during heavy precipitation/runoff events (such as spring 2014); • higher water levels in tributaries (e.g. Eden Grove/Bullfrog Bay Road area) are likely due to beaver activity rather than water levels on Wiltse Creek.
The report concluded that, although there are data gaps and additional investigation would benefit the overall understanding of the hydraulics/hydrology of the creek and watershed, the findings did not support specific remedial actions at the time.
Page 10 of 61
CATARAQUI REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY REPORT IR-072-17 – WILTSE CREEK SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 P a g e | 6 OF 10
Recent Events
Observations from Energy Ottawa on July 19, 2017 and July 25, 2017 indicated that Wiltse Creek was partially blocked at the confluence with the Gananoque River due to cattail growth at the mouth and sediment/vegetation build-up. It is noted that the blockage was observed after and during very heavy precipitation events, including above-average rainfall in the spring and during the month of July (including the major rainfall event noted in section 5.0). The reported blockage, combined with the heavy precipitation, impacted flow through the Outlet Dam at Charleston Lake. The exact extent, severity and duration of the reported blockage is unknown at this time. At the time of the preparation of this report, Energy Ottawa and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry were continuing to investigate the blockage.
High water levels from the extreme rainfall in the watershed resulted in closure of a portion of a municipal road, inundation of boathouses, docks and shorelines on upstream water bodies (e.g. Charleston Lake) and affected the operation of Charleston Lake Provincial Park. The same rainfall event caused localized flooding in many other parts of the Cataraqui Region.
Issues and Challenges
While the 2015 Wiltse Creek report by CRCA staff did not identify a specific source or location of sediment build-up and creek blockage, recent observations show that an obstruction at the mouth/outlet does present itself under certain conditions on an intermittent basis.
Additional Investigation of the Issues
The evidence to date suggests that the obstruction, while possibly substantial at certain times, is temporary. However, without a more thorough understanding of the nature and source of the obstruction, a proper course of action cannot be established. The 2015 report identifies additional investigation measures that could be undertaken including up-to-date depth measurements, soil and sediment analysis and assessment of beaver dam and other blockages in the creek and tributaries. This work would best be undertaken by a qualified engineering consulting firm under the guidance of CRCA. The cost of this work would be substantial and is not currently included in CRCA’s work plan or capital budget forecast.
Page 11 of 61
CATARAQUI REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY REPORT IR-072-17 – WILTSE CREEK SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 P a g e | 7 OF 10
Challenges Associated with Dredging
Staff do not believe that maintenance activities such as dredging the creek channel and mouth would be an effective long-term solution. Sediment transport and deposition is a naturally occurring phenomenon in a watercourse and the rate at which it occurs is a function of upstream activities (site alteration, erosion, etc.) and water levels and velocity in the creek system. Dredging the channel and mouth of the creek at the downstream end of Wiltse Creek will not address upstream factors or highly variable water levels caused by unpredictable and, at times, extreme weather events.
Other challenges include:
• likelihood of the dredged area being refilled with sediment from the surrounding creek bed due to the expected composition of the creek substrate (this would also contribute to high maintenance costs over time); • difficult accessibility for heavy equipment; • difficult implementation of necessary sediment and erosion controls critical for a project of this scale; • difficult and costly removal and disposal of dredged material.
If not undertaken properly, there are potential impacts to the hydrologic and ecologic function of the Wiltse Marsh Provincially Significant Wetland and to other natural features in the creek, marsh and downstream waterbodies (e.g. Gananoque River).
It is incumbent upon the CRCA to ensure that actions in one part of the watershed do not negatively impact other areas either downstream or upstream. Staff do not have an appropriate level of confidence that dredging would be a long-term solution without impacts elsewhere in the watershed.
The costs of a large-scale dredging project in the subject area are anticipated to be substantial and are not currently included in CRCA’s work plan or capital budget forecast. Such work would not be eligible for senior government funding (notably the Province’s Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure (WECI) program that is a key source of funding for existing watercourse-related infrastructure).
Page 12 of 61
CATARAQUI REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY REPORT IR-072-17 – WILTSE CREEK SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 P a g e | 8 OF 10
CRCA’s Role
CRCA’s mandate, as per the Conservation Authorities Act, is to ensure the conservation, restoration and responsible management of the region’s water, land and natural habitats on a watershed basis.
Part of this mandate includes protecting and managing wetlands and natural habitat, such as the Wiltse Marsh Provincially Significant Wetland. Staff implement the mandate for wetland and habitat conservation through CRCA’s role as a technical advisory agency to its member municipalities and as a regulatory agency under Ontario Regulation 148/06. CRCA staff use their technical expertise in the fields of hydrology and ecology as well as their familiarity with applicable legislation and policy to advise proponents on projects involving development, site alteration, and modification and/or maintenance of waterbodies and shorelines. Where a project is subject to Ontario Regulation 148/06, staff are also responsible for reviewing and issuing permit approvals.
Unless the subject property involves Conservation Authority-owned and managed lands (e.g. Conservation Areas, water control structures) CRCA does not normally act as a proponent or undertake specific waterbody alteration/modification projects. CRCA does not own the subject lands nor does it own or operate the nearby water control structures (Outlet and Marble Rock Dams).
Should another party propose to undertake dredging or other alteration/modification work in Wiltse Creek or the surrounding area, CRCA will be involved in the review process and will ensure compliance with applicable legislation and regulations.
Another part of CRCA’s mandate is to develop and maintain programs that will protect life and property from natural hazards such as erosion and flooding. This is done primarily through CRCA’s flood forecasting and warning role. CRCA staff will continue to fulfill this role by coordinating water level responses and flood messaging in conjunction with Energy Ottawa, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Township.
Page 13 of 61
CATARAQUI REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY REPORT IR-072-17 – WILTSE CREEK SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 P a g e | 9 OF 10
CRCA’s Involvement Moving Forward
Based on its role and expertise, CRCA can contribute in the following ways: • by continuing to fulfill its responsibilities as an advisory and regulatory agency and through flood forecasting and warning; • by continuing to communicate with stakeholders including water managers, Township staff, elected officials, and landowners; • by sharing its hydrology and ecology expertise in an advisory role in any future discussions, including, potentially, with other agencies and organizations; • by ensuring that any project proposal is consistent with applicable CRCA regulatory requirements in an expeditious manner. In the interest of long-term protection and restoration of the Wiltse Creek watershed, staff recommend that CRCA continue to promote water quality and wetland best management practices and stewardship activities to landowners in the area.
This includes use of agricultural buffer strips, stormwater management measures, cover crops, and implementation of sediment and erosion controls during site alteration activity. To this end, staff will liaise with Federal and Provincial and ministries and the agricultural industry to educate and promote best management practices to upstream landowners including the local agricultural community. Staff will also promote external stewardship programs for water quality and wetland protection and as opportunities become available.
9.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
To date, staff work on the file has been part of CRCA’s regular business over an extended period of time. Expenditures have included staff time required for the attendance of various meetings and, most significantly, for the completion of the 2015 report by the former Water Resources Engineer.
Ongoing and future flood forecasting and warning work is covered by existing CRCA and Provincial funding.
Page 14 of 61
CATARAQUI REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY REPORT IR-072-17 – WILTSE CREEK SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 P a g e | 10 OF 10
10.0 CONCLUSION
Considerable effort on behalf of CRCA staff as well as other stakeholders has been spent to understand the challenges associated with water levels in Wiltse Creek and the Wiltse Creek Marsh. Despite this, the problem, including the source, extent and severity of the build-up and blockage, is not fully understood.
Staff’s findings to date indicate that there is no single cause and that the extent and severity of the obstruction varies from year to year depending on water levels and upstream activities. It is the position of staff that implementation of upstream best management practices and stewardship activities are the preferred long-term solution versus proposals to dredge Wiltse Creek and Marsh.
CRCA staff are committed to fulfilling their role as a regulatory authority and will review permit applications for proposed work by others in accordance with Ontario Regulation 148/06 in an expeditious manner. CRCA staff will also continue to fulfill the flood forecasting and warning role for the Wiltse Creek watershed and will update the Board accordingly. Furthermore, staff will contribute by continuing to communicate and share expertise with stakeholders including the Township, agricultural community and other landowners in an effort to move towards a long- term solution involving best management practices and stewardship activities.
Respectfully submitted, Approved for circulation,
(Original signed by) (Original signed by)
Michael Dakin Geoff Rae, MBA, P.Eng. Resource Planner General Manager
Attachments:
#1 - Map #2 - Wiltse & Black Creeks Depth and Blockage Investigation (CRCA staff, 2015)
Page 15 of 61 n"
n"
Attachment #1 - Report IR-072-17 to Full Authority Board 09/27/17 n" n" CataraquiCataraqui RegionRegion ConservationConservation AuthorityAuthority O'GRADY ROAD BURMA LANE WiltseWiltse CreekCreek andand Marsh,Marsh, TownshipTownshipPINE TREE ROAD ofof LeedsLeeds && thethe ThousandThousand IslandsIslands LOST BAY LANE n" Ji Outlet Outlet Dam Seeleys Bay "
n Legend ], n" GREENFIELDLANE Dam (Energy Ottawa) Gananoque Lake Flood Plain South Lake Smith Bolger Wiltse Creek Municipal Drain
BURNS LANE , BLACKRAPIDS ROAD MunicipalWARBURTON Drains ROAD DERYAW ROAD Lansdowne SAND BAY ROAD x Marble Rock MOORHEAD LANE n" Provincially Significant
Wetland (PSW) HERON LANE
0 0.5 1 2 GAN3 LAKE4 LANE Kilometres %Ð , ] Gananoque Lake
" n DULCEMAINE ROAD
Black Creek Wiltse Creek CENTENNIAL ROAD
Wiltse Creek Marsh
PSW PACIFIC ROAD Mouth of Wiltse Creek
at Gananoque River RUSSELLROAD
UNION ROAD
FAIRFAX ROAD
Page 16 of 61 BULLFROG BAY ROAD Scale 1: 35,000
0 0.25 0.5 1 1.5 2
TOWER ROAD
Kilometres
OUTLET ROAD UTM Projection NAD 83
Produced by the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority under license with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources © Queen's
Gananoque River Printer for Ontario, 2017. GANANOQUE LAKE ROAD µ
KYES ROAD Aerial Photography © Airborne Imaging, 2014.
While the CRCA makes every effort to ensure that the information presented is accurate for the intended uses of this map, there is an BRADLEY LANE inherent error in all mapping products, and accuracy of the mapping cannot be guaranteed for all possible uses. All end-users must
KIDD ROAD NORTH therefore determine for themselves if the information is suitable for their purposes. EDEN GROVE ROAD COUNTY ROAD 2 " RAILWAY STREET n Marble Rock Dam EDEN GROVE ROAD Lansdowne PRINCE STREET \\GIS Department\Projects & mxds\Staff Work\Wiltse Creek 11x17 Attachment #2 - Report IR-072-17 to Full Authority Board 09/27/17
Wiltse & Black Creeks Depth and Blockage Investigation
Prepared by: Sean Watt M.Sc. (Eng.), P.Eng Date: October, 2015
Page 17 of 61 Table of Contents
List of Figures
Figure 1 General Wiltse and Black Creek Location Page 2 Figure 2 Water Level Profile from JD Lee Report (1968) Page 4 Figure 3 1959 Air Photo Page 6 Figure 4 1971 Air Photo Page 7 Figure 5 1991 Air Photo Page 8 Figure 6 2008 Air Photo Page 9 Figure 7 2014 Air Photo Page 10 Figure 8 Wiltse Creek Bog Mouth - April 2014 (north) Page 12 Figure 9 Black Creek and Wiltse Creek Confluence – April 2014 (north-east) Page 13 Figure 10 Sonar/GPS Unit Page 14 Figure 11 Sonar, GPS Unit attached to HyDrone Unit Page 15 Figure 12 Plan View of Path Travelled for Measurements Page 16 Figure 13 Profile Chart of Water Depth along the Creeks Page 17 Figure 14 Bathmetry Data, 2014 Air Photo, Interior Channel Page 18 Figure 15 Bathmetry Data, 2014 Air Photo, Interior Channel Page 19 Figure 16 Whitefish Lake Historical Channel estimate from Bathymetry Measurements (Watson, 2006) Page 20 Figure 17 Colonel By Lake Historical Channel estimate from Bathymetry Measurements (Watson, 2006) Page 21 Figure 18 2014 Air Photo showing Wiltse Creek sedimentation at the Delta Page 22 Figure 19 Wiltse Creek Mouth From the Air - July 2015 (north) Page 23 Figure 20 Gananoque Lake Water Levels and Rule Curve (E.O. Generation) Page 24 Figure 21 Marble Rock Water Levels 1969-1990 Page 25 Figure 22 Marble Rock Water Levels 1969-1990 Page 26 Data compared to 2013-2015 Figure A1 Wiltse Creek Subwatersheds Page 30
List of Tables
Table 1 Water Control Structure Data Page 3 Table 2 Summary of Conditions – Wiltse and Black Creeks Page 25
Page 18 of 61 Background1
Over the past few years, Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA) staff have talked with local residents of the Wiltse and Black Creek watersheds, as well as municipal and agricultural organization representatives, about their concerns with possible sediment buildup, and lack of summer flow in Wiltse and Black Creeks. These types of discussions have spanned a much longer time period, where they get revisited from time to time, including concerns about the cat tail mat of the Wiltse Creek Bog moving around, blocking the creek channel, or breaking off and floating downstream to become stuck in the Marble Rock Dam.
Purpose of This Work
Within the various discussions of the potential conditions of the creek, the CRCA offered in the spring of 2015 to conduct some field work to determine the following:
1. Location of any specific blockages in Wiltse Creek 2. Any specific sediment buildup in Wiltse Creek
The municipality has also committed to doing maintenance to the Smith-Bolger Municipal Drain, which includes much of Black Creek, and some tributaries to Black Creek (The overall drain includes around 9000 ac of drainage (3640 ha)). The work done by the CRCA was to be compared to the municipal drain info, and help with the maintenance work, and whether any additional/complementary work could be completed to alleviate some longer term sediment buildup/flooding issues.
Location
The subwatersheds of interest are located in Leeds and the Thousand Islands Township, approximately 8 km north-west of the Village of Lansdowne, and 12 km north of the Town of Gananoque (See Figure 1). The Black and Wiltse Creek watersheds are subwatersheds of the Gananoque River. Black Creek (drainage area of 42.5 km2) flows westerly into Wiltse Creek (drainage area of 355 km2), which then flows south-west into the Gananoque River (drainage area of 931 km2). The Wiltse Creek Bog (a provincially significant wetland) forms 1.2 km downstream from the confluence of the Black and Wiltse Creeks, and extends about 7 km to the confluence with the Gananoque River. It has a total area of approximately 8 km2 (800 ha). There are numerous other subwatershed/tributaries that flow into Wiltse and Black Creeks that are also thought to have water level issues, tile drains, etc., which may or may not be directly affected by water levels or blockages on Wiltse or Black Creeks. Figure A1 shows the various tributaries and their watersheds to Wiltse Creek, including the delineated floodplain from Gananoque Lake and Wiltse Creek, which provides a general area that could be directly influenced by levels on the lake, or in the creek.
1 This report was prepared by CRCA staff as an initial assessment in 2015 and has neither been reviewed or endorsed by the CRCA Board.
Page 19 of 61
Figure 1: General Wiltse and Black Creek Location
I) Historical Information
CRCA staff have looked at various pieces of historical information, to build some background information on the Gananoque Watershed, and the Wiltse Creek and Black Creek subwatersheds. This includes historical reports and air photos.
Historical Reports • JD Lee Hydrological Report on the Gananoque Watershed (1968) • Gananoque Watershed Management Study Reports (1981-1985) • Engineered Landscapes (2006)
Water Control Structures
There have been dams located upstream and downstream of the creek reach of interest for almost 200 years. The 1968 JD Lee Report notes that the current Marble Rock Dam was built in 1923/24 and the current Charleston Lake Dam was built in 1965. At the time of building, it is believed that all landowners affected by increased water levels were compensated for loss of land (E.O. Generation, 2015). The 1968 report also notes that there was an original dam built at Marble Rock around 1830 and at Charleston Lake around 1800. “Engineered Landscapes” (Watson, 2006), a book about the route layout of the Rideau Canal, references investigations for the routing of the Canal, and it does not note a dam at Marble Rock on French’s 1783 survey of a
Page 20 of 61 route through this path. It is assumed that this means that no dam had been built at that time, which matches with the information in the JD Lee report. There is minimal historical information available about the size of the dams, or their measurements, sill elevations, water levels elevations, operations, etc.
As a result of the 1981-85 Gananoque Watershed Management Study, the operations of the current structures on the Gananoque River were changed slightly (as recommended by the study, and the Gananoque River Management Committee) and have remained reasonably constant since that time.
Table 1 includes some details on the upstream and downstream water control structures for the creek reach of interest.
Table 1: Water Control Structure Data Marble Rock Dam Charleston Lake Dam Current Dam Year Constructed 1923 1965 Original Dam Year Constructed 1830 1800 Sill Elevation* 82.03 m GSC 83.17 m GSC Summer Water Level** 84.70 - 84.60 m GSC 85.8 m GSC Winter Water Level** 84.20 - 84.60 m GSC 85.0 m GSC Floodplain Elevation (u/s)* 86.1 m GSC 86.5 m GSC Floodplain Elevation (d/s)* 84.2 m GSC 86.1 m GSC Upstream Drainage Area 814 km2 288 km2 * data from (Lathem, 1983) ** data from (E.O. Generation, 2015)
Watershed Profile
Some important information pulled from the JD Lee report (1968) regards the elevation of the water control structures upstream (Charleston Lake Dam) and downstream (Marble Rock Dam) of the creek reach of interest. There is minimal fall between the two dams, and for much of the drier part of the year (summer months), when there is minimal outflow from Charleston Lake, the water level downstream of the Charleston Lake Dam is the same as the upstream water level at the Marble Rock Dam. Figure 2 is an excerpt of the JD Lee (1968) report, showing the Gananoque watershed lake elevations in profile.
Page 21 of 61
Figure 2: Water Level Profile from JD Lee Report (1968)
Page 22 of 61
Air Photos
Based on review of the almost 60 years of air photos available, it appears that the path of the creek has changed very little over that time. It also appears that the width of the creek has remained very similar, perhaps even increasing slightly over time. There is no historical depth of creek information, so it is unclear whether the creek has been experiencing deposition or erosion of sediments over time.
The air photos shown in Figures 3 to 7 are excerpts of the original photos. The versions shown here have been scanned, and cropped to show the mouth of Wiltse Creek specifically, as one location where some change has occurred over time. Each photo shows approximately the same location, at approximately the same scale, covering approximately 2.2 km by 2.2 km, or a total area of 4.8 km2.
Historical Air Photos • 1959 • 1971 • 1991 • 2008 • 2014
There is a distinct change in the extent of cat tail from the 1971 to 1991 photos, however, the creek channel as seen in the 1959 and 1971 photos is still very evident under the water in the 2008 and 2014 photos, and vaguely in the 1991 photo, which is cut off in that general area.
Page 23 of 61
Figure 3: 1959 Air Photo
Page 24 of 61
Figure 4: 1971 Air Photo
Page 25 of 61
Figure 5: 1991 Air Photo
Page 26 of 61
Figure 6: 2008 Air Photo
Page 27 of 61
Figure 7: 2014 Air Photo
Municipal Drain
The original Smith-Bolger municipal drain was designed and constructed in 1973/74 (A.J. Graham, 1973). An area to the south (just west of Lansdowne) was added to this drain as the Poldervaart-Webster Municipal Drain in 1974 (AJ Graham, 1974), and the area just to the north of Black Creek was incorporated into the drain as the Creek Road (Horton) Municipal Drain in the early 1980’s, designed in 1982 and constructed in 1983/84 (AJ Graham, 1982).
Page 28 of 61 The municipality has planned to do maintenance work on the drain in 2015, and this study was partly to gather some useful information on potential maintenance at other locations along the drain and creek system.
II) Field Work
CRCA staff have conducted field work multiple times over the past few years, including boating along the length of the channel, flying over the Wiltse Bog, and conducting depth profile measurements.
General
A) In October 2013, Sean Watt (CRCA) and Murray Hall (Fortis Generation) boated along Wiltse Creek from the road crossing at Sand Bay Road, all the way to the mouth of Wiltse Creek at the Gananoque River. That day, there was a cat tail blockage at the mouth of the creek. However, there was still flow in the creek (under the cat tails), as the movement of the water had pushed debris up against the cat tail blockage.
B) In the spring of 2014, CRCA staff flew over the creek area during the flooding event of April 2014. At the time, there were no visible blockages in the Wiltse Creek channel, as seen in Figure 8. This photo also shows that Wiltse Creek was carrying a considerable sediment load, passing that into the Gananoque River, but that the Gananoque River upstream was carrying a much lower sediment load. It can also be seen in Figure 9 that there is considerable sediment being carried in Black Creek, and minimal sediment being carried in Wiltse Creek upstream of the confluence with Black Creek. This indicates that a majority of the sediment in Wiltse Creek is coming from Black Creek, presumably being washed off the agricultural fields.
Page 29 of 61
Figure 8: Wiltse Creek Bog Mouth - April 2014 (north)
Page 30 of 61
Figure 9: Black Creek and Wiltse Creek Confluence - April 2014 (north-east)
C) In September of 2014, Murray Hall conducted the same boat trip as had been done in 2013, along the length of the creek on his own, and he encountered no blockage in the creek at all.
Creek Survey 2015
In the spring of 2015, staff from the CRCA rented a GPS and depth sounder unit (Trimble GeoExplorer 6000: GeoXH, Sonarmite MILSpec, Figures 10 & 11), and travelled the length of the creeks, from the Russell Road crossing of Black Creek, to the mouth of Wiltse Creek, and back. The unit recorded the GPS location of the unit, and the depth of water, for the entire trip.
The unit was attached to a small aluminum boat (Figure 10), such that it was at the same elevation from the water over the length of the travelled route. The unit then recorded water depth, X-Y location of the unit, and the elevation of the water level, along the journey. There were more than 25,000 points recorded over the 17 km length of the trip.
Page 31 of 61
Figure 10: Sonar/GPS Unit (*left – attached to boat, *right photo from www.ohmex.com)
Page 32 of 61
Figure 11: Sonar, GPS Unit attached to HyDrone Unit (*HyDrone not used in field)
The length of Black Creek from Russell Road to the confluence with Wiltse Creek is approximately 0.5 km, and the length of Wiltse Creek from the confluence with Black Creek to the confluence with the Gananoque River is about 6.9 km. In addition, a short length of Wiltse Creek upstream of the Black Creek (300 m) confluence was also travelled, as well as a cross- section of the Gananoque River at the mouth of Wiltse Creek (600 m). The travelled path is shown in Figure 12 (including km markers for the travel route).
It was found that the water level was essentially constant along the length of the trip, indicating minimal to no flow along the length of the creeks. The water level at Marble Rock the day of the field work was 84.66 m (E.O. Generation, 2015) which is about normal for that time of year (the rule curve water level during the summer months varies between 84.7 and 84.6 m), and both the Marble Rock Dam, and the Outlet Dam were essentially closed, which is why there was no flow. The month of May was very dry, and the dams were closed to try to maintain water levels in the lakes. The lack of flow was also apparent by dropping floating objects into the water, where they did not move at all.
While the water depth along the creek fluctuated up and down, there were no apparent blockages along the length of the creek. Looking purely at the depth data, there are definitely highs and lows in water depth along the creek, including depths of as much as 3.5 m, and as little as 0.5 m (or less). It should be noted that the depth sounder did not register a depth if the water was less than 0.3 m (1 ft) deep. On the journey, staff tried to follow the centre-line of the creek on the trip from Black Creek to the mouth of Wiltse Creek, and then weave back and forth on the trip back, to get as many depth measurements, in as many locations, as possible. The goal was to get as
Page 33 of 61 many points as possible, and build a bathymetry map of the creek. Unfortunately, the distribution of the points was not sufficient for a proper bathymetry map, but only for a profile depth chart, as shown in Figure 13.
2 1
3
4
5
6
8 7
Figure 12: Plan View of Path Travelled for Measurements
Page 34 of 61 Page 35 of 61
Figure 13: Profile Chart of Water Depth along the Creeks
There are a number of rises to a depth of 0.5 m in the profile, some of these come from the route getting close to the edge of the creek, resulting in lower depth measurements, or zero values when the sensor is in shallow water. In other cases, some of the shallow depths appear to be a result of the path travelling outside of a thinner deeper central channel (potentially the original historical channel from before the construction of dams at Marble Rock) within the main channel. This interior channel is not visible from the surface, as the water is too turbid, but does seem to show up on the limited bathymetry information that has been gathered, as well as on some of the air photos (the 2014 in particular – Figures 14 & 15). This layout is not unusual for a watercourse or waterbody, having a “low-flow” channel, and a larger channel for higher flows and higher water levels. This interior (or historical) channel is also seen in lakes on the Rideau Canal, and has been compared to pre-canal (before dams and flooding) maps, and seems to coincide. Two specific examples from Ken Watson’s work (Watson, 2006) are shown in Figure 16 and 17.
Figure 14: Bathmetry Data, 2014 Air Photo, Interior Channel (chainage 4300 m to 4550 m) (see text for legend description)
Page 36 of 61
Figure 15: Bathmetry Data, 2014 Air Photo, Interior Channel (chainage 3790 m to 3970 m) (see text for legend description)
The two lines on Figures 14 & 15 show the routes taken during the field sampling. The red colours are shallower water, and the greens and yellows are deeper water. In the lower path, it can be seen that the colour shifts between green/yellow and red/orange as the path moves in and out of the interior channel of the creek, and in the upper path, the entire length is red, where the water is shallower along the edge of the cat tails. Figure 15 has used some modification to the colours of the photo to bring out the location of the deeper channel (green hues). In both figures, the width of the creek is between 30 and 50 m wide.
This interior channel can also be seen on the earlier air photos of the Wiltse Creek mouth, as well as a channel in the Gananoque River in the 2014 Air Photo (Figure 7).
This supports the general finding that there are no apparent obstructions in the creek, and show that while the slope of the creek channel may be quite flat in places, it does generally fall consistently from upstream to downstream.
Page 37 of 61
Figure 16: Whitefish Lake Historical Channel estimate from Bathymetry Measurements (Watson, 2006)
Page 38 of 61
Figure 17: Colonel By Lake Historical Channel estimate from Bathymetry Measurements (Watson, 2006)
Page 39 of 61 From the water (and as seen in the data), there are no apparent blockages, or high spots, along the creek that would be expected to hold water from flowing.
When looking at the 2014 air photo of the mouth of the creek (Figure 18), it does appear that there is a "delta" of sediment formed where Wiltse Creek outlets into the Gananoque River. Sediment deposition is common where a smaller stream joins a larger one, as the reduction in current allows suspended sediment to settle out. During the field work in May 2015, this was not fully apparent from the surface, though there were some indications that this area was shallower, given the clusters of cat tails growing around the "delta". Some more recent photos taken from the air by a municipal staff-person (Figure 19) shows much duckweed, algae, and cat-tail growing across the "delta", which also indicates shallower water. Comparing the historic air photos, this entire area has been shallow for decades, and in some years is filled with cat tails, though the main flow channel is apparent in all photos, and has therefore been maintained for decades.
Figure 18: 2014 Air Photo showing Wiltse Creek sedimentation at the Delta
Page 40 of 61
Figure 19: Wiltse Creek Mouth From the Air - July 2015 (north) * photo by Michael Touw
CRCA staff did not take any specific sediment samples during the May 2015 field work, though the bottom was probed regularly along the length of the creek, and the sediments were very soft, and very fine (clay-like).
III) Results
The general result found in the depth survey is that there is no obvious blockage of sediment (or otherwise) in Wiltse Creek. The substrate elevation is reasonably flat, similar to the land around the creek, though there is at least minimal fall along the length of the creek, in general.
Discussion
There is very little fall along Wiltse Creek (especially through the main wetland area), and if there is no flow in the creek, then there is no sediment movement, which means any accumulated sediment cannot be moved out of the channel. However, when there is flow, there is definitely sediment movement in the creek, and most of the sediment appears to be coming from Black Creek, rather than from further upstream along Wiltse Creek. In addition, it would appear that some of the sediment is deposited at the mouth of Wiltse Creek, where it empties into the Gananoque River, as seen specifically from the 2014 air photo, but is apparent in each of the air photos shown in the report. This makes sense, as this part of the river (also called Gananoque Lake) is very slow moving, and sediment suspended in the flow of Wiltse Creek will settle out of the water column when the velocity slows down, as it would here.
Page 41 of 61 It is the opinion of the CRCA that there are no blockages in Wiltse and Black Creeks that cause high upstream water levels. The water levels in Wiltse Creek appear to be controlled solely by the operation of the water control structures, which have been following an accepted rule curve for the last 30 years (since the 1981-85 Gananoque River Watershed Management Study), and seem to be very similar to the 15 to 20 years of records before that (1969 to 1990), for a total of 45 years of similar operations. Figure 20 shows the rule curve and the water levels over the last 3 years. The water level has been just slightly above the rule curve over those years, particularly in 2014, when there was flooding across the region.
Figure 20: Gananoque Lake Water Levels and Rule Curve (E.O. Generation)
In addition to the recent water levels recorded for Marble Rock Dam, CRCA staff found water level records for the dam for the period of 1969 to 1990. These records were compiled by Environment Canada, presumably for the purpose of looking at the historical water levels, and potential changes to the rule curve, for the Gananoque River Management Committee at the time. These records suggest that the rule curve followed now is very similar to the rule curve followed then, and very little has changed, other than some timing of the lower levels within the rule curve. Figure 21 shows the monthly average water levels, compared to the long term average over the 20 years from 1969 to 1990, as well as the maximum and minimum levels. It can easily be seen that the water levels from year to year follow in the same general ranges. Figure 22 shows the last three years compared to the average, maximum and minimums from the earlier period. It should be noted that almost all the minimum levels occurred in the early 1970s, and have not been repeated since. It should also be noted that, while the overall ranges
Page 42 of 61 seem consistent over the last 45 years, the annual range (difference between highest level and lowest level) does appear to have reduced over time, from around 75 cm to around 50 cm, though that may not actually be the case, given only 3 years in the last set of data, and those three years being potentially abnormal.
Figure 21: Marble Rock Water Levels 1969-1990
Page 43 of 61
Figure 22: Marble Rock Water Levels 1969-1990 Data compared to 2013-2015
There are other areas around the periphery of the extensive Wiltse Marsh for which drainage concerns have been expressed. For example, along Eden Grove Creek (Bullfrog Bay Road area), which drains towards the marsh from the south, a proposal for an agricultural drain was terminated by a Tribunal in 2006. The Tribunal recognized the need for on-going beaver management and the relatively low change in water level would not meet expectations for agriculture. The related drain report (Ainley Group, 2004) noted that owing to low gradient in the area, relatively minor obstructions to flow or weather conditions can affect water levels over a considerable area and for an extended period of time. Further, as experienced in the Eden Grove area in a subsequent Township-CRCA pilot project (ditching, beaver dam removal), minor changes in water level can change flow routes, including those as primary and auxiliary.
CRCA staff used Lidar data from 2014 to compare water levels in the Bullfrog Bay Road/Eden Grove area and the main Wiltse Creek area. They found that the water levels in Wiltse Creek were around 60 centimeters lower than in the Bullfrog Bay Road area, suggesting that the water levels along Bullfrog Bay Road (at the time of Lidar gathering at least – April 2014 flooding) are not controlled by the water level in Wiltse Creek itself. This is thought to be the case for many of the tributaries draining into Wiltse Creek, that many of the high water levels are due to beaver dam blockages (or other obstructions) in the tributaries, rather than water levels on Wiltse Creek. Figure A1 shows the tributaries and subwatersheds flowing into Wiltse Creek, and suggests that the Bullfrog Bay Road area naturally drains to the south, rather than the north into Wiltse Creek,
Page 44 of 61 and even with drainage to the north, does not actually flow into Wiltse Creek itself, but rather to the southern edge of the wetland, and then westerly into Gananoque Lake.
Floodplain
The floodplain of Gananoque Lake, and Wiltse Creek, is quite extensive, given the flat nature of the surrounding lands. The floodplain elevation was established as part of the Gananoque Watershed Management Study (Lathem, 1983). The mapped floodplain elevation is based on hydrologic and hydraulic modeling for the entire watershed, and considers all the 814 km2 draining to Marble Rock Dam, as well as various log settings at the Marble Rock Dam. The floodplain extent, for a 1% probability event (the regulatory flood in Eastern Ontario), includes all of the Wiltse Creek Marsh, the Eden Grove/Bullfrog Bay Road area, and Black Creek as far upstream as Kidd Road. The floodplain elevation for the regulatory flood is 1.5 m higher than the normal summer water level. Figure A1 shows the extent of the floodplain in the Wiltse Creek Marsh, and downstream ends of the tributaries. In most cases, the floodplain was not modelled for the tributaries, just for the main Gananoque River and Wiltse Creek, so there are study limits at transition points along the tributaries.
Conclusions
Going back to the purpose of this study, there were two objectives:
1. Determine locations of any specific blockages in Wiltse Creek 2. Determine any specific sediment buildup in Wiltse Creek
Based on the field work done in spring 2015, both of these objectives have been met, and there were no specific blockages found in the creek (downstream of Russel Road), and no specific sediment buildup in the creek (outside of the sediment in the delta of Wiltse Creek, which has been there for decades, and appears to increase and decrease over time).
Data Gaps
There are numerous data gaps with consideration of the sediment and water levels on Wiltse and Black Creeks. These include: • no long term depth data along Wiltse and Black Creeks • no data regarding the flow path under the cat tail mats • no data on depth, location, and timing on properties affected by flooding • no locations of beaver dams and/or other potential blockages along tributaries to the Wiltse Creek and Bog • incomplete locations of tile drainage, or the drainage area of the tile-drained lands • no data on sediment loads along Black and Wiltse Creeks, to determine volume of sediment, and where it is coming from
Page 45 of 61 Follow-up Work
At this time, based on the information gathered so far, it is not proposed to do any additional or specific follow-up work/investigations on Wiltse Creek. However, now that some general depth information has been gathered, that could be used in the future to compare additional depth measurements, and to determine any future changes in depth along the creeks.
There is the potential for additional work to be done on some of the tributaries to Wiltse Creek, as it appears that these areas are the ones that have been experiencing the flooding, rather than along Wiltse Creek itself.
It is proposed that a meeting be held with the municipality, and with local agriculture representatives, to discuss the findings of the field work, as well as ways to fill the noted Data Gaps. One specific gap to fill will be detailed locations of flooding problems, as well as depth and timing details.
Table 2: Summary of Conditions – Wiltse and Black Creeks Parameter Value Date of Measurements May 29, 2015 Water Level at Marble Rock Dam 84.66 m Normal Water Level in Summer 84.7 to 84.6 m Range of Water Depths along Black Creek >0.5 to 1.72 m Average Depth 0.89 m Range of Water Depths along Wiltse Creek >0.5 to 4.42 m Average Depth 1.52 m Sediment Type Very Fine, Very Soft, Clay/Silt Black Creek Width Range (Russell Road to confluence)* 15 to 30 m Wiltse Creek Width Range (Black Creek to mouth)* 15 to 80 m Obstructions to Flow None Flow in Creeks Negligible *from 2014 Air Photo
Page 46 of 61 References
A.J. Graham. 1973. Engineer’s Report Smith-Bolger Municipal Drainage Works. Township of Front of Leeds and Lansdowne, Lansdowne, ON.
A.J. Graham. 1974. Engineer’s Report Poldervaart-Webster Branch of the Smith-Bolger Municipal Drainage Works. Township of Front of Leeds and Lansdowne, Lansdowne, ON.
A.J. Graham. 1982. Engineer’s Report for the Construction of the Creek Road Municipal Drainage Works. Township of Front of Leeds and Lansdowne, Lansdowne, ON.
Ainley Group. 2004. Final Report, Eden Grove Municipal Drain. Ainley Group, Ottawa, ON
Crysler & Lathem. 1981. Gananoque Watershed Management Study – Interim Report – Year One. Crysler & Lathem, Willowdale, ON.
Cumming Cockburn Limited & The Lathem Group. 1982. Gananoque Watershed Management Study – Interim Report – Year Two. Cumming Cockburn Limited & The Lathem Group, Willowdale & Richmond Hill, ON.
Cumming Cockburn Limited & The Lathem Group. 1985. Gananoque Watershed Management Study – Final Report – Year Three. Cumming Cockburn Limited & The Lathem Group, Willowdale & Richmond Hill, ON.
E.O. Generation. 2015. Personal Communication from Murray Hall of E.O. Generation.
JD Lee & Company. 1968. Hydrological Report on the Gananoque River Watershed. J.D. Lee & Company, Kingston, ON.
The Lathem Group. 1983. Gananoque Watershed Management Study – Hydraulic Report. The Lathem Group, Richmond Hill, ON.
Watson, K.W. 2006. Engineered Landscapes: The Rideau Canal’s Transformation of a Wilderness Waterway. Ken W. Watson, Kingston, ON.
Page 47 of 61 Figure A1 - Subwatersheds
Page 48 of 61 COUNTY RD 3
MOUNTAIN ST
WOODVALE RD COUNTY RD 5 BLACKRAPIDS RD Wiltse Creek Subwatersheds Legend WiltseJUNETOWN RD Subwatersheds Name Area (ha) % Tile Drained ELLISVILLE RD SLY RD N12 N13 Wiltse 776.1 0.64
N10 Black Creek 4359.0 COUNTY 19.1 RD 5 S8 PERYL RD Eden Grove 2989.3QUABBIN RD 12.7 N9 S5 S7 N1 76.3 0.00 OUTLET RD S6 N8 S4 N10 36.8 21.3 N7 N11 13.9 0.00 GUILD RD S3 SAND BAY RD N12 34.5 0.00 N6 COUNTY RD 3 N13 37.1 0.00 ROCKFIELD RD N2 141.3 0.74 N5 S2 QUABBIN HILL RD N3 N4 N3 337.6 1.88 S1 HUTCHISON RD BLUE MOUNTAIN RD N4 88.7 0.00 DULCEMAINE RD N5 131.4 LARUE MILLS RD 8.93 DERYAW RD N2 CENTENNIAL RD CONC 2 N6 28.8 0.00 N7 12.4 0.00
PACIFIC RD HAWS RD HAWS N8 42.8 29.1
THOUSAND ISLANDS PKY N1 N9 38.7 37.4
RUSSELL RD Wiltse S1 39.3 0.00 UNION RD Black Creek S2 49.0 0.00
OUTLET RD
TOWER RD S3 226.0 14.9 FAIRFAX RD S4 86.4 37.9 BULLFROG BAY RD
ESCOTT/ROCKPORT RD S5 31.4 0.00 S6 67.2 2.59
PRINCE ST S7 30.6 0.00
KIDD RD N G2 S8 15.1 0.00
CENTRE ST G2 65.3 0.00 JESSIE ST COUNTY RD 2 EDEN GROVE RD Tile Drainage Area
Cross section MILLER ST MILLER Floodplain HOLLAND RD
PRINCE ST PRINCE 1000 ISLANDS PKY KYES RD KYES Page 49 of 61 Eden Grove COUNTY RD 3
Scale 1:60,000 TODD RD
MODLER RD MODLER OLD RIVER RD 1 0.5 0 1 2 3
HAIG RD DARLINGSIDE DR
HISCOCKS RD CLIFFE RD Kilometres FITZSIMMONS RD
REYNOLDS RD SELTON RD North America Datum 83, Zone 18
STATION RD HWY 401 W THOUSAND ISLANDS PKY
Produced by the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority under license with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources © Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2015. IVY LEA RD AerialLake Photography St. © Fugro,Lawrence 2014.
The CRCA makes every effort to insure that the information presented is accurate for the intended uses of the map. There is an inherent error in all mapping products, and accuracy of the mapping cannot be guaranteed for all possible uses. All end-users must. HWY 401 E therefore determine for themselves if the information is suitable for their purposes. : \\GIS Department\Projects\Staff\Gananoque Watershed\Wiltse Subwatersheds\Wiltse Subwatersheds Sep 2015.mxd THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF LEEDS AND THE THOUSAND ISLANDS
BY-LAW 18-005
BEING A BY-LAW TO PROHIBIT UNNECESSARY IDLING OF TOUR BUSES IN THE TOWNSHIP OF LEEDS AND THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.
WHEREAS Section 10.2 (6) of the Municipal Act, R.S.O. 2001, c. 25, as amended, authorizes the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands to pass by-laws and make regulations for the health, safety and well-being of the persons of the municipality in matters not specifically provided by the Municipal Act;
AND WHEREAS under Section 425 (1) of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, as amended, a municipality may pass by-laws providing that a person who contravenes a by-law of the municipality passed under this Act is guilty of an offence. 3006, c, 32, Schedule. A, s. 184;
AND WHEREAS tour buses are major sources of noise, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxides and volatile organic compounds;
NOW THEREFORE, the Council of The Corporation of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands hereby enacts as follows:
1. SHORT TITLE This by-law may be referred to as the "Tour Bus Idling By-law".
2. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION In this By-law: Council shall mean the Council of the Corporation of Leeds and the Thousand Islands.
Idle and Idling means the stopping of a Tour Bus while the engine is running.
Official means a Police Officer, Auxiliary Police, Municipal By- law Enforcement Officer or any person authorized to enforce this by-law.
Stop and stopping means the halting of a Tour Bus, even momentarily, whether occupied or not, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or a traffic control sign or signal.
Tour Bus shall mean a bus defined in the Highway Traffic Act and includes a commercial motor vehicle, school bus and motor coach and other similar vehicle designed for transporting of passengers.
11Page, By-law 18-005 - Idling By-law, Leeds and 1000 Islands Page 50 of 61 3. APPLICATION This by-law applies to: • Private Property; • Public Property; • Highways forming part of the road system in the Corporation of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands.
4. GENERAL REGULATIONS 4.1 No person shall cause or permit a Tour Bus to idle for more than five (5) minutes in any sixty (60) minute period.
4.2 No person shall obstruct, hinder or otherwise interfere with an authorized employee of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands or with any authorized peace officer while carrying out an investigation, making inquiries, or performing their duties for the purposes of enforcing this by-law.
5. EXEMPTION The following are exemptions from the idling prohibitions contained in Section 4.1:
5.2 When the outside temperature as recorded by Environment Canada is less than zero degrees Celsius (0°C) or more than twenty-nine degrees Celsius (29°C) no person shall cause or permit a Vehicle to idle for more than five (5) minutes in any sixty (60) minute period.
6. OFFENCE AND PENALTY 6.1 Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this by-law is guilty of an offence and, upon conviction is subject to a fine as provided for in the Provincial Offences Act and any other applicable penalties.
6.2 If this by-law is contravened and a conviction entered, the court in which the conviction has been entered and any court of competent jurisdiction thereafter may, in addition to any other remedy and to any penalty that is imposed, make an order prohibiting the continuation or repetition of the offence by the person convicted.
6.3 Where a Tour Bus has been left stopped in contravention of this by-law, the owner of the Tour Bus, even if the owner was not the driver of the Tour Bus at the time of the contravention of the by-law, is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine in accordance with the provisions of the Provincial Offences Act, unless at the time of the offence the Tour Bus was in possession of some person other than the owner without the owner's consent.
21 Page, By-law 18-005 - Idling By-law, Leeds and 1000 Islands Page 51 of 61 7. VALIDITY If it is declared by any court competent jurisdiction that any part or parts of this by-law, or sections thereof, are invalid or beyond the power of the Township to enact, such part or parts or sections thereof shall be deemed to be severable and all other parts or sections of this by-law shall be deemed separate and independent therefrom and can be acted upon as such.
8. COMMENCEMENT 8.1 This Bylaw shall come into force and take effect upon passage.
8.2 By-law #05-026 is hereby repealed.
READ A FIRST AND SECOND TIME THIS 8th DAY OF JANUARY, 2018.
READ A THIRD TIME AND FINALLY PASSED THIS 8th DAY OF JANUARY, 2018.
Joe Baptista, Mayor aness atimer, Clerk
3l Page, By-law 18-005 - Idling By-law, Leeds and 1000 Islands Page 52 of 61 THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF LEEDS AND THE THOUSAND ISLANDS
PART 1 Provincial Offences Act
By-law #18-005 "Idling By-law"
ITEM COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3 Short Form Wording Provision creating or Set Fine defining offence 1. Permit a Tour Bus to idle more Part 4 Section 4.2 $100.00 than Five (5) minutes in any Sixty (60) minute period
NOTE: The general penalty provision for the offences listed above is Section 6.1 of By-law #18-005, a certified copy of which has been filed.
Page 53 of 61 CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF LEEDS AND THE THOUSAND ISLANDS
COUNCIL– December 11, 2017
Council Members Present: Mayor Baptista Councillor Huff Councillor Jackson Councillor Lackie Councillor Last Councillor Leakey
Staff: CAO, Greg Borduas Interim Treasurer, Nigel White Director of Planning, Elaine Mallory Clerk, Vanessa Latimer Deputy Clerk, Kimberly Almeida
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. O'CANADA
3. DECLARATION OF INTEREST AND THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF
None.
4. CONSENT AGENDA
4.1 ADOPTION AND/OR RECEIPT OF MINUTES
- November 6, 2017, COTW Meeting Minutes
- November 14, 2017, Council Meeting Minutes
- November 20, 2017, Special Meeting Minutes
- December 4, 2017, COTW Meeting Minutes
- October 31, 2017, COA Meeting Minutes
Resolution #279-17 (Leakey, Last)
THAT the November 6, 2017, COTW meeting minutes, November 14, 2017, Council meeting minutes, November 20, 2017, Special meeting minutes, and December 4, 2017, COTW meeting minutes be adopted as amended;
AND THAT the October 31, 2017, COA meeting minutes be received and filed. Carried.
Page 54 of 61 Council Minutes - December 11, 2017
6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
- Planning Report No. PL-033-17 - Development agreement with Gerald Best regarding the extension of Lekx Road
By-law #17-065
- Administration Report No. AD-026-17 - Procedure By-law Amendments
By-law #17-063
Resolution #280-17 (Huff, Leakey)
THAT Council direct staff to remove Section 3.04 & 4.06 from By-law #17-063, Procedure By-law, and further research optimal wording and bring a report back to Council in the New Year. Carried.
- Idling By-law
Deferred to January Committee of the Whole meeting for further amendments.
- Mayor's Update
- County Council - Passed a motion seeking 192 long term care beds for a new Maple View Lodge. Repurposing the existing space into assisted living.
- County Council - Approved ED-19 appeal - suspended two components of the certificate.
- Youth Advocacy Forum - Participants for GISS and Rideau Highschool attended
- Tourism Summit Overview
- Announcement - Nattanya Hewitt - TTA will be moving to BC, going away gathering for her on Wednesday December 13, 2017.
- Announcement - MTO Advisory Committee - next meeting Friday in Cobourg - seeking changes on speeds on 401 in inclement weather. OPP announced that they will be patrolling in tractor trailers to see into smaller vehicles. They’ve launched comprehensive initiative in HAZMAT inspections. Increasing signage in this corridor. Looking at means of proactive signage display.
- County Council - Mayor Holman has put forward a notice of motion concerning County-wide Fire services.
- Town of Gananoque - Agreement between the Town and Township regarding cost sharing for joint recreation services.
Page 55 of 61 Council Minutes - December 11, 2017
Resolution #281-17 (Jackson, Lackie)
THAT Council direct staff to contact the Town of Gananoque to re-open negotiations with respect to the Joint Recreation Agreement for the Lou Jeffries Arena and report back to Council. Lost.
- Councillor Jackson - Motion - Road Improvement
Resolution #281-17 (Jackson, Lackie)
WHEREAS the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands is made up of more than 300 kilometres of road surface with more than half of that being gravel roads;
AND WHEREAS since amalgamation the municipality has had to regularly deal with complaints about the same roads and the same issues involving those roads at both an administrative burden and financial cost to the Township with no permanent solution to the ongoing issues;
AND WHEREAS resolving our ongoing road maintenance and capital improvement problems would involve material financial front-end costs, the long-term savings and resident satisfaction would be realized immediately and over the long term;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council direct staff to hold a special Town Hall meeting with all stakeholders including the CRCA, County representatives as well as Township residents in an effort to create a list of road issues, jurisdictional responsibilities, and commitments from responsible stakeholders that will be used in the creation of a work plan with time lines that will address in a more formal manner, these ongoing issues.
Lost.
- Motion to Rescind Resolution #264-17 - Appointment to CRCA Board
Resolution #282-17 (Jackson, Huff)
THAT Council rescind resolution #264-17 appointing Councillor Leakey as the Township representative to the CRCA Board. Carried.
Resolution #283-17 (Lackie, Jackson)
THAT Council appoint Councillor Last as the Township representative to the CRCA Board for 2018.
Carried.
Page 56 of 61 Council Minutes - December 11, 2017
- EAC Resolution - Update Terms of Reference
Resolution #284-17 (Last, Huff)
THAT Council approve an amendment to the EAC Terms of Reference pertaining to minutes, such that any changes or additions required, be made before adoption of the minutes as opposed to usual practice of adopting as amended. Lost.
- EAC Resolution - Ontario Invasive Plant Council
Resolution #285-17 (Huff, Last)
THAT Council direct staff to invite the Ontario Invasive Plant Council to do a deputation to the Township Council on the Ontario Invading Species Awareness Program to promote education and remedial efforts of these invasive species. Carried.
4.2 STAFF REPORTS
- Treasury Report No. TR-016-17 - 2018 Operating Budget
Council extracted this report for further discussion.
THAT Council approve the 2018 Operating Budget in the amount of $13,556,853 as detailed in Appendix I to Treasury Report No. TR-016-17.
THAT Council direct staff to remove the $21,600 from the 2018 Operating Budget in response to the Federal impact on Council's net honorarium.
- Treasury Report No. TR-017-17 - 2017 Water and Wastewater Operating Budget
Council extracted this report for further discussion.
THAT Council approve the 2017 Water and Wastewater Operating Budget as detailed in Appendix I to Treasury Report No. TR-017-17.
- Public Works Report No. PWR-021-17 - Transportation Master Plan/Active Transportation Plan RFP Results
THAT Council approve and award the tender for the Transportation Master Plan/Active Transportation Plan to BT Engineering in the amount of $49,550 (+HST).
Page 57 of 61 Council Minutes - December 11, 2017
- Planning Report No. PL-032-17 - Antoine Request for Legal Right of Use Agreement for Road Allowance Unopened road allowance between Concession 5 and 6 Lot 9
THAT Council defer the Antoine road use application as per the request of the applicants in order to allow the applicants time to explore potential options to improve the existing right-of-way with the CRCA.
Resolution #286-17 (Huff, Last)
THAT Council approves the staff reports as presented at the December 4, 2017, COTW meeting with the exception of PWR-020-17. Carried.
- Public Works Report No. PWR-020-17 - Smith-Bolger, Creek Road, Poldervaart-Webster Drain Maintenance Update
Council extracted this report for further discussion.
Resolution #287-17 (Huff, Jackson)
THAT Council direct staff to:
a) extend the due date for the Smith-Bolger, Poldervaart- Webster, Creek Road Drains and all associated branches to May 31, 2018; b) create an appropriate municipal loan program for amounts greater than $1,000 with a 10-year term, that can be extended to those affected landowners who qualify, ensuring the municipal costs of administering the loan program are covered, and that a system to protect municipal assets is in place including any necessary legal advice; c) remove the portion attributed to the Drainage Consultant fees from the billings; d) that staff return to council with recommendations for maintenance of all municipal drains in the future and a communication strategy including a communications strategy in order to manage drain systems more effectively. Carried.
4.3 INFORMATION ITEMS
- Township of Ignace - Request for Resolution Support - Flood Insurance Program
- Township of East Zorra-Tavistock/Tillsonburg - Request for Resolution Support - Approve Landfill Projects
Council extracted this item for further discussion.
- Consent Application B-77-17 - Lot Addition
- Municipality of St. Charles - Request for Resolution Support - Bill 148
Page 58 of 61 Council Minutes - December 11, 2017
- Councillor Last - CRCA Report
- Merrickville-Wolford - Request for Resolution Support - Bill 148
- Town of Lakeshore - Request for Resolution Support - Provincial Flood Insurance Program
- John McAllister - Trustee Newsletter
- Town of Ingersoll - Request for Resolution Support - Approve Landfill Projects
- National Eating Disorder Information Centre - Request to Proclaim February 7, 2018 as Eating Disorder Awareness Week (EDAW)
- MMA - Transient Accommodation Tax
Council extracted this item for further discussion.
- Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc./Union Gas Limited - Application for Amalgamation - Notice of Application
Resolution #289-17 (Huff, Last)
THAT information items be received and filed and that the Township of East Zorra-Tavistock/Tillsonburg Approval of Landfill Projects motion be endorsed. Carried.
9. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Councillor Huff informed Council and the public that Dr. James Raffen will be awarded the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General; a resident of the Township.
10. BY-LAWS
- By-law #17-064 - 2018 Water and Wastewater Rates
THAT three readings and final passage be granted to By- law #17-064, being a by-law to Establish the General Rates and Fees for Water and Sewer Rates.
- By-law #17-065 - Development Agreement with Gerald Best for the Extension of Lekx Road
THAT three readings and final passage be granted to By- law #17-065, being a By-law to enter into Agreement with GBEL re Construction of Lekx Rd.
Page 59 of 61 Council Minutes - December 11, 2017
Resolution #290-17 (Huff, Leakey)
THAT three readings and final passage be granted to By- laws #17-064 and #17-065;
AND THAT three readings and final passage be granted to By-law #17-067, being a by-law to Confirm the proceedings of The Corporation of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands at its Special Meeting held on November 20, 2017, the COTW meeting held on December 4, 2017, and the Council meeting held on December 11, 2017. Carried.
By-law #17-063 - Procedure By-law
Resolution #291-17 (Huff, Jackson)
THAT three readings and final passage be granted to By- law #17-063, being a by-law to Govern and Regulate the Proceedings of the Municipal Council, the Conduct of its members and the Calling of Meetings, as amended.
Carried. 11. ADJOURNMENT
Resolution #292-17 (Lackie, Jackson)
THAT Council adjourn. Carried.
Joe Baptista, Mayor Vanessa Latimer, Clerk
Page 60 of 61
Invasive Plant Management Strategy Workshop – Eastern Ontario
Date: Thursday February 1st 2018
Time: 9:00am-2:30pm
Location: Outdoor Centre, Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area 1641 Perth Road, Glenburnie, ON
Time Details
9:00am Registration with coffee/refreshments
9:30am Welcome Address Colin Cassin, Ontario Invasive Plant Council
9:40am Overview of Ontario’s Invasive Species Act Matt Smith, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry (25 min presentation, 5 min for questions)
10:10am Creating an Invasive Plant Management Strategy: A Framework for Ontario Municipalities Colin Cassin, Ontario Invasive Plant Council (25 min presentation, 5 min for questions)
10:40am Morning Break
10:50am Invasive Species Hit Squad and EDDMapS Ontario Kate Powell, Invading Species Awareness Program (25 min presentation, 5 min for questions)
11:20am Invasive Plant Management Strategy Case Study: City of Mississauga Sarah Piett, City of Mississauga (25 min presentation, 5 min for questions)
11:50pm Lunch Break
12:20pm Invasive Plant Management Strategy Case Study: York Region Dayna Laxton, York Region (25 min presentation, 5 mins for questions)
12:50 pm Round-table Discussion . 12:50 pm to 1:50: Small Group Q and A . 1:50 pm to 2:20 pm: Review of thoughts from small group work with the whole group
2:20 pm Adjourn
Page 61 of 61