CONSERVATION Rocky Saugeen River WATERSHED REPORT CARD 2008

A WATERSHED REPORT CARD is a document which outlines the general state of forest, wetland, surface water and groundwater Average Grades resources of a particular river and its watershed. Data for this Report Card cover a five year period from 2002 - 2006. B Forest Conditions C Wetland Conditions B Surface Water Quality N/A Groundwater Quality The Rocky Saugeen River Watershed

The Rocky Saugeen River drains 282 square kilometres, flowing Located entirely within the Horseshoe Moraine, the watershed into the Main Saugeen River northwest of Durham. The river is exhibits drumlinized till plains and spillways as the predominant 51.4 kilometres in length with an average gradient of 2.76 metres landscape feature. Kame moraines can also be found. per kilometre. Tributaries of the Rocky Saugeen River include McKechnie Creek, Blacks Creek, Traverston Creek, Barhead What is a Watershed? Creek, West Arm Rocky Saugeen River and numerous smaller A watershed is an area of land that drains into a river unnamed streams. This watershed is 51% agricultural and 42% forested. It or stream. The boundary of a watershed is based on includes the communities of and Traverston. There are elevation or the natural contours of the land. a large number of pothole lakes and swamp areas found throughout the watershed. One of the most forested watersheds, GRADE DESCRIPTION this system is quite healthy by Southern standards. It is A = Excellent ecosystem conditions. Some protection and characterized by rolling terrain, rocky outcrops and meandering enhancement may be required. streams. The headwater areas originate in significant wetlands B = Good ecosystem conditions. Some areas may require (Bells Lake and the Beaverdale Bog), much of which is owned enhancement and/or improvements. C = Ecosystem conditions that warrant general improvements. (1,000 ha) and protected by Saugeen Conservation. D = Poor ecosystem conditions. Overall improvements necessary. F = Degraded ecosystem. Conditions in need of considerable improvement.

LEGEND Benthic Surface Water Quality Benthic and Surface Water Quality Groundwater Monitoring Wooded Areas Evaluated Wetlands Watercourses

Report Card Notes: The observed conditions in this watershed have been summarized and a grade assigned based on indicators developed by Conservation Ontario. The purpose of the watershed report card process is to Lake encourage consistent Huron reporting of a N standardized set of environmental indicators by all Conservation Authorities in the Province of Ontario.

2 The Rocky Saugeen River Watershed WATERSHED INFORMATION Groundwater Aquifer Sources Area Guelph Formation 282 sq. km

Municipalities Municipality of West Grey, Municipality of Grey Highlands, Township of Chatsworth Stream Flow (mean) mean annual flow - 4.7 cubic Physiography metres per second (cms) 34% spillway, 29% till plain (drumlinized), 24% kame moraine, 7% till moraine, 3% Woodlot Size * drumlin, 2% peat and muck, 1% water Stream Flow (low) Many large forest stands with forest interior exist 1 7Q10 flow - 1.18 cms within the central and western portion of the 2 7Q20 flow - 1.08 cms watershed, while the eastern portion contains very Soils little forest cover. 72% medium to moderately fine loam, 12% organic material, 11% silty loam, 3% other (may include small percentages of Land Use alluvium, breypan, bottomlands, etc.), 2% fine to moderately coarse sandy loam 51% agriculture; 42% forested; 0.6% urban

Provincially Significant Natural Areas Life Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest - Traverston Creek, Rocky Saugeen River

Rare Species (obtained from the National Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) Website) Dams Milk Snake, Eastern Ribbon Snake, Spotted Turtle, Williamson’s Emerald, Red-shouldered Hawk, Hart’s Tongue Fern, Least Clubtail, In total there are 29 dams in this watershed, of Northern Long-eared Myotis (bat) which 8 are considered large dams (greater than 3 metres in height).

Sewage Treatment Facilities Markdale

Least Clubtail

Hart’s Tongue Fern

* 1 7Q10 - the lowest mean flow for seven consecutive days that has a 10-year recurrence interval period, or a 1 in 10 chance of occurring in any one year. 2 7Q20 - the lowest mean flow for seven consecutive days that has a 20-year recurrence interval period, or a 1 in 20 chance of occurring in any one year. 3 The Rocky Saugeen River Watershed

INDICATORS GRADE % of INDICATOR DESCRIPTION AREA

Forest Cover 41.6 Forest cover is the percentage of forest within the watershed. Environment Canada suggests A that 30% forest cover is the minimum needed to support healthy wildlife habitat.

S Forest Interior Forest Interior refers to the protected core area found inside a woodland. It is the sheltered, N A 10.5 T secluded environment away from forest edges and open habitats. O S I Environment Canada recommends that 10% of a watershed should be interior forest cover. T E I R

D Riparian Cover Riparian Cover is the percentage of forested habitat along a waterway.

O 48 N C Environment Canada suggests that at least 75% of stream length should have 30 metre F

O forested buffers. C

AVERAGE GRADE Grade B indicates good ecosystem conditions. Some areas may require enhancement and/or B improvements.

D Wetland Cover Wetland Cover is the percentage of existing wetland in a watershed.

N 4.7 D Environment Canada suggests that 10% wetland cover is the minimum required for a A S L healthy watershed. T N E O I

W Wetland Buffer A Wetland Buffer is the vegetated area adjacent to a wetland. Buffers are important to the

61.6 T B I

D maintenance of wetland functions. Environment Canada suggests that wetlands should E D have a minimum 100 metre buffer with 100% vegetation. T N A O U C L

A AVERAGE GRADE C Grade C indicates ecosystem conditions that warrant general improvements. V E

INDICATORS GRADE RESULT INDICATOR DESCRIPTION

Benthic 5.20 Benthos or benthic macroinvertebrates are large bottom dwelling insects, crustaceans, worms, Invertebrates B mollusks, and related aquatic animals that live in watercourses. They are good indicators of water (FBI) quality responding quickly to environmental stressors, such as pollutants. The Family Biotic Index (FBI) scores provide stream health information and values range from 1 (healthy) to 10

R (degraded). E T

A Total Phosphorus Total phosphorus is indicative of nutrient levels within a watercourse. Excess phosphorus Y A 0.02 T stimulates the growth of aquatic plants and algae and may result in unhealthy stream conditions. W

I (mg/L)

L The Provincial Water Quality Objective is 0.03 mg/L. E A C

U E. coli (Colony E. coli originate from the wastes of warm blooded animals, including humans, livestock, wildlife, A B 78 F Q Forming Units) (CFU/ pets and waterfowl. The Ontario Recreational Water Quality Guidelines suggest that waters

R 100ml) with less than 100 CFUs/100 ml are safe for swimming. U S AVERAGE GRADE Grade B indicates good ecosystem conditions. Some areas may require enhancement and/or B improvements.

Nitrite + Nitrate N/A N/A Nitrates are present in water through the decomposition of plant or animal material, the presence of R fertilizers, domestic sewage or treated wastewater as well as geological formations containing soluble

E nitrogen compounds. The Ontario Drinking Water Standard for nitrite + nitrate is 10 mg/L. T Y A

T Chloride I W N/A N/A While chloride can be naturally occurring, the presence of elevated levels may indicate L

D contamination from road salt, industrial discharges, or landfill leachate. The Ontario Drinking A

N Water Standard for chloride is only for aesthetic purposes with an objective of 250 mg/L. U U Q O

R AVERAGE GRADE There are no monitoring wells located within this watershed, however, other monitoring wells in the

G N/A vicinity have good water quality achieving an A grade.

Surface water data used for this interpretation were obtained through the It should be noted that groundwater aquifers do not conform to watershed Provincial Water Quality Monitoring Network (PWQMN), the Ontario boundaries but rather flow in an east to west direction through the Benthos Biomonitoring Network (OBBN) and Saugeen Conservation's watershed. A general determination of water quality in the area can be water quality monitoring network. Data used were from 2002 to 2006. made by looking at other wells in the vicinity.

Groundwater data - there are no monitoring wells located in this watershed.

4 WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

FOREST CONDITIONS With an ‘A’ grade for forest cover (42%), the Rocky Saugeen Watershed exceeds the Environment Canada guidelines of 30% forest cover. Forest interior also exceeds the guidelines with an ‘A’ grade. Riparian cover, however, is lacking in this watershed having a ‘C’ grade. It falls well short of the guidelines.

EVALUATED WETLAND CONDITIONS This report card summarizes the conditions of ‘evaluated wetlands’ only. This watershed scores a ‘D’ for wetland cover. The few evaluated wetlands that do exist in the watershed have good buffers resulting in a grade of ‘B’.

SURFACE WATER QUALITY This watershed scores an average grade of ‘B’ for water quality. Benthic scores range from 4.68 to 5.71 (‘B’ grade), while total phosphorus is below the water quality objective of 0.03 mg/L (’A’ grade). E. coli is also below the recreational guidelines (’B’ grade), but counts do increase after storm events.

GROUNDWATER QUALITY There are no monitoring wells in this watershed. SUGGESTIONS FOR A BETTER WATERSHED

1) Improve riparian cover. Create buffers or riparian Key BMP’s include: systems along the Rocky Saugeen’s main waterway and its smaller • proper storage and application of manure, fertilizers and tributaries. This would provide additional wildlife habitat and pesticides which would help to decrease phosphorus loadings corridor systems, improve fisheries resources, help filter impurities and prevent contamination of waterways and pollutants, assist in the maintenance of cold water habitat, • the implementation of farming practices such as strip stabilize eroding banks and prevent the loss of valuable topsoil. It cropping, grassed waterways and the use of cover crops to would also assist in reaching Environment Canada's suggested prevent erosion and reduce the movement of nutrients and target of 75%. pesticides • the restriction of cattle from waterways 2) Expand overall forest cover. Increase tree planting • the establishment of shelterbelts in farm areas to protect efforts with emphasis on dormant fields, areas too wet to farm or valuable topsoil, increase wildlife habitat, protect crops against retired farmland. This will help to maintain the average forest wind damage, increase energy efficiency of farm buildings, and conditions at the ‘B’ level grade. It will also increase habitat and increase the value of farm property species diversity. For more information on Best Management Practices see www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/environment/bmp/series.htm 3) Allow low lying or wet areas to naturalize. With the low grade of ‘D’ wetland cover needs to be increased. 6) Protect your drinking water supply by: Wetlands absorb and slowly release water during runoff and • ensuring that you know the condition of your well and the rainfall, minimizing soil loss due to erosion and improving the risks to your water supply (www.wellwise.ca) quality of surface and groundwater. For information on possible programs and • sample private wells each spring and fall (available through the incentives with Ducks Unlimited Canada see www.ducks.ca local Health Unit)

• keep contaminants away from wells (e.g. Fuel, pesticides, Protect existing wetlands and forests. This can 4) manure/waste) be accomplished through designations in planning documents, • decommission abandoned wells according to Ministry of the enforcement of tree cutting bylaws, landowner incentives and Environment standards education, and promotion of sustainable recreational uses. This is • fix faulty septic systems and establish a septic maintenance important to maintain the good forest condition scores and to plan maintain or improve water quality. NOTE: Landowners near municipally owned and operated drinking water systems (including wells and intakes), may be eligible for funding to undertake Implement Best Management Practices (BMP’s) 5) early actions to protect sources of drinking water. See One of the primary land uses in the Rocky Saugeen River www.waterprotection.ca Watershed is farming at roughly 51%. The implementation of best management practices (BMP's) is highly recommended. 5 A ‘Gold Star’ for Current Practices

Did you know that Saugeen Conservation...

> administers its Regulation and Planning programs designed to protect existing wetlands, as well as riverine systems and hazard areas > plants trees (6,500 at three locations in this watershed from 2002 - 2006), on an annual basis throughout its entire jurisdiction > implements an intensive conservation education program aimed at teaching students about the health of the local ecosystem, including forests, wetlands, endangered species, natural habitats, species relationships and more > conducts an extensive water sampling program, both for surface and groundwater. Three of these surface water stations are located on the Rocky Saugeen River system > conducts on-going sampling of aquatic organisms to monitor water quality > provides technical support to landowners

Other Initiatives > Environmental self assessments are now available for the rural non-farm landowner with the release of The Rural Landowner Stewardship Guide for the Watershed. This guide provides a framework to allow landowners to evaluate their property and its management. Through completion of the worksheets, landowners will learn what they are doing right, and where they can improve in protecting the natural environment. See the website http://theguide.huronstewardship.on.ca to find out how to get a guide. > Happy Trout, a local chapter of Trout Unlimited, has completed several habitat improvement projects in the Rocky Saugeen watershed. Their goal is increasing the habitat available for trout in the watershed. The group also operates a monitoring project in the watershed, tracking the thermal stability of watercourses. > Forest Stewardship Council endeavours to foster education and new initiatives that promote natural resource sustainability within Grey County. The main focus is to initiate and support stewardship projects and demonstrations of sustainable resource management practices.

If you and your organization are working to improve the watershed, please let us know!

For more information contact:

CONSERVATION

261123 Grey Rd. 28, R. R. #1 Hanover ON N4N 3B8 519-364-1255 www.svca.on.ca