Bayfield Watershed Plan FINAL
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Main Bayfield Watershed Plan MainMain BayfieldBayfield WatershedWatershed PlanPlan 20132013 Cite as: Schnaithmann, J., A. Gutteridge, H. Brock, and M. Veliz. 2013. Main Bayfield Watershed Plan. Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority. Exeter, Ontario. 39 pp. ISBN number: 978-0-9781887-2-6 Copies of this publication are available online: www.abca.on.ca Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) 71108 Morrison Line, RR 3 Exeter, ON N0M 1S5 519-235-2610 or 1-888-286-2610 Photos by Daniel Holm Photography, courtesy Rural Stormwater Management Model Project of the Healthy Lake Huron: Clean Water, Clean Beaches initiative (healthylakehuron.ca), and the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority. i Main Bayfield Watershed Plan Executive Summary The Main Bayfield Watershed Plan was effectively work towards addressing these developed cooperatively between landowners, challenges. residents, and local organizations in the Bayfield and Clinton, Ontario area. It is hoped that the Urban Runoff Work with homeowners and the watershed plan will help the community municipalities to implement innovative stormwater understand the connections between the actions management solutions that will benefit water we take on the land, and the quality of our natural quality, as well as sustainable urban growth (e.g., resources, such as our water, fish, and beaches. improve and upgrade urban infrastructure with Actions that reduce nutrient and sediment runoff low impact development and green infrastructure will also enhance the larger Lake Huron, as the principles - buffers, rain barrels, rain gardens, Bayfield River flows directly into the lake. The permeable pavement). community stakeholders that developed the watershed plan recommended the following vision Agricultural runoff Implement site-appropriate and goal: Best Management Practices (BMPs) (e.g., create wetlands to hold water during rain events and release it during dry periods, maintain crop Watershed Vision residue, follow nutrient management plans). The Main Bayfield Watershed Plan will respect the long-term sustainability of all water systems Aggregate extraction Monitor how aggregate and the life that depends on them. Our extraction, particularly below the water table in community vision is one of a healthy, resilient the Trick’s Creek subwatershed, is affecting water watershed where people, wildlife and habitat quantity levels and flow rates. Trick’s Creek thrive. Taking pride in the quality of the Main contributes cold water and baseflow to the Bayfield watershed; continuing to protect and Bayfield River. Share monitoring data with enhance the watershed resource. industry and government so that short- and long- term decisions related to aggregate extraction can be made. Community Goal The goal of the Main Bayfield community is to Decreased forest cover Work with landowners improve the water quality and quantity within the to improve forest cover on their land in ways that Bayfield River by reducing total phosphorus, support their agricultural operations (e.g., plant Escherichia coli (E. coli) and total suspended trees on marginal land, plant windbreaks, protect solids concentrations, and to increase forest and manage established woodlots for long-term cover, wetlands, and streamside cover. benefits). Urbanization Direct development away from Local Issues & Opportunities areas of provincial, regional and local ecological In addition to supporting the numerous actions significance including agricultural and being undertaken by local landowners and environmental resources (e.g., strengthen community groups, the advisory committee for the existing land use policies within Official Plan Main Bayfield Watershed Plan developed several documents, improve and upgrade drinking water key issues for the area. With the watershed plan and wastewater facilities; link the economic and as a guiding document, the community can environmental benefits). Main Bayfield Watershed Plan ii Acknowledgements Main Bayfield Watershed Plan Advisory Committee: Marilyn Broadfoot, Main Bayfield Landowner Bill Dowson, Mayor, Municipality of Bluewater Rick Kaptein, Main Bayfield Landowner Marg Kroes, Main Bayfield Landowner Jacqui Empson Laporte, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Joe Laurie, Main Bayfield Landowner Roger Lewington, Chair, Bayfield Chamber of Commerce David Middleton, Main Bayfield Landowner Jane Simmons, University of Guelph Tom Sinclair, Roads/Public Works Manager, Municipality of Central Huron Thea & Bill Trick, Main Bayfield Landowners Ainslie Willock, President, Bayfield Ratepayers Association Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation Environment Canada Ontario Ministry of the Environment Thank you to all the landowners of the Main Bayfield watershed for your interest and willingness to participate in this process. iii Main Bayfield Watershed Plan Table of Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents .................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... v List of Maps .............................................................................................................................. v List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction The Main Bayfield Watershed ........................................................................................ 1 Watershed Description ................................................................................................... 4 The Socio-Economic Landscape .................................................................................... 7 Natural Areas ............................................................................................................... 11 Aquatic Resources ....................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 2: Vision, Goal and Communities in Action Watershed Vision ......................................................................................................... 20 Community Goal........................................................................................................... 20 Local Recommendations .............................................................................................. 20 Communities in Action .................................................................................................. 20 Chapter 3: Watershed Plan Evaluation Watershed Plan Evaluation .......................................................................................... 28 Short-term Evaluation ................................................................................................... 28 Long-term Evaluation ................................................................................................... 28 Concluding Remarks .............................................................................................................. 29 Glossary ................................................................................................................................. 31 References ............................................................................................................................. 34 Appendix A: Plant, mussel, fish, reptile and bird species at risk identified within the Bayfield River ANSI (ABCA 2012, Morris et al. 2012, Crins 1983). ........................................ 37 Appendix B: Fish species identified in the Main Bayfield watershed (ABCA 2012)................ 38 Appendix C: Mussel species identified in the Main Bayfield watershed (Morris et al. 2012) .................................................................................................................. 39 Main Bayfield Watershed Plan iv List of Figures Figure 1: Principles of the Lake Huron-Georgian Bay Framework for Community Action (Anderson et al. 2007) (lakehuroncommunityaction.ca) .............................................. 2 Figure 2: Industry sectors as an average for the municipalities of Bluewater, Huron East and Central Huron (Statistics Canada 2007) ............................................................. 8 List of Maps Map 1: The Main Bayfield watershed ........................................................................................ 1 Map 2: Topography of the Main Bayfield watershed ................................................................. 4 Map 3: Physiography of the Main Bayfield watershed ............................................................... 5 Map 4: Soils of the Main Bayfield watershed ............................................................................. 6 Map 5: Land use in the Main Bayfield watershed ...................................................................... 9 Map 6: Natural heritage features of the Main Bayfield watershed ........................................... 10 Map 7: Existing and potential wetlands in the Main Bayfield watershed .................................. 11 Map 8: Significant groundwater recharge areas, municipal wells, provincial monitoring wells (PGMN), and wellhead