GANARASKA RIVER WATERSHED BACKGROUND REPORT For the Ganaraska River Fisheries Management Plan, Community Advisory Committee Prepared by: M. Desjardins, J. Lapierre and A. Smith March 2007 Ganaraska River Watershed Background Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction The Ganaraska River Watershed has long been recognized for its clear cold water and excellent trout and salmon fisheries. Historically, the Ganaraska River supported healthy resident brook trout populations and migratory Atlantic salmon from Lake Ontario. In the early 1800s, dams near the mouth of the Ganaraska River blocked Atlantic salmon runs. By the 1870s, Atlantic salmon populations had collapsed in most Lake Ontario rivers. The role of Atlantic salmon as a top predator in Lake Ontario has since been replaced with stocked Pacific salmon and trout. The Ganaraska River ecosystem has seen a significant positive change since the 1940s when a series of studies and restoration projects began. Currently the Ganaraska River Watershed supports one of the largest wild rainbow trout runs in the Lake Ontario basin. In the past, fisheries management of the Ganaraska River was guided by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Lindsay District Fisheries Management Plan. In 2000, the plan expired and the lead agencies responsible for fish and aquatic habitat management merged to direct the development of a new management plan. A Technical Steering Committee (TSC) was established to help guide the development of a background report and fisheries management plan. Since 1994, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) and the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority (GRCA) have collected information on the current state of the fisheries and aquatic habitat across the Ganaraska River Watershed. This report reviews the background information of the fisheries and aquatic habitat in the Ganaraska River Watershed. Variables analyzed include fish species, aquatic habitat, land cover, water quality and quantity. Distribution of dominant fish species and aquatic habitats were examined to identify spatial trends throughout the watershed. Historic fish community data were examined to determine if changes occurred through time. Water quality variables tested include ph (acidity), conductivity, chloride, nitrate, ammonia-ammonium, phosphorous, E.Coli and total coliforms. Watershed Catchments The Ganaraska River Watershed (Figure 2) was partitioned into 16 watershed catchments to help facilitate state of the resource reporting. The catchments are based on larger tributaries or sections of tributaries where dams or other barriers exist (Figure 1). Four distinct fish communities were identified in the Ganaraska River Watershed and are illustrated (Figure 3). Figure 1. Residential areas, major roads, and large dams within the Ganaraska River Watershed 10 7 8 `12 6 9 4 13 11 15 5 14 3 2 16 1 Catchment 1. Corbett Dam to Canton Dam 2. Canton Dam to Osaca 3. Osaca to Kendal – downstream of Jackson Dam 4. Headwater mainstem – upstream of Jackson Dam 11.Lower Little Ganaraska – downstream Elizabethville 5. Quay’s Branch Dam to Cold Springs Creek This map is for information purposes 6. North Ganaraska -Canton 12. Soper Branch only and the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority takes no 7. North Ganaraska – upstream Garden Hill Dam 13. Burnham Branch responsibility for, nor guarantees, the accuracy of the information 8. North Ganaraska – upstream Fudge’s Mill Dam 14. Duck Pond Branch contained within the map. Prepared by Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority: January 2007. Produced 9. Cold Springs Creek 15. Elliott Stream using information provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources, 10. Upper Little Ganaraska- upstream Elizabethville Dam 16. Welcome “Henwood Stream” GRCA and other municipal sources, Copyright (c) Queen's Printer, 2007 Figure 2. Ganaraska River Watershed catchments 10 7 8 `12 6 4 13 9 11 15 5 14 3 2 16 1 Fish Communities 1 - rainbow trout and minnow 2 - brown trout and minnow 3 - brown trout and sculpin 4 - brook trout and sculpin This map is for information purposes only and the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority takes no responsibility for, nor guarantees, the accuracy of the information contained within the map. Prepared by Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority: January 2007. Produced using information provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources, GRCA and other municipal sources, Copyright (c) Queen's Printer, 2007 Figure 3. Dominant fish communities and catchments in the Ganaraska River Watershed Ganaraska River Watershed Background Report Fish Community Characteristics and Locations Fish Community 1: rainbow trout and minnow species This diverse fish community was dominated by rainbow trout as a top predator, but also present were white sucker, sculpin and a variety of minnow species including, blacknose dace, longnose dace, creek chub, and Johnny darter. Fish Community 1 is found in the mainstem north of Corbett’s Dam to Jackson Mill Dam containing Catchments 1,2 and 3 and the lower reaches of 9 and 13. The fish community boundaries then extend northeast including Catchments 11 and 15 and east into Quays Branch (Catchment 5) and Duck Pond (Catchment 14). The mainstem Catchments 1,2 and 3 have the largest drainage area of 94km2, longest channel length at 45km, and highest discharge. These catchments supported white sucker, longnose dace, creek chub, and Johnny darter but were dominated by the highest densities of rainbow trout in the watershed. The median maximum summer water temperature varied from 19.4oC to 23.9 oC, from the upper to lower reaches. Substrate consisted of gravel and cobble with increasing sands in the upper reaches. In Catchment 5 and 14 fish species diversity and density was lower than the mainstem catchments. In Catchment 5 species diversity and density decreased above a weir, located north of 5th Concession. Species included rainbow trout, blacknose dace, creek chub, and sculpin species. The median maximum summer temperature for both catchments was 21.7oC. Substrate consisted of sand in the upper reaches and mixed gravel and cobble in the lower reaches for both catchments. Both tributaries originate from a drumlinized till plain called the South Slope. The South Slope is an aquatard (containing soils not conducive to ground water discharge) resulting in low discharge compared to the other tributaries within the watershed. Adult Chinook salmon are prevalent within Fish Community 1 during spawning migration. Spawning activity was documented throughout Catchments 1,2 and 3 and in the lower reaches of Catchments 5,9,11,12,13,14. Due to Chinook life history, where they leave the stream within months of hatching to rear in Lake Ontario, they are rarely collected during summer electrofishing surveys. Therefore Chinook are not discussed in terms of the data analysis in the background document. Coho salmon have also been collected sporadically during the summer surveys and were not included in the analysis for the same reason as Chinook. It should be noted that the occurrence of pacific salmon is unique to Fish Community 1. Fish Community 2: brown trout and minnow species A second distinct fish community was identified in Catchment 6 on the North Ganaraska Branch between the Canton Hydroelectric Dam and Garden Hill Creek confluence. This community included brown trout, white sucker, Ganaraska River Watershed Background Report blacknose dace, longnose dace, and creek chub, but is dominated by brown trout and minnow species. The median maximum summer water temperature for this area was 20.0oC. Substrate composition throughout the tributary consisted of gravel, sand and cobble. Fish Community 3: brown trout and sculpin This community includes Catchment 4 north of Jackson Dam and the lower reaches of Catchment 12. Brown trout and sculpin species dominate this community; however brook trout were also prominent in the headwaters. The maximum summer water temperature for Catchment 4 was 18.3oC and mean maximum water temperature for the lower reach of Catchment 12 was 17.4oC. This section of the river was largely dominated by sand and gravel substrate. Fish Community 4: brook trout and sculpin The fourth fish community consists of all northern headwater streams including Catchment 4 north of Fish Community 3, Catchment 12 north headwaters, Catchment 13 north of County Rd. 9, Catchment 10 north of Elizabethville Dam, Catchment 12 northern tributaries, and Catchments 6,7 and 8 north of the Garden Hill Dam. Fish community 4 is dominated by brook trout and sculpin species. Catchment 4 includes all tributaries entering the Ganaraska River north of Fish Community 3. Fish species found include brown trout, rainbow trout, and sculpin species. The median maximum summer water temperature was 13oC and substrate was composed mainly of sand and large gravel. Cold Springs Creek (Catchment 9) had a maximum summer water temperature of 14.0oC in the upper reach to 20oC in the lower reach. Fish species found included brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, blacknose dace, creek chub, and sculpin species. Substrate was composed of sand, gravel, and cobble. Catchment 10 upstream of Elizabethville Dam on the Little Ganaraska Branch had a lower species diversity including brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, and sculpin species. The median maximum summer water temperature was 14.7oC. Substrate composition was mainly sand and gravel. Catchments 6,7 and 8 include tributaries of the North Ganaraska Branch above the Garden Hill Dam. Fish species found include brook trout,