A Stewardship Guide for the Lake Huron Coastline
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A STEWARDSHIP GUIDE FOR THE LAKE HURON COASTLINE Self‐assessment of your environmental performance as a property owner Table of Contents What is the purpose of the Lake Huron Stewardship Guide? 3 Is this guide for you? 3 A Bit of Background 4 How to use the Lake Huron Stewardship Guide 5 Introduction to Local Ecology 5 The Workbook 5 The Action Plan 6 PART I – INTRODUCTION TO LOCAL ECOLOGY The Landscape west of Hwy 21: A Water Place Cultural and Physical Geography of the Lake Huron Landscape 7 Where do You Fit In? 8 Broad Scale - A Watershed Perspective 8 Local Scale - The Coastal Features of this Watershed 10 - Inland Features of this Watershed 15 - The Invisible Features of this Watershed 16 - Natural Hazards and How They Can Affect You 17 PART II – WORKBOOK Worksheet #1 – Buying a Rural Property 23 Worksheet #2 – Before and During Construction 25 Worksheet #3 – Getting to Know Your Property 37 – Making a Map of Your Property 38 Worksheet #4 – Private Well Water Supply 49 Worksheet #5 – Wastewater and Septic Systems 57 PART II – WORKBOOK continued Worksheet #6 - Gardening and Landscaping 67 Worksheet #6a - Landscape Water Efficiency 67 Worksheet #6b - Natural Buffers and Shoreline Access 73 Worksheet #6c - The Value of a Tree 77 Worksheet #6d - Plant Selection and Use 83 Worksheet #6e - Nutrients 95 Worksheet #7 - Waste Management 103 Worksheet #8 - Storage & Proper Handling of Fuels, Pesticides, and other Typical Household Chemicals 109 Worksheet #9 - Lake Recreation 123 Worksheet #10 - Living with Wildlife 131 Worksheet #11 - Lowering Your Energy Bill 139 Worksheet #12 - Water Runoff Management 149 PART III – ACTION PLAN T H A N K Y O U ! Published by: We are grateful for the support received from many individuals and organizations Huron County Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority in preparing this manual. Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation University of Guelph Steering Committee: Friends of the Bayfield River Steve Bowers, Huron Stewardship Council Huron Stewardship Council Wayne Caldwell, University of Guelph Karen Landman, University of Guelph 1 Court House Square Goderich, Ontario Diane Leal, University of Guelph N7A 1M2 Ray Letheren, Friends of the Bayfield River www.huroncounty.ca Geoff Peach, Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation Authors: Susanna Reid, Huron County Planning Department Diane Leal Mari Veliz, Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority Karen Landman Wayne Caldwell Reviewers: Dave Anderson, Ministry of Natural Resources Artwork: Muriel Andreae, St. Clair Region Conservation Authority Yang Huang Doug Brown, Lurgan Beach Association Cover photo: Don Cass, Bruce Beach Association Elva Rea Anne Eadie, Township of Huron Kinloss Doug van Hemessen, Wetland Habitat Fund ISBN 0-9780329-0-X Darren Kenny, Maitland Valley Conservation Authority Copyright 2006 Hank Krech, Grand Bend Community Foundation First edition 2006 Chris Lemieux, Natural Spaces: Ministry of Natural Resources All rights reserved. This publication may not be Mike McElhone, Ashfield Colborne Lakefront Association reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any Kirsten Pinkerton, University of Guelph means, including all usual methods, without written Nina Reynolds, Huron County Planning Department permission of the publisher. Pam Scharfe, Huron County Health Unit Printed on recycled paper. Bob Slow, Bluewater Shoreline Residents Association Printed in Canada John Smallwood, Lake Huron Learning Collaborative Tremayne Stanton-Kennedy, University of Guelph Shelagh Sully, Friends of the Bayfield River Ian Young, Grand Bend Rotary Club Katherine Grechuta, University of Guelph 1 T H A N K Y O U ! We are grateful for the support received from the following organizations in preparing this manual. Ashfield-Colborne Lakefront Association Canadian Water Network Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Fund Bluewater Shoreline Residents Association Huron Stewardship Council Canada Ontario Agreement County of Huron Municipality of Central Huron Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Environment Canada Food and Rural Affairs - New Directions Friends of the Bayfield River The Ontario Trillium Foundation Grand Bend Community Fund Rotary Club of Grand Bend Ontario, Inc. Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association TD/Canada Trust Friends of the Environment Foundation Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation University of Guelph We gratefully acknowledge the model provided by the Environmental Farm Plan and 2 the assistance of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. The Lake Huron Stewardship Guide Introduction What is the purpose of the Lake Huron Stewardship Guide? The overriding goal of the Lake Huron Stewardship (LHS) program is to protect the quality of our water – both groundwater and surface water such as streams, rivers, ravines, creeks, wetlands and lakes, and the natural landscape features that support these ecosystems. By protecting this natural resource, you are not only conserving our natural and cultural heritage but also protecting the legacy of Ontario’s clean water for future generations. By protecting water quality, you are also protecting your investment as a property owner or resident in this landscape. You will notice that being a water quality steward and working with the environment will result in savings of time, money and frustration. This Guide is an important tool designed to help individuals make a difference. It provides a framework to allow you to evaluate your property and its management. Through completion of the worksheets, you will learn what you are doing right, and where you can improve in protecting our water quality. Is this guide for you? This Guide is intended for non-farm residents, cottagers and property owners along the Canadian shore of Lake Huron from Tobermory in the north to Sarnia in the south. The focus is on the communities and landscapes west of Highways 21 and 6. This swath of land stretches over part of Bruce County, Huron County, and Lambton County. 3 The Lake Huron Stewardship Guide Introduction continued A Bit of Background In 1991, farmers in Ontario recognized the need to identify and deal with environmental concerns relating to agricultural production. The Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) is the product of this farmer-driven initiative. The Environmental Farm Plan1 has both identified the need and laid the foundation for a non-farm resident plan. The Lake Huron Stewardship Guide program is a response to this awareness. This program has been developed and run by volunteers – people like you who live in the Lake Huron landscape. As a result, this program specifically addresses the risks, challenges and benefits of living along or near the coastal region of Lake Huron. No individual can single-handedly solve the issue of water quality, but collectively we can make a difference. Your actions may result in an overall improvement in the environment. By going through the worksheets in this guide and devising an Action Plan, you are taking an important step for your property, your neighbourhood, your community, the environment in Ontario and Canada and for water quality in the Great Lakes. 1www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/environment/efp/efp.html 4 L A K E H U R O N S T E W A R D S H I P G U I D E How to use the Lake Huron Stewardship Guide This Guide will help you see your property and your actions in a new For each topic, there are four descriptions of either natural conditions or way. It asks you to think about your land, the buildings and structures on current situations. Each has a number rating: your land, and how your actions affect the larger landscape, from a new point of view. It asks you to rate how you affect the environment and 4 (Best) water quality around your property. Finally, it asks you to consider new 3 (Good) ways of using and maintaining your property in order to decrease the 2 (Fair) risks to precious natural resources. 1 (Poor) The LHS Guide has three parts – an Introduction to Local Ecology, a The Best (or 4) rating describes conditions that protect the environment Workbook and an Action Plan. and water quality or have the lowest potential for environmental damage. The Poor (or 1) rating describes conditions that have the highest potential The Workbook to affect the environment negatively and require an Action Plan. The Workbook includes twelve Worksheets to help you rate your Circle the condition that best describes your property. If you circle 1 or 2, activities on your property. A glossary is located after each worksheet to mark the rating number for each topic in the matching box at the right help you with terminology. hand side of the Worksheet. The purpose of this rating system is not to tally the numbers in the right-hand column, but to identify areas for Pick out the worksheets that apply to your property. Read the improvement on your property. A rating of 1 or 2 indicates what needs introductory page and rate the topics that apply to you in the right hand improving. column. For topics that don’t apply, write the letters ‘NA’ (not applicable) in the rating box. If you don’t know how you rate, mark the NOTES: box with a question mark to remind yourself to find out the information. Bold, italic type indicates conditions that may violate provincial legislation. Federal laws or municipal bylaws may also apply. Contact your local municipal government office for more information. 5 L A K E H U R O N S T E W A R D S H I P G U I D E The Action Plan When you have filled in all the worksheets that apply to your property, record the ratings for each topic in the Action Plan part of the Guide. Remember, some worksheet sections may not apply to your property. Your 1 and 2 ratings indicate which areas of your property management need some changes to reduce the potential for environmental damage and water contamination.