Fish Creek Watershed Report Card 2017
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Surface Water Quality D - Steady 2017 Watershed Report Card Forest Conditions Fish_final.pdf 1 12/14/2017 2:32:58 PM Fish Creek a D - Steady c r. k D Ap on D ars el P D r . r L . IN P 2 E The Upper Thames River 21 E 6 29 D L RT L R IN H IN E E 1 D D 2 Legend 4 Conservation Authority8 has R R L 1 IN 0 0 E 8 7 1 1 H Watershed Boundary produced Watershed ReportH D T o R r Fullarton Corridor c E . Municipal Boundary P k D Cards for this watershed and D W R 2 i 4 Watershed R n 8 ForestL / Woodland 9 r 6 IN 7 g 1 E 1 k 27 other watersheds in the s Meadow, Shrub, Young Plantation . D R Upper Thames River basin. ! 5 L Water 5 D IN Fullarton 1 E R 1 1 0 These report cards outline 7 9 5 L 1 IN ! Open Watercourse environmental information E Russeldale Buried / Tiled WatercoursePE . R D 18 T MES R r L H THA IN 20 and suggested actions for D SurfaceE Water Quality Monitoring L Site 1 IN Russeldale 6 E 3 L Fl A improvement. I ! < N Significant Natural Site (see pg 2) R E a D 1 t 2 WEST PERTH C N P U o L r N U . I r O G t Ga N D T R D 5 h 14 O ON ST L R W r HU I N . r T N E d h L Flat Creek i I 1 N n a 4 E 3 e m Watershed R r T 16 D w 1 L e e IN 4 E 9 ood C lf s G S t o h R Ausable Bayfield n t D c R o D . DUMP R D C.A. Watershed n r. e C 12 o N RD L IRKTO D I o K NE r k E . L D I M W r V . a r I L s S L 3 p D SOUTH E h 2 a D b Y h R L rl s 0 I u W i N HURON H n 4 - ! o 1 E r g t n Kirkton D y C 1 n a r 1 4 S D 0 I . P r N RD L O U L c DIT I r RE N E C r E I N N R M . u S M E T H H M I 1 N . 1 Y r 3 E D 6 7 r 3 L e l R k D R I c N D Fi a P R D CM l E E B R 1 TH 5 s 8 1 L h I MY NE Fl W a H C t OO C ARK RD E D r CY P r H . CENTRAL HURON R A Legend . N M MAITLAND VALLEY NORTH R CONSERVATION D PERTH L Municipal Boundaries CMY AUTHORITY I N Fish Creek Watershed E HURON EAST . K WELLESLEY r . r D D R WEST D 3 PERTH y PERTH . 6 < 3 r L 1 BLUEWATER EAST h IN SQ C E U p IR r PERTH SOUTH WEILMOT n S o R o < GRAND RDIVER STRATFORD CONSERVATION M s r D 4 te e AUTHORITY t R L g v I e i N SOUTH E n rn R 1 D a HURON 6 D B u R PERTH 1 R AUSABLE BAYFIELD o 1 . CONSERVATION AUTHORITY SOUTH 5 1 r E BLANDFORD- Y 1 4 D N 1 ST. MARYS I BLENHEIM H r. LUCAN L T D rry D BIDDULPH R Be UPPER THAMES RIVER EASDT ZORRA- R L E k CONSERVATION AUTHORITY TAVISTOCK P 8 NORTH O e 3 e 1 MIDDLESEX s e r m ZORRA WOODSTOCK a C . h R T W es H n Tham r A e L ! THAMES iv E e e MIDDLESEX l R N Rannoch CENTRE d L e 5 CENTRE d I i N t E L h M 2 e t I r INGERSOLL o L N N s IN n e i E m E a Som LONDON h SOUTH-WEST NORWICH N mer ST. CLAIR REGION T . ville D CONSERVATION OXFORD r r. s South AUTHORITY e River m LONG POINT REGION D a h CONSERVATION T LUCAN AUTHORITY s STRATHROY- Plover Mills in D LOWER THAMES CARADOC KETTLE CREEK BC.A. MIADLADHIDLE UPH R g G VALLEY C.A. TILLSONBURG 9 CATFISH CREEK C.A. 3 Corridor Watershed d R 1 MALAHIDE o A . H N T S H r T R T O E O D N P DR Fi N 1 REE N B s 2 L E n h 7 I H N r C 1 r R O E 3 u . D 2 U r S b R D E R D ! h < r O t L Granton e I n M a 1 N IK DR n S M A W L i E A R I A C N k N E H L S I N L E A T I R N R P S I k T E K R B . eA R E D O 7 U r LLON Y e G FA W S R D R H r E P D THAMES Y DR C R k E E VER L RE D Medway Creek o C I N o T CENTRE E C FH ox Schu Watershed I ller L Dr. R L ORY D 2 11 N 00 22 kmkm VAT OBSER R D o y . r r r t o D h g d R Upper Thames River Watershed Report Card l T e e 1 i FISH CREEKr fi h n G 2017 Watershed Report Card Watershed Features Municipalities Perth South (61%, 91 km2), South Huron (18%, 27 km2), West Perth (11%, 16 km2), Lucan-Biddulph (9%, 14 & Area km2). Total Area - 14,877 ha (149 km2), 4% of Upper Thames River watershed. Main Fish Creek (tributary of North Thames), Rathburn, Nineteen, Berry, Youngson, Hodgins, Morphy, Blackler, Watercourses Washburn, Stone, and Gardiner Drains Significant Significant or Other Wetlands – None. Earth Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest – Prospect Hill Natural Sites Moraine Topography, Science Hill Hummocky Topography, Lucan Moraine Land Use 89% agriculture, 10% natural vegetation, <1% urban/builtup, <1% aggregates, <1% water Population 1,401 in 2016, a 7% decline from 1,500 in 2011. Soil Type 56% clay loam, 18% silty loam, 10% loam, 8% silty clay loam, 7% bottomland, 1% organic Physiography 75% undrumlinized till plain, 16% spillway, 9% till moraine Soil Erosion / 6% highly erodible (lands that could potentially contribute >7 tonnes/ha/yr of soil to a watercourse). The Delivery average for the Upper Thames River watershed is 9%. Tiling & 68% of the watershed has agricultural field tile (24% random + 44% systematic), 0% urban drainage, 32% no Drainage tiling. 3-4% more tiling than previous report card. Total length: 147 km of watercourses Watercourse type: 62% channelized, 28% natural, 10% buried Watercourse Flow type: 85% permanent, 10% buried, 5% intermittent Characteristics Temperature: 78% warmwater, 19% unconfirmed, 2% cool/coldwater Main channel slope: 0.18% slope (low/flat); range is 0.09-1.26% in Upper Thames subwatersheds Dams & Barriers 12 barriers to fish passage have been documented in this watershed, all on private land. Sewage There are no sewage treatment plants discharging into Fish Creek. Properties in the watershed are serviced Treatment by private septic systems. 1 spill reported from 2011-2015, 7 spills reported from 2006-2010, 2 spills reported from 2001-2005, 6 from Spills 1988-2000. Most spills involve industrial chemicals and fuel. Vegetation cover: 1,471 hectares or 9.9% of the Fish Creek watershed % Vegetation Composition: 63% deciduous forest, 12% mixed forest, 10% plantation/coniferous forest, Cover & Types 14% meadow, 2% thicket 1.9% (283 ha) of the watershed is in wetland cover. Environment Canada (2013) recommends at least 6% Wetland Cover wetland cover. Wetlands make up 19% of the natural vegetation cover of the Fish Creek watershed. Number of Average Size Total Woodland % of Woodland Largest Size Category Woodlots (ha) Area (ha) Area Woodlot (ha) Woodlot or Patch Size Small (<10 ha) 101 3 316 27 Medium (10-30 ha) 25 16 400 33 131 Large (>30 ha) 7 72 507 41 Fish species - 39 including a recent addition (Brook Trout). Fisheries Gamefish- Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike. Resources Mussel species - 13 Birds – 5 species including Barn Swallow and Bobolink. Species at Risk Mussels – Rainbow, Wavy-rayed Lampmussel. Reptiles – Spiny Softshell, Snapping Turtle. For more information on watershed features and how they compare to the other 27 subwatersheds, see the tables in the full report - 2017 Upper Thames River Watershed Report Cards - at www.thamesriver.on.ca. FISH CREEK 2 Upper Thames River Watershed Report Card Grade: D 2017 Watershed Report Card Steady Surface Water Quality Surface water quality has remained steady in Fish Creek relatively low levels compared to most of the watersheds in since 2010 and scores an overall grade of D (see table the Upper Thames. Nitrate levels (sources such as fertilizer, below). In 2002, a water quality monitoring station was waste) are steady and remain above the guideline for added to Fish Creek at Prospect Hill Road (see front map). aquatic life. Phosphorous levels went from a C to D as it hovers around Stream health or water quality as indicated by benthic the threshold between the two grades, and levels are monitoring at the Prospect Hill Road site, has shown a better than the Upper Thames average.