Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills ESA Master Plan Update

Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area Master Plan Update 2005 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area Master Plan update was developed by dedicated individuals who have contributed many hours to establish guidelines for preserving this environmental area for future generations. These people continue an 80-year legacy of people working to preserve and enjoy this Environmentally Significant Area (ESA) located in the heart of London. A special thanks to the specific individuals and organizations represented on the Local Advisory Committee: Karen Auzins - Rotary Club of London West Bonnie Bergsma - City of London Hugh Casbourn - McIlwraith Field Naturalists Ron Challis - Labour Council Will Cook - Millbank Villas Steve Couture - Western Ontario Fish and Game Protective Association (Alternate) David Crockett - London Health Sciences Centre Brenda Gallagher - Upper Thames River Conservation Authority Stan Gibbs - Western Ontario Fish and Game Protective Association Gary Kay - Global Action Plan Catherine Kurucz - Thames Valley District School Board Jack Lorimer - McIlwraith Field Naturalists Andrew Macpherson - City of London Jim Mahon - Neighbour Cheryl Miller - City of London Ward 5 Councillor Bob McLeod - Neighbour Steve Sauder - Upper Thames River Conservation Authority Alex Shivas - Upper Thames River Conservation Authority Tara Tchir - Upper Thames River Conservation Authority Dave Wake - McIlwraith Field Naturalists Barbara Wyatt-Chiodo - Westminster / Pond Mills Environmental Education Centres A special thanks also to Dr. W. Judd and Elisabeth Fritz for the historical perspectives, continuing support and dedication to the Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area (ESA). Thank you to the ESA Team for sharing their experience and knowledge of the Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills ESA. The ESA Team is comprised of UTRCA staff who work in cooperation with the City of London to manage the six publically-owned (City and UTRCA owned) ESAs including Sifton Bog, Kilally, Warbler Woods, Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills, Medway and Meadowlily. The main responsibilities of the ESA Team are education, risk management, encroachment and enforcement. This team is responsible for implementing many of the management recommendations that develop from the Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Master Plan. Thank you to the staff of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority who shared their expertise in developing and editing this Master Plan update. A special thanks to Phil Simm who developed the numerous maps for the Master Plan update. Finally, thank you to the City of London for the financial assistance and staff support for this project. i Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area Master Plan Update 2005 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Significance Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area (ESA) is the largest natural area in the City of London, covering approximately 250 hectares (618 acres). The ESA contains the Westminster Ponds area (including Saunders Pond, Spettigue Pond and Tumbleson Pond) in the west, the Pond Mills area (including North Pond and South Pond) in the east, and the Dayus Creek Valley (including Thompson Pond) in the centre (Map 1). The ESA is significant for its size, rich variety of natural habitats, rolling topography and unique “kettle” ponds, all within an urban setting. Most of the Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills ESA is owned by the City of London (Map 2). Smaller portions are owned by the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), the Western Ontario Fish and Game Protective Association, and other private landowners. The publicly owned property is managed by the UTRCA. The ESA’s land formations were created during the glacial retreat of the Huron and Erie ice sheets more than 12,000 years ago. The kettle ponds were created when large blocks of ice were left behind by the glaciers, creating permanent depressions that filled with water. The ESA’s five major ponds and numerous smaller ponds are the best examples of kettle ponds remaining in the London area. The deep, cool ponds are fed by surface runoff. The varied topography and drainage of the ESA support an exceptionally rich flora. The dry ridges between the kettle ponds have a typical Sugar Maple hardwood forest, with a mixture of several other tree species including ashes, oaks, hickories, Basswood, Hop-hornbeam, American Beech and Black Cherry. The low wet areas between the ridges support an entirely different type of forest with Red Maple, Yellow Birch, Silver Maple and White Elm. The ESA includes a marsh, swamp, and bog complex that is a Provincially Significant Wetland (PSW). The shrub thickets and herbaceous plants are even more varied than the forests. The cool, wet, shady Red Maple swamps are home to several plants that are more common in northern locations, such as Gold Thread, Bluebead Lily, and various ferns and mosses. Southern species such as dogwoods and hickories can often be found growing close by. In addition to its unusual and representative vegetation communities, the Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills ESA is also recognized as valuable habitat for wildlife; including fish, insects and migrating waterfowl. The area attracts a large number of wildlife species because of the diverse vegetation and the presence of the ponds. Process The Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills ESA Master Plan update has been completed collaboratively by the City of London, the UTRCA, and interested community organizations and individuals. At a community meeting in May 2003, 65 people gave input into issues, concerns and opportunities for Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills ESA. From this meeting a Local Advisory Committee (LAC) was formed. iii Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area Master Plan Update 2005 The strength of the planning process was the 21- member LAC. This committee helped develop the mission, guiding principles, goals & objectives, criteria for decision- making, and recommendations for the update of the Master Plan. The LAC members, representing 13 different organizations, worked together from September 2003 to August 2004. The UTRCA provided technical information, including past reports and newly completed studies. The Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area Master Plan Update was presented to and approved by the City of London Planning Committee on June 20, 2005. Planning Committee sent the following report to Municipal Council: That, on the recommendation of the General Manager of Planning and Development, the Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area Master Plan Update BE APPROVED; it being noted the Planning Committee heard a presentation from S. Sauder and T. Tchir from the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority; it being pointed out that at the public participation meeting associated with this matter, [two] individuals [representing the London Coalition Against Pesticides] made an oral submission … noting that while they generally support the Plan, there should be revisions to ensure that alternatives to the use of pesticides or herbicides are explored and built into the final recommendations [and] … requesting further information with respect to the proposed use of herbicides in the Ponds area and requesting that there be a provision for the ongoing monitoring of any test areas or that interested City residents be utilized to assist with the manual removal of unwanted vegetation. Municipal Council adopted the Planning Committee’s report on June 27, 2005, with the following amendment added to the end of the first paragraph: it being further noted that the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority is encouraged to work with volunteers for the purpose of manually removing unwanted vegetation in the subject area to avoid, wherever possible, the use of herbicides. Results More than 30 reports were reviewed and incorporated into the Master Plan update. An inventory of vegetation communities was also completed for the entire ESA. Studies of the ESA have found: • more than 200 vegetation communities • 757 species of vascular plants, including 30 that are nationally and/or provincially rare, and 60 % of the plant species found in Middlesex County • over 200 species of birds • 19 species of fish • 14 species of amphibians • nine species of reptiles • numerous insect species Seventeen maps have been created to support the background information and guide decision-making for the future including: the study area, vegetation communities, water well locations, ESA boundaries, property ownership, Carolinian Canada zone, naturalization recommendations and trail recommendations. iv Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area Master Plan Update 2005 Over 85 recommendations have been developed to guide decision-making and the budget for Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills ESA over the next ten years. All recommendations have been written in collaboration with the LAC based upon the best technical information available. Implementation of the recommendations will go a long way toward fulfilling the new mission statement: The City of London, the UTRCA, and community partners will preserve the ecological integrity of Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area while providing compatible educational and recreational opportunities. v Westminster Ponds / Pond Mills Environmentally Significant Area Master Plan

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