Humber River State of the Watershed Report – Nature-Based Recreation
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Humber River State of the Watershed Report – Nature-based Recreation 2008 Humber River State of the Watershed Report – Nature-based Recreation EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • The variety of landscapes, features and nature-based recreation destinations in the Humber River watershed provide potential for a wide range of recreational activities including walking, hiking, cross-country skiing, wildlife-viewing, picnicking, camping, bicycling, horseback riding, golfing, fishing, swimming and exploring cultural heritage sites. • Urban development and population growth in Humber watershed municipalities will likely result in increased use of existing greenspace and nature-based recreation facilities and demand for additional greenspace and facilities. • There are approximately 8,800 hectares of public greenspace in the Humber River watershed (10% of the watershed). Most of the greenspace is owned by the TRCA (6,644 hectares or 75%). The quantity of greenspace in the Humber watershed increased by 243 hectares between 2000 and 2005. • Oak Ridges Corridor Park, created through the transfer of 428 hectares of land from private owners and developers to the Province of Ontario in 2004, protects the last remaining natural corridor link between eastern and western parts of the Oak Ridges Moraine in Richmond Hill and represents a major addition to the Humber watershed greenspace system. • The length of inter-regional trails in the Humber River watershed totals 213 km. The total length of inter-regional trails has increased by 28 km since 2000 and an additional 15 km of inter-regional trails are proposed to be built in the watershed. • Numerous municipalities have proposed new local trails in the Humber River watershed, totaling 168 km in length. Brampton’s proposed system is the most extensive, with over 134 km of trails proposed in its PathWays Master Plan. • There are 24 golf courses in the Humber River watershed. These include private (8), semi-private (1) and public facilities (15). There has been a growing effort among some golf course managers to reduce the negative impacts of their operations on the watershed and incorporate more natural landscaping. Of the 24 golf courses in the Humber River watershed, four courses (Diamond Back Golf Club in Richmond Hill; Nobleton Lakes Golf Club in King Township; Oakdale Golf and Country Club and the Toronto Board of Trade Golf Course, both in Toronto) are Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries. As such, they contribute to the conservation of resources and the protection of both common and rare plants and wildlife by implementing environmental practices. Humber_Nature_based_Recreation_FINAL_080907.doc Humber River State of the Watershed Report – Nature-based Recreation TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 1 2.0 UNDERSTANDING NATURE-BASED RECREATION................................................... 2 3.0 MEASURING NATURE-BASED RECREATION ........................................................... 4 4.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS IN THE HUMBER RIVER WATERSHED............................... 5 4.1 Greenspace and Parks................................................................................................... 5 4.1.1 Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Lands .................................................. 9 4.1.2 Municipal Parks......................................................................................................... 12 4.1.3 Provincial and Federal Lands................................................................................... 13 4.1.4 Watershed Report Card Ratings............................................................................... 14 4.2 Trails.............................................................................................................................. 16 4.2.1 Inter-Regional Trails.................................................................................................. 18 4.2.2 Local Trails................................................................................................................ 20 4.2.3 Watershed Report Card Rating ................................................................................ 22 4.3 Resource-based Tourism ............................................................................................. 23 4.4 Recreational Fishing ..................................................................................................... 25 4.5 Golfing........................................................................................................................... 26 5.0 SUMMARY AND MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS .............................................. 26 6.0 REFERENCES............................................................................................................. 30 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Nature-based Recreation Areas and Experiences in the Humber River Watershed. .... 6 Figure 2. Trails in the Humber River Watershed. ......................................................................... 17 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Humber River Watershed Nature-based Recreation Strategic Concepts....................... 6 Table 2. TRCA Attractions in the Humber River Watershed. ......................................................... 8 Table 3. TRCA Land Acquisition and Disposal in the Humber River Watershed, 2000 to 2004... 9 Table 4. Quantity of Greenspace and Other Public Use Lands in the Humber Watershed (in hectares) ........................................................................................................................ 15 Table 5: TRCA Conservation Area Attendance, Humber River Watershed, 2002 – 2004........... 16 Table 6: Summary of Trail Systems. ............................................................................................ 18 Table 7: Inter-regional Trails in the Humber River Watershed by Municipality. .......................... 23 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: TRCA and Municipal Information Contacts............................................................. 31 Appendix B: Municipal Parks and Facilities in the Humber River Watershed............................. 33 Humber_Nature_based_Recreation_FINAL_080907.doc Humber River State of the Watershed Report – Nature-based Recreation 1.0 INTRODUCTION In 1997, the Humber Watershed Task Force released the Humber River Watershed Strategy, Legacy: A Strategy For A Healthy Humber (MTRCA, 1997), which provided thirty objectives for a healthy, sustainable watershed, and a set of actions necessary to achieve them. It also provided an overview of the state of the Humber River watershed at that time. Since the release of the watershed strategy, a significant amount of new information has become available through monitoring, special studies and the experiences of watershed partners. In 2004, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), in partnership with watershed municipalities and the Humber Watershed Alliance initiated a study to develop an integrated watershed management plan for the Humber River. This study was initiated to fulfill the watershed planning requirements of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan , 2002, and to update the strategies and recommendations of Legacy, in light of new information, a stronger scientific foundation and better understanding of the effects of human actions on natural ecosystems. The watershed plan is intended to inform and guide municipalities, provincial and federal governments, TRCA, non-governmental organizations and private landowners regarding management actions needed to maintain and improve watershed health. This State of the Watershed Report provides updated information on current conditions, emerging trends and identifies key watershed management issues and opportunities in the Humber pertaining to nature-based recreation. Indicators of watershed health and associated targets are used to rate current conditions. Ratings for a full suite of indicators of watershed health are summarized in, Listen to Your River: A Report Card on the Health of the Humber River Watershed (TRCA, 2007). The report is organized into five sections. Section 2 introduces the topic of nature-based recreation, explains the need for greenspace in our society, describes current trends regarding nature-based recreation and makes note of potential management issues. Section 3 describes the different indicators used to monitor nature-based recreation and assess progress towards achieving the objectives of the watershed strategy. Section 4 provides updated information on current conditions and updated watershed report card ratings. Section 5 summarizes watershed management issues pertaining to nature-based recreation in the Humber watershed, based on current conditions and identifies those that may warrant further study and management recommendations in the final watershed plan. 1 Humber River State of the Watershed Report – Nature-based Recreation 2.0 UNDERSTANDING NATURE-BASED RECREATION Public greenspace 1 is highly valued for their aesthetic, social, recreational and spiritual benefits. They provide leisure opportunities ranging from hiking, bird-watching, cycling, camping and picnicking, to swimming, fishing, and a variety of other active and passive activities. It is a well-documented fact that active lifestyles promote a sense of well-being and an overall healthier population which over time will lessen the burden on our health care system. There are many opportunities in the Humber