Integrated Water Management Across the Trent River Watershed It’s All About the Water The Coalion for Equitable Water Flow (CEWF) Presentaon to Dysart et al Municipal Council July 27, 2015 By Members of the Execuve Commiee of CEWF It's All About The Water: Report of The Panel on the Future of the Trent-Severn Waterway 2008 • … the waterway is really a vast water management system with a navigaon channel running through it. To consider the lakes and rivers of the naviga8on channel as separate from the rest of the system is neither ecologically tenable nor advisable in planning for the future of the waterway. • We see a future that is rooted in the equitable sharing of the water throughout the watersheds within the context of a strong conservaon ethic, one subscribed to by all users. • We believe that all government agencies involved in the management of water should have the goal of fostering an integrated approach. 2 Presentaon Outline • What is CEWF • Why is water management important • Overview of the watershed and water management by Parks Canada • Summary of water management constraints • Key developments following the Panel Report • Summary of CEWF Priori1es Areas for cooperaon with Municipali1es in Haliburton and northern Peterborough Coun1es (TSW’s “Haliburton Sector”) 3 What is the Coalion for Equitable Water Flow? (CEWF) • The Coali1on is a Volunteer Organizaon • Formed in 2006 to provide input to the federal Panel on the Future of the Trent Severn Waterway in 2007 • Represents interests of 35,000+ shoreline property owners in “Haliburton Sector” of Trent watershed with regard to water management issues • Includes “Reservoir” and “Flow-Through” (RaFT) lakes • 31 Member Lake Associaons represent 90% of the TSW’s reservoir lake storage capacity (lakes with no associaon = 6%) • Sub-watersheds included: – Gull, Burnt & Mississauga rivers plus Nogies, Eel’s & Jack’s creeks 4 CEWF Execuve Commiee • Ted Spence, Chair, Catchacoma Lake • Bruce McClennan, Vice-Chair, Gull Lake • Roger Cunningham, Sec/Treasurer, White Lake • Chris Riddle, Kennisis Lake • Marn Rist, Drag Lake • Bill Cornfield, Horseshoe Lake • David Lean, Jack’s Lake • Geoff Byford, Mountain Lake 5 Member Lake Associaons Represents 90% of Reservoir Capacity: 6% no known LA Dysart et al lakes • Anstruther • Gull • Maple/Beech/ • Big Bob (South) • Haliburton Cameron • Canning • Halls & Hawk (Big and • Miskwabi • Cavendish Ratepayers Lile) • Moore (Mississagua, • Horseshoe • Mountain Catchacoma et al) • Jack’s • Percy • Crystal • Kashagawigamog • Redstone • Drag & Spruce • Kennisis • Salerno/Devil’s • Eel’s • Koshlong • Soyers • Esson • Kushog • Twelve Mile/Lifle • Fortescue • Lifle Glamor Boshkung • Glamor • Loon • White 6 Dysart Lakes comprise approx. 42% of TSW Reservoir Capacity 7 CEWF Objecves • To promote an Integrated Approach to Water Management at the Watershed Level that will improve water conservaon while recognizing the environmental, public safety, social and socioeconomic constraints of managing the water resource. • To maintain dialogue with TSW management to ensure improved understanding of local issues and management of water levels and flows in the RaFT lakes (includes Preferred Water Levels project). • To promote shared informaon and understanding of water management issues and pracces watershed wide across the Canal lakes, and the RaFT lakes. • To promote approaches to ensure safe navigaon, access to waterfront property, economic sustainability and the avoidance of negave environmental and economic impacts for residents on the RaFT lakes. 8 Why is Water Management Important? • It’s All About the Water! • Much of the Dysart et al economy is directly or indirectly dependent on the excellent water quality and sound water management of our lakes and rivers. • over 80% of property taxes come from waterfront properes. • The social and economic health of not only our lake communi1es but of everyone in the Municipality depends upon good water management. 9 Why is an Integrated Approach Important? • It establishes the en1re (Trent) watershed as the geographic area to be managed and facilitates development of a watershed plan that is able to address regional social and economic consideraons as well as water management. • It allows the priori1es of canal users to be balanced against those of municipali1es and other stakeholders given the mul1ple uses of the water – for municipal drinking water, sewage treatment, irrigaon, recreaon, tourism, preservaon of wetlands etc. in all parts of the watershed. 10 The Trent Watershed • Trent River watershed is the largest in Southern Ontario with drainage area of 12,530 sq. km. covering 3 sub- watersheds. • The Haliburton Sector Reservoir Lakes – (3,320 sq. km.) • The Kawartha Lakes & Otonabee River - (4,862 sq. km.) • Rice Lake, the Trent River & Crowe River – (4,348 sq. km.) • Main feature of the watershed is the Trent-Severn Waterway which stretches 386 km from Georgian Bay to Lake Ontario and includes 45 locks from #1 Trenton to #45 Port Severn 11 What About Water Quality? • The Trent watershed is a living ecosystem from the headwaters to Lake Ontario • It includes the forests, wetlands, lakes and rivers as well as the urban landscapes – all of which influence both hydrology (flow paerns) and water availability • The equitable sharing of water includes making sure that there is adequate supply for these natural ecosystems • Health and ecological integrity are prime concerns • Our overall approach recognizes the importance of water quality but we typically defer to the Coali1on of Haliburton Associaons (CHA) to take the lead on water quality issues – at least in Haliburton County. 12 13 Reservoir & Flow-Through (RAFT) Lakes • In the “Haliburton Sector” (Haliburton County and northern Peterborough County) there are 35 reservoirs - 17 in the Gull River system, 13 in the Burnt River System, and 5 in the central area including the Mississauga chain of lakes, Anstruther , Eels, Jacks and Crystal lakes. There are also 6 reservoirs in the Crowe River basin. • The reservoir systems are complex to manage with seasonal water level changes of up to 10 feet (3.4 m) combined with severe flow constraints at some points (e.g. Minden) • There are also challenges to maintaining navigable water levels on connec1ng rivers and flow-through lakes in the reservoir area (e.g. Shadow, Mountain, and Maple lakes) – as well as minimum flows for Walleye spawning at Drag Lake and in West Guilford. 14 15 16 Kawartha Lakes Annual Flow (20% Gull R, 21% Burnt R, 28% Central Reservoirs, and 31% from the South) Source KLSA 2009 17 Key Water-Flow & -Level Constraints Constraints form the basis for a sound water management model that supports TSW priori1es including: – public health & safety (flood management and water supply) and – Waterway / canal navigaon Key constraints relate to: • Minimum flow at Peterborough for water supply and sewage treatment; Note however: It is understood that leakage through dam #1 in Trenton exceeds all other flow constraints for extended periods. • Maintaining water levels on the waterway per the Canal Regula8ons draught limits. 18 Constraints affec8ng the RaFT Lakes • Minimum/Maximum Flows at various points – Maximums at Minden & Coboconk – Minimums at flow-through lakes - Maple/Beech/Grass, Shadow • Physical Constraints – Gull River through Minden – Manipulang logs at dam locaons takes 1me and has seasonal limitaons • Environmental Constraints – In Spring – walleye spawning and loon/waterfowl nes1ng – In Fall – Lake Trout spawn • Navigaon Constraints – Maintaining the RaFT lake levels in a preferred range • NOTE: The reservoirs were not designed as a flood control system although the fall drawdown provides a buffering capacity during the Spring freshet! 19 Kennisis Lake Levels A Typical Reservoir Lake Dam Height with 9.5 Logs 2.90 m, Winter set 3 logs, Ave Ann Fluct 1.55 m. 20 CEWF Preferred Water Levels Project Drag Lake Levels Average Maximum Minimum Winter Set PWL-High PWL-Low Target 3.1 2.7 2.4 2.1 1.8 1.5 1.2 Level (m) 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.0 7-Oct 1-Jan 9-Jun 1-Mar 6-Dec 8-Aug 19-Jul 27-Oct 10-Apr 30-Apr 21-Jan 29-Jun 21-Mar 10-Feb 28-Aug 17-Sep 26-Dec 16-Nov 20-May Month 21 Where is the CEWF Coming From? • Panel on the Future of the Trent Severn Waterway (2008) and Governments reac1on – Water Management Advisory Council (2009) – Federal/Provincial MOU (2011) • 2012 Water Management Study by AECOM • 2012 Demise of Navigable Waters Protec1on Act • Preparedness for Climate Change/extreme weather • Dam Safety Informaon and Ac1on • Mandate to Educate and Liaise 22 WMAC (2009) & MOU (2011) • Parks Canada established a Water Management Advisory Council in 2009 • Members from Haliburton were Chris Riddle & Keith Hodgson • WMAC provided a valuable forum for stakeholder engagement • However the Council currently lacks a Chair and is dormant • Ontario and Canada signed an MOU in 2011. Priori1es included: • clarificaon of jurisdic1onal responsibili1es, • waterway and watershed-wide collaborave planning • There has been a lack of communicaons regarding ac1vity under the MOU which is due to expire in July 2016 23 AECOM Water Management Study (2012) • Comprehensive 4 volume report on all aspects of TSW water management. • Evalua:on of the Current Approach • Water management Manual • Review of Water Management Systems and Models • Data Collecon and management Guide • Recommends the development of a constraint based management process supported by new water management modelling tools – tools that remain unavailable to the TSW 24 Predicted Impacts of Climate Change on TSW Water Management For 30 Year Period 2041-2070 [Source: AECOM] PREDICTED CHANGES • Mean annual temperature will increase by about + 2.5 degrees C. • Annual Precipitaon will increase a small amount but by + 11% in winter. IMPACTS • More winter runoff and winter floods. • Spring freshet: Peaking 17 days earlier on average but with lower volume May require addi1on of stop-logs earlier during winter months, or modificaon of winter stop-log sengs. • Summer through fall runoff volume reduc1on of ~7 %.