- Watershed: Canadian Framework for Community Action

This project was provided seed/supporting funding through the Lake Huron Community Action Framework. This funding is intended to provide small support to increase the capacity of local organizations to engage in activities consistent with one or more of the principles of the ‘Framework’ – see www.lakehuroncommunityaction.ca

2013 Project Synopsis

PROJECT TITLE: Nottawasaga Community Action Project

RECIPIENT: Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority

PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: To work with local partners restoring water quality and aquatic habitat in tributary streams to improve the health of Georgian Bay and the Nottawasaga River.

PROJECT PARTNERS: Nottawasaga Watershed Improvement Program (N-WIP) Steering Committee, Stayner Collegiate Institute, Collingwood Collegiate Institute, Jean Vanier Highschool, St. Joseph’s Academy, Creemore Guides and Scouts, Georgian College, various landowners, volunteers, South Simcoe Streams Network, Healthy Communities Network, Essa Healthy Communities Committee, Essa EDC, Georgian Triangle Anglers Association, Nottawasaga Steelheaders, Free Spirit Tours, Town of Collingwood, Town of Wasaga Beach, Clearview Township, Springwater Township, Essa Township, Environment , Ministry of the Environment, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority.

PROJECT LENGTH: 12 months (current fiscal year), however N-WIP program has been in operation since 2008.

PROJECT SUMMARY: The 2013-14 project is an extension of riparian tree planting and in-stream habitat restoration works completed since 2008 on several Georgian Bay and Nottawasaga River tributary streams and includes a new large-scale fall project involving floodplain construction, bank stabilization and livestock exclusion fencing adjacent to 250m of Lamont Creek north of Stayner. The current year’s program also included the implementation of a large stream bank stabilization project on 85m of the Pine River in the community of Angus, involving the use of 10m long cut coniferous trees as revetments, soil anchors and native sod mats. The NVCA will be continuing to work with volunteers to enhance and complete major stream restoration projects initiated in 20011 and 2012 at the NVCA Property on Willow Creek and the Baycliffe Property on Lamont Creek respectively. The 2013-14 project also includes fish community and benthic invertebrate sampling work (both professional and with volunteer support) designed to help evaluate the success of previous year’s projects and to provide a basis for prioritizing future initiatives.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: A total of 2000 seedlings were planted by volunteers in the spring of 2013 over 9 community events on Black Ash, Thornton, Lamont and Bear Creeks, and, the Mad and Pine Rivers. A large stream bank stabilization project was completed adjacent to 85m of the Pine River using large coniferous trees placed with an excavator on top of a base layer of 120 smaller trees installed by local volunteers on June 22 and July 6. Fish community sampling was completed on Black Ash, Willow and Lamont Creeks and in the Pine River. Benthic invertebrate sampling was completed in May on Lamont Creek in Stayner working with Stayner Collegiate Institute Students. NVCA staff have finished the livestock exclusion fencing and crossing design for this year’s large-scale Lamont Creek project at 27/28 Lake Huron - Georgian Bay Watershed: Canadian Framework for Community Action

Sideroad Clearview and confirmed the contractor. A detailed site survey has been captured for this same site and bank stabilization/floodplain construction drawings are currently being developed.

NEXT STEPS: The stream bank stabilization/floodplain construction and livestock exclusion project for Lamont Creek north of Stayner is scheduled for implementation in October and November. Stayner Collegiate Institute students will be working on fish community sampling on Lamont Creek on October 1. NVCA staff are coordinating volunteer engagement days with several other highschools for habitat enhancements at the NVCA property on Willow Creek (Tuesday Nov. 12) and the Baycliffe Floodplain Construction site on Lamont Creek (date to be determined).

LESSONS LEARNED: 1) Monitoring last year’s floodplain construction project at the Baycliffe Site on Lamont Creek has provided some insights into improved floodplain designs for future projects on this stream (changes to channel capacity design, dealing with steep stream sections/exposed clay and adjusting re-vegetation strategies). 2) Benthic invertebrate monitoring is not always exciting for highschool students! 3) Managing plants like poison ivy and wild parsnip can be challenging for volunteer work projects.

POTENTIAL FOLLOW-UP PROJECTS: The N-WIP Program is currently wrapping-up deliverables for a 3 year Ecoaction-funded project which will be finished in March 2014, and will be developing new project options and priorities for the next three years. Many new significant funding opportunities are likely to be available for future projects!

Restoring Lamont Creek is likely to be a future priority given the variety of both urban and rural landuse impacts that can potentially be addressed working on this system and the positive landowner contacts and partnerships that have already been established. The discharge of Lamont Creek into the lower Nottawasaga River near the south end of Wasaga Beach also makes it a strategic location for nutrient management work.

Black Ash Creek in Collingwood will likely continue to be a priority for stream-side reforestation given the on-going potential to engage a large number of local community volunteers in developing this 4km long floodway into a significant urban aquatic and riparian habitat complex.

The Batteaux River system is also being considered for targeted restoration given the potential for significant loading of nutrients from this watershed directly into Georgian Bay. Even though the Batteaux River watershed (55 km squared) is a much smaller catchment than the Nottawasaga River watershed (3000 km squared), the predominant west to east longshore drift in Georgian Bay may ensure that nutrients and sediment discharging from the Batteaux River play a disproportionate role in impacting the world’s longest freshwater beach!

Lake Huron - Georgian Bay Watershed: Canadian Framework for Community Action