Watershed Planning in Ontario
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Watershed Planning in Ontario Guidance for land-use planning authorities DRAFT February 2018 February 2018 Page 2 of 159 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION How to Read this Document ................................................................... 4 Introduction ............................................................................................. 7 2.1 Watershed Planning Process ............................................................................. 7 2.2 Principles............................................................................................................ 9 2.3 Brief History of Watershed Planning in Ontario ................................................ 10 2.4 Current Framework .......................................................................................... 11 2.5 Definitions of Watershed Planning ................................................................... 12 2.6 Summary of Policy Requirements .................................................................... 16 2.7 Roles & Coordination ....................................................................................... 21 2.8 Equivalency & Transition Provisions ................................................................ 23 Engagement and Indigenous Perspectives .......................................... 25 3.1 Effective Engagement & Committees ............................................................... 25 3.2 Partnering with Indigenous Communities ......................................................... 28 PHASE 1 EXISTING CONDITIONS Watershed Delineation & Characterization ........................................... 32 4.1 Delineation of Watersheds & Subwatersheds for Land Use Planning .............. 32 4.2 Identification of the Water Resource System ................................................... 34 4.3 Characterization of Existing Conditions ............................................................ 39 Setting the Vision, Goals, Objectives, & Targets .................................. 49 PHASE 2 IMPACTS, SCENARIOS AND DIRECTIONS Watershed Planning Elements & Best Practices .................................. 54 6.1 Water Quantity, Water Budget, & Water Conservation Plans........................... 54 6.2 Water Quality & Nutrient Load Assessment ..................................................... 64 6.3 Natural Hazards in Watershed Planning & Subwatershed Plans ..................... 73 DRAFT WATERSHED PLANNING GUIDANCE February 2018 Page 3 of 159 6.4 Climate Change & Watershed Management .................................................... 79 6.5 Connections to Natural Systems ...................................................................... 87 6.6 Cumulative Effects Assessment ....................................................................... 93 6.7 Assessment of Land Use & Management Scenarios ..................................... 102 PHASE 3 WATERSHED PLAN IMPLEMENTATION Implementation ................................................................................... 110 7.1 Watershed Plan & Subwatershed Plan Development .................................... 110 7.2 Informing Land Use Planning & Integrated Planning for Water, Wastewater, & Stormwater .................................................................................................... 115 7.3 Implementing The Plans Beyond Municipal Policy & Land Use Decision-Making ………………………………………………………………………………………..122 Monitoring & Adaptive Management .................................................. 126 Resources .......................................................................................... 130 Abbreviated Terms .......................................................................... 149 Appendix A ...................................................................................... 151 Please note that this guidance is a draft for engagement purposes. The Province continues to work with municipalities, other interested parties, and First Nations and Metis communities and organizations in developing this document. Any examples are for illustrative purposes of the concepts proposed for watershed planning. DRAFT WATERSHED PLANNING GUIDANCE INTRODUCTION February 2018 Page 4 of 159 How to Read this Document Watershed Planning Guidance is intended to support municipalities in watershed planning throughout Ontario, to support the implementation of the four provincial land use plans – the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2017 (Growth Plan), the Greenbelt Plan, 2017 (Greenbelt Plan), the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, 2017 (ORMCP), and the Niagara Escarpment Plan, 2017 (NEP) and the Provincial Policy Statement, 2014 (PPS). The PPS provides policy direction for communities across Ontario, while provincial land use plans provide policy direction for specific areas. The Watershed Planning Guidance document is divided into seven main sections, plus additional resources, as outlined in the following paragraphs. Section 2 Introduction This section should be consulted for background information and context for watershed and subwatershed planning. Requirements for watershed planning and subwatershed plans in Ontario's existing legislative and strategic contexts are identified in section 2.1, taking into account province-wide and geographically-specific policies (i.e. PPS and the provincial plan areas). The remainder of section 2 addresses principles, history, current framework, definitions, policy requirements, roles and equivalency provisions. Section 3 Engagement and Indigenous Perspectives This section should be consulted to gain an understanding of potential engagement approaches, considerations and Indigenous perspectives. This section provides best practices and resources for engagement in section 3.1, including public and stakeholder engagement, steering committees, and partnerships. Guidance is provided for Indigenous engagement in municipal watershed planning in section 3.2, including determining interests and considerations, and traditional knowledge. Section 4 Watershed Delineation & Characterization This section should be consulted to determine best practices, approaches, and resources for watershed characterization. This section provides resources to support watershed characterization, which is a fundamental component of watershed and subwatershed planning. Connections are provided to various watershed planning elements section 6, such as water quality, climate change, and natural systems. DRAFT WATERSHED PLANNING GUIDANCE February 2018 Page 5 of 159 Delineation of watersheds and subwatersheds for municipal planning is outlined in section 4.1. Identification of water resource systems, as defined in the PPS, Growth Plan, and Greenbelt Plan, is outlined in section 4.2. Characterization of existing conditions is outlined in section 4.3. Section 5 Setting the Vision, Objectives, Goals, & Targets This section should be consulted to determine approaches for visioning and setting objectives, goals, and targets in watershed and subwatershed planning. This section provides resources to support setting watershed-specific visions, objectives, goals, and targets. Connections with monitoring and adaptive management are provided, to ensure that objectives, goals, and targets for management actions and ecological state can be effectively monitored and adapted. Section 6 Watershed Planning Elements & Best Practices This section should be consulted for guidance in undertaking elements of watershed planning. This section provides resources to support the following components: • Water budget and water conservation plans are outlined in section 6.1 • Water quality and nutrient load assessments are outlined in section 6.2 • Natural hazards, as they relate to municipal watershed planning, are outlined in section 6.3 • Climate change and extreme weather event considerations, which have been incorporated throughout the document, are outlined in section 6.4. • Natural systems, and interconnections with water systems and watershed planning, are outlined in section 6.5. • Cumulative impact assessment approaches are outlined in section 6.6. • Land use and management scenario analysis methods and best practices are outlined in section 6.7. Section 7 Developing the Plan & Implementing Provincial Policy This section should be consulted for guidance to support implementation of watershed planning to inform land use and infrastructure planning. Development of watershed plans and subwatershed plans, and connections to implementation considerations, are outlined in section 7.1. Water, wastewater, and stormwater planning considerations are outlined in section 7.2. Integration of watershed planning with land use planning and development decision- making is also outlined in this section. DRAFT WATERSHED PLANNING GUIDANCE February 2018 Page 6 of 159 Considerations and best practices for implementing watershed planning beyond municipal land use planning are outlined in section 7.3. Section 8 Monitoring & Adaptive Management This section should be consulted for guidance in developing environmental monitoring plans and adaptive management strategies. This section provides guidance regarding environmental monitoring plans; data and communication; adaptive management; watershed plan review and updates; and planning, design, and development approaches to adaptively manage land and water resources. Section 9 Resources Considered This section should be consulted for bibliographic references, additional information, and external resources and links