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CONSERVATION Beatty Saugeen River WATERSHED REPORT CARD 2008 A WATERSHED REPORT CARD is a document which outlines the general state of forest, wetland, surface water and groundwater Average Grades resources of a particular river and its watershed. Data for this Report Card cover a five year period from 2002 - 2006. B Forest Conditions D Wetland Conditions B+ Surface Water Quality N/A Groundwater Quality The Beatty Saugeen River Watershed The Beatty Saugeen River is a tributary of the Main What is a Watershed? Saugeen River draining A watershed is an area of land that drains into a river approximately 274 square kilometres. The river system is or stream. The boundary of a watershed is based on 46 kilometres in length with an elevation or the natural contours of the land. average gradient of 4.5 metres per kilometre. The main GRADE DESCRIPTION source of the Beatty Saugeen A = Excellent ecosystem conditions. Some protection and River is found in the eastern enhancement may be required. rural wooded wetlands of the B = Good ecosystem conditions. Some areas may require Municipality of Southgate enhancement and/or improvements. C = Ecosystem conditions that warrant general improvements. (former Egremont Township). D = Poor ecosystem conditions. Overall improvements necessary. The system drains into the F = Degraded ecosystem. Conditions in need of considerable South Saugeen River improvement. immediately west of Hanover. The headwaters area is located almost entirely in the Dundalk Till Plain. In spite of the elevation of this area, drainage is slow, Report Card Notes: The observed conditions in this watershed resulting in swamps, bogs and poorly drained depressions. The have been summarized and a grade assigned based on remainder of the watershed is located within both the Horseshoe indicators developed by Conservation Ontario. The purpose of Moraine and the Teeswater Drumlin Field. the watershed report card process is to encourage consistent reporting of a standardized set of environmental indicators by all Conservation Authorities in the Province of Ontario. Lake LEGEND Huron Benthic Surface Water Quality Benthic and Surface Water Quality Groundwater Monitoring Wooded Areas Evaluated Wetlands Watercourses N 2 The Beatty Saugeen River Watershed WATERSHED INFORMATION Groundwater Aquifer Sources Area Salina Formation, Guelph Formation 274 sq. km Municipalities Municipality of West Grey, Township of Southgate, Town of Hanover Stream Flow (mean) mean annual flow - 5.7 cubic metres per second (cms) Physiography Woodlot Size 39% till plain (drumlinized), 34% spillway, Stream Flow (low) * Some large forest areas exist providing interior 1 22% kame moraine, 2% peat and muck, 1% 7Q10 flow - 0.53 cms habitat as well as many interconnected smaller 2 drumlin, 1% till moraine, 1% esker 7Q20 flow - 0.4 cms forests. Soils 41% medium to moderately fine loam, 30% silty loam, 14% organic material, 9% Land Use fine to moderately coarse sandy loam, 5% other (may include small percentages of 65% agriculture; 31% forested; alluvium, breypan, bottomlands etc), 2% 0.2% urban coarse sandy loam and loamy sand Provincially Significant Natural Areas Life Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest - none Rare Species (obtained from the National Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) Website) Delta-spotted Spiketail, Hart's Tongue Fern Dams In total there are 24 dams in the watershed, of which 10 are considered large dams (greater than 3 metres in height). Sewage Treatment Facilities None Delta-spotted Spiketail Hart’s Tongue Fern * 1 7Q10 - the lowest mean flow for seven consecutive days that has a 10-year recurrence interval period, or a 1 in 10 chance of occurring in any one year. 2 7Q20 - the lowest mean flow for seven consecutive days that has a 20-year recurrence interval period, or a 1 in 20 chance of occurring in any one year. 3 The Beatty Saugeen River Watershed INDICATORS GRADE % of INDICATOR DESCRIPTION AREA Forest Cover 31.4 Forest cover is the percentage of forest within the watershed. Environment Canada suggests A that 30% forest cover is the minimum needed to support healthy wildlife habitat. S Forest Interior Forest Interior refers to the protected core area found inside a woodland. It is the sheltered, N B 7.1 T secluded environment away from forest edges and open habitats. O S I Environment Canada recommends that 10% of a watershed should be interior forest cover. T E I R D Riparian Cover Riparian Cover is the percentage of forested habitat along a waterway. O 55 N B Environment Canada suggests that at least 75% of stream length should have 30 metre F O forested buffers. C AVERAGE GRADE Grade B indicates good ecosystem conditions. Some areas may require enhancement and/or B improvements. D Wetland Cover Wetland Cover is the percentage of existing wetland in a watershed. N 5.2 D Environment Canada suggests that 10% wetland cover is the minimum required for a A S L healthy watershed. T N E O I W Wetland Buffer A Wetland Buffer is the vegetated area adjacent to a wetland. Buffers are important to the 38.5 T D I D maintenance of wetland functions. Environment Canada suggests that wetlands should E D have a minimum 100 metre buffer with 100% vegetation. T N A O U C L Grade D indicates poor ecosystem conditions. Overall improvements necessary. A AVERAGE GRADE D V E INDICATORS GRADE RESULT INDICATOR DESCRIPTION Benthic 4.27 Benthos or benthic macroinvertebrates are large bottom dwelling insects, crustaceans, worms, Invertebrates A mollusks, and related aquatic animals that live in watercourses. They are good indicators of water (FBI) quality responding quickly to environmental stressors, such as pollutants. The Family Biotic Index (FBI) scores provide stream health information and values range from 1 (healthy) to 10 R E (degraded). T A Y Total Phosphorus Total phosphorus is indicative of nutrient levels within a watercourse. Excess phosphorus T 0.01 W I A (mg/L) stimulates the growth of aquatic plants and algae and may result in unhealthy stream conditions. L E The Provincial Water Quality Objective is 0.03 mg/L. A C U A E. coli (Colony 68 E. coli originate from the wastes of warm blooded animals, including humans, livestock, wildlife, F Q Forming Units) B (CFU/ pets and waterfowl. The Ontario Recreational Water Quality Guidelines suggest that waters R with less than 100 CFUs/100 ml are safe for swimming. U 100ml) S AVERAGE GRADE Grade B indicates good ecosystem conditions. Some areas may require enhancement and/or B+ improvements. Nitrates are present in water through the decomposition of plant or animal material, the presence of Nitrite + Nitrate N/A fertilizers, domestic sewage or treated wastewater as well as geological formations containing soluble R N/A E (mg/L) nitrogen compounds. The Ontario Drinking Water Standard for nitrite + nitrate is 10 mg/L. T Y A T I While chloride can be naturally occurring, the presence of elevated levels may indicate W Chloride N/A L N/A contamination from road salt, industrial discharges, or landfill leachate. The Ontario Drinking D (mg/L) A N Water Standard for chloride is only for aesthetic purposes with an objective of 250 mg/L. U U Q O R AVERAGE GRADE There are no monitoring wells located within this watershed, however, other monitoring wells in the G N/A vicinity have good water quality with an A grade. Surface water data used for this interpretation were obtained through the It should be noted that groundwater aquifers do not conform to watershed Provincial Water Quality Monitoring Network (PWQMN), the Ontario boundaries but rather flow in an east to west direction through the Benthos Biomonitoring Network (OBBN) and Saugeen Conservation's watershed. A general determination of water quality in the area can be water quality monitoring network. Data used were from 2002 to 2006. made by looking at other wells in the vicinity. Groundwater data - there are no monitoring wells located in this watershed. 4 WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? FOREST CONDITIONS With an average grade of ‘B’ for forest conditions, the Beatty Saugeen River Watershed exceeds the Environment Canada guidelines of 30% forest cover. Forest interior comes close to the guidelines with a ‘B’ grade. Riparian cover could be improved. It falls short of the guidelines on many sections of the river. EVALUATED WETLAND CONDITIONS This report card summarizes the conditions of ‘evaluated wetlands’ only. With a 5.2% wetland cover this watershed scores a ‘D’ grade. There is a lack of wetlands in all areas other than the headwaters area. Wetland buffers score poorly as well and could be increased throughout the watershed. SURFACE WATER QUALITY The Beatty Saugeen scores an average grade of ‘B+’ for surface water quality. Total phosphorus at 0.01 mg/L falls below the objective of 0.03 mg/L. E. coli is below the recreational guideline but counts do increase after storm events. GROUNDWATER QUALITY There are no monitoring wells located within this watershed. SUGGESTIONS FOR A BETTER WATERSHED 1) Improve riparian cover. Create buffers or riparian Watershed is farming at roughly 65%. The implementation of best systems (plant trees or allow land along waterways to naturalize) management practices (BMP's) is highly recommended. along the Beatty Saugeen’s main waterway and its smaller tributaries. This would provide additional wildlife habitat and Key BMP’s include: corridor systems, improve fisheries resources, help filter impurities • proper storage and application of manure, fertilizers and and pollutants, assist in the maintenance of cold water habitat, pesticides which would help to decrease phosphorus loadings stabilize eroding banks and prevent the loss of valuable topsoil. It and prevent contamination of waterways would also assist in reaching Environment Canada's suggested • the implementation of farming practices such as strip target of 75%. cropping, grassed waterways and the use of cover crops to prevent erosion and reduce the movement of nutrients and 2) Expand overall forest cover.

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