Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands MANAGEMENT PLAN Draft Report Prepared for Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System September 2018 Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System Partners Funding for the preparation of this report was generously provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Project Study Team North-South Environmental Inc. Mirek Sharp – project manager, report editor, natural heritage expertise Melissa Tonge – primary report author Holly Dodds – contributing report author and editor Richard Czok – GIS analysis, mapping Lura Consulting Susan Hall – public consultation, facilitation, contributing report author Ryan Adamson – public consultation Schollen & Company Inc. Markus Hillar – recreation expertise, contributing report author Cecelia Paine – cultural heritage expertise, contributing report author Andlyn Ltd. Ken Dakin – planning and policy expertise, contributing report author Project Steering Committee Peter Kelly, Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System Tomasz Wiercioch, Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System Nigel Finney, Conservation Halton Jen Baker, Hamilton Naturalists’ Club Cathy Plosz, City of Hamilton Wayne Terryberry, McMaster University Tys Theysmeyer, Royal Botanical Gardens Lindsay Barr, Royal Botanical Gardens Gary Beaudoin, Bruce Trail Conservancy Matt Hall, Hamilton Conservation Authority Kathy Smith, Hamilton Conservation Authority This report should be cited as: North-South Environmental Inc., Lura Consulting, Schollen & Company Inc., Paine, C., and Andlyn Ltd. 2018. Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands Management Plan. Unpublished report prepared for the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System xxpp + app. Cover Photograph: Cootes Paradise Marsh, Holly Dodds, 2017 Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands Management Plan – July 2018 page ii Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 9 1.1 Study Background 9 1.2 Management Plan Purpose and Process 13 1.3 Project Governance and Project Team 14 2.0 Characterization of the Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands 14 2.1 General Overview 15 2.2 Planning Policy and Regulatory Framework 15 2.3 Recreation 16 2.4 Natural Heritage 19 2.4.1 Physiography and Surface Geology 19 2.4.2 Surface Water 19 2.4.3 Vegetation Communities 20 2.4.4 Flora 24 2.4.5 Fauna 24 2.4.6 Natural Heritage Corridors 24 2.4.7 Natural Heritage Summary 25 2.5 Cultural Heritage 25 3.0 Management Issues 27 3.1 Overarching Issues and Opportunities 28 Awareness of the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System (3) 28 Delineation of Current EcoPark System Lands (4) 28 Need to Better Communicate the Multi-agency Management of the EcoPark System (5) 28 Population and Use (6) 29 Funding (7) 30 Trail/Railway Crossings (8) 30 Critical Corridor for Connection of Cootes Paradise to the Niagara Escarpment (9) 30 Desire and Need for Trail Connections and Trail Plan (10) 30 Desire and Need for a Wildlife Corridor/Crossing Plan (11) 30 3.2 Land Use Planning 31 West End of Cootes Paradise and the “Dundas Gateway” (16) 31 3.3 Access and Infrastructure 31 Parking and Access (17) 31 Boat Access to Marsh (18) 32 Lack of Defined Access Points (17) 32 CN Safety Issue (19) 32 Lack of Facilities (20) 32 Trespassing (21) 32 Old Infrastructure and Trail Structures (22) 32 Lack of Public Transportation (23) 33 3.4 Recreation 33 Trail Overuse and Erosion (25) 33 Cycling (26) 33 Cycling Route Connectivity (27) 34 Unsanctioned Trails (28) 34 Trail Proliferation (29) 34 Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands Management Plan – July 2018 page iii Signage (30) 34 User Conflicts (31) 34 Off-leash Dogs (32) 35 RBG Arboretum Issues (33) 35 Impacts to Wildlife resulting from Recreational Activities (34) 35 Motorized Vehicle Use (35) 36 Hunting/Fishing/Poaching (36) 36 Foraging (36) 36 Wildlife Feeding (37) 36 Use of Drones (38) 37 3.5 Encroachments 37 Private Unsanctioned Trails (39) 37 Structures and “Yard Extension” (40) 37 Dumping (41) 37 Vegetation Removal/Trampling (42) 38 Pool Drainage (43) 38 Semi-permanent Camps (44) 38 Cats/Domestic Pets (45) 38 3.6 Hydrologic Impacts 38 Run-off and Peak Flows (46) 39 Erosion and Sedimentation (47) 39 Water Quality (48) 40 Fluctuating Water Levels in Cootes Paradise Marsh (49) 40 Churchill Park Drainage (50) 41 Polluting Spills (51) 41 3.7 Ecosystem Management and Restoration 41 Forest Fragmentation (52) 41 Decline in Natural Feature Quality (53) 41 Forest Health Decline (54) 42 Urban-adapted Wildlife (55) 42 Loss of Open Woodland/Prairie/Savannah Habitat (56) 43 Conservation and Recovery of Species at Risk (57) 43 Stream Habitat Improvement (58) 43 Cootes Paradise Fishway and Management of Fish Communities (59) 44 Invasive Species (60) 44 Noxious Plants (61) 44 Wildlife Crossing/Corridors (62) 44 Noise (63) 45 Removal of Plantings due to Vegetation Maintenance of Pipelines (64) 45 Establishment of Marsh Restoration Plantings (65) 45 Shoreline Erosion/Stabilization in Cootes Paradise Marsh (66) 45 Watershed/Sub-watershed Boundary Issues (67) 46 3.8 Cultural Heritage 46 Communication of Cultural Heritage Importance of Cootes Paradise (69) 46 Connection between Cultural and Natural Resources at Princess Point (70) 46 Identity of Rasberry Farm (71) 46 Cultural Heritage Interpretation of Desjardins Canal (72) 47 Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands Management Plan – July 2018 page iv Low Profile of Early Settlement History (73) 47 Need for Corresponding Management Expertise (74) 47 4.0 Heritage Lands Management Recommendations 47 4.1 Approach to Management Recommendations 47 4.1.1 Classification and Zoning of the Heritage Lands 50 1: Classification of the Heritage Lands per NEPOSS 50 2: Zoning of the Heritage Lands per NEPOSS 50 4.2 Overarching Management Recommendations 50 3. Awareness of the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System 50 4: Delineation of Current EcoPark System Boundaries to Reduce Trespass/Encroachment Issues 51 5: Need to Better Communicate the Multi-agency Management of the EcoPark System 51 6: Population and Use 51 7: Funding 52 8. Trail/Railway Crossings 52 9. Critical Corridor for Connection of Cootes Paradise to the Niagara Escarpment 52 10. Desire and Need for Trail Connections and Trail Plan 53 11. Desire and Need for a Wildlife Crossing Plan 53 12: EcoPark System-wide Guidelines 54 4.3 Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands Management Plan Recommendations 55 4.3.1 Vision 55 13: Develop Vision 55 4.3.2 Recommended Permitted Uses 55 14: Permitted Uses per NEPOSS Classification 55 15: Permitted Uses per NEPOSS Zone 56 4.3.3 Land-Use Planning 59 16: West End of Cootes Paradise and the “Dundas Gateway” 59 4.3.4 Access and Infrastructure Recommendations 59 17: Lack of Adequate Parking and Access on Land 60 18: Lack of Adequate Parking and Access on Water 61 19: CN Safety 61 20: Lack of Facilities 61 21: Trespassing 61 22: Old Infrastructure and Trail Structures 61 23: Lack of Public Transportation 62 4.3.5 Recreation Recommendations 62 24: General Trail Recommendations 62 25: Overuse and Erosion of Trails 64 26: Cycling 64 27: Cycling Route Connectivity 64 28: Unsanctioned Trails 65 29: Trail Proliferation 65 30: Signage 65 31: User Conflicts 65 32: Off-leash Dogs 66 33: RBG Arboretum Issues 66 34: Impacts to Wildlife resulting from Recreational Activities 66 Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands Management Plan – July 2018 page v 35: Motorized Vehicle Use 66 36: Hunting/Fishing/Poaching/Foraging 67 37: Wildlife Feeding 67 38: Use of Drones 67 4.3.6 Recommendations for Encroachment 67 39: Private Unsanctioned Trails 67 40: Structures and “Yard Extension” 67 41: Dumping 68 42: Vegetation Removal/Trampling 68 43: Pool Drainage 68 44: Semi-permanent Camps 68 45: Cats/Domestic Pets 68 4.3.7 Recommendations for Hydrologic Impacts 68 46: Run-off and Peak Flows 69 47: Erosion and Sedimentation 69 48: Water Quality 69 49: Fluctuating Water Levels in Cootes Paradise Marsh 69 50: Churchill Park Drainage 69 51: Polluting Spills 69 4.3.8 Ecosystem Management and Restoration Recommendations 70 52: Forest Fragmentation 70 53: Decline in Natural Feature Quality 70 54: Forest Health Decline 70 55: Urban Adapted Wildlife 70 56: Loss of Open Woodland/Prairie/Savannah Habitat 70 57: Conservation and Recovery of Species at Risk 71 58: Stream Habitat Improvement 71 59: Cootes Paradise Fishway and Management of Fish Communities 72 60: Invasive Species 72 61: Noxious Plants 72 62: Site-Specific Wildlife Crossing/Corridors 73 63: Noise 73 64: Removal of Plantings due to Vegetation Maintenance of Pipelines 73 65: Establishment of Marsh Restoration Plantings 73 66: Shoreline Erosion/Stabilization in Cootes Paradise Marsh 74 67: Watershed/Sub-Watershed Boundary Issues 74 4.3.9 Cultural Heritage Recommendations 74 68: Historic and current use by Indigenous People 74 69: Communication of Cultural Heritage Importance of Cootes Paradise 74 70: Connection between Cultural and Natural Resources at Princess Point 74 71: Identity of Rasberry Farm 74 72: Cultural Heritage Interpretation of Desjardins Canal 74 73: Low Profile of Early Settlement History 75 74: Need for Corresponding Management Expertise 75 5.0 Implementation 75 5.1 High Priority Management Tasks 81 5.2 EcoPark System Guidelines 82 Cootes Paradise Heritage Lands Management Plan – July 2018 page vi 5.3 Site-specific Management Recommendations 83 6.0 Management Plan Monitoring and Evaluation 87 6.1 Monitoring the Implementation of Recommendations 87 75. Review and Refine Schedule for Monitoring Management Themes 88 6.2 Guidance for Performance Indicators 92 6.2.1 Adaptive Management 92 7.0 References 103 List of Tables Table 1. Vegetation Communities