Ausable Bayfield Assessment Report Amended February 5, 2019 Volume I – Text of Report www.sourcewaterinfo.on.ca Ausable Bayeld Made possible through the Maitland Valley funding support of the Source Protection Region Government of Ontario Assessment Report Ausable Bayfield Source Protection Area Summary of Report Approvals and Amendments Version 1: Assessment Report, 2012 The initial findings and comments herein were approved by the Province of Ontario January 19, 2012. Version 2: Updated Assessment Report, amended December 10, 2014 The Assessment Report was updated in 2014 to reflect threats verification work, revised mapping for consistency with the Source Protection Plan, and to address minor errors. The planned decommissioning of Carriage Lane and Harbour Lights systems was noted. Version 3: Assessment Report, amended February 5, 2019 The Assessment Report for the Ausable Bayfield SPA was amended in 2019 under Section 34 of the Clean Water Act, 2006 to include the following changes to well systems and to address minor errors: Add Varna Municipal Water Supply (formerly a non-municipal system) Remove Carriage Lane and Harbour Lights systems from the Assessment Report A description of these water supply systems can be found in Chapter 4. Acknowledgements Writing Contributors and Editing Staff Jenna Allain Tim Cumming Cathie Brown Darrell Innes Geoff Cade Abigail Gutteridge Aaron Clarke Brian Luinstra Donna Clarkson Mary Lynn MacDonald Additional thanks to all consultants whose work provided the scientific basis of this report. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Phases of Drinking Water Source Protection Planning .................................. 1 1.2 The Participants .................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Consultation Requirements ............................................................................... 4 1.4 Scope and Purpose of the Assessment Report ............................................... 5 CHAPTER 2 - WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION 2.0 Watershed Characterization .............................................................................. 1 2.1 Watersheds in the Ausable Bayfield Source Protection Area ........................ 1 2.2 Overview of Physical Geography ...................................................................... 2 2.2.1 Watershed Descriptions .................................................................................. 2 2.2.2 Natural Heritage .............................................................................................. 7 2.2.3 Aquatic Ecology .............................................................................................. 7 2.2.3.1 Fisheries ................................................................................................... 7 2.2.3.2 Aquatic Macroinvertebrates ...................................................................... 9 2.2.4 Species and Habitats at Risk ........................................................................ 10 2.3 Water Quality and Quantity.............................................................................. 12 2.3.1 General Overview of Surface Water Quality and Quantity ............................ 12 2.3.2 General Overview of Groundwater Quality and Quantity .............................. 14 2.4 Overview of Human Geography ...................................................................... 17 2.4.1 Human Characterization and Settlement Areas ............................................ 17 2.4.2 Population Distribution and Density .............................................................. 17 2.4.3 Land Use ...................................................................................................... 18 2.4.4 Urban Development ...................................................................................... 18 2.4.5 Industrial/Commercial Sectors Distribution ................................................... 19 2.4.6 Agriculture Sector Distribution ...................................................................... 19 2.4.7 Aggregates ................................................................................................... 20 2.4.8 Cottage Development ................................................................................... 20 2.4.9 Landfills......................................................................................................... 21 2.4.10 Oil and Gas .................................................................................................. 21 2.4.11 Transportation .............................................................................................. 22 2.4.12 Wastewater Treatment ................................................................................ 22 2.5 Overview of Interaction Between Physical and Human Geography ............ 24 2.5.1 Drinking Water Sources ................................................................................ 24 2.5.1.1 Municipal Wells ...................................................................................... 25 2.5.1.2 Communal Wells .................................................................................... 25 2.5.1.3 Private Groundwater Supplies ................................................................. 25 2.5.1.4 Surface Water Intakes ............................................................................ 25 2.5.2 Ecological Water Use ................................................................................... 26 2.5.3 Agricultural Water Use .................................................................................. 26 2.5.4 Industrial Water Use ..................................................................................... 27 References ................................................................................................................... 34 CHAPTER 3 - WATER BUDGET List of Tables and Figures ........................................................................................... iii 3.1 Summary of Conceptual Water Budget Results ................................................... 1 3.1.1 Description of Region ......................................................................................... 1 3.1.2 Key Components and Processes ........................................................................ 1 3.2 Climate of the Study Area ....................................................................................... 4 3.2.1 Precipitation ........................................................................................................ 4 3.2.2 Air Temperature .................................................................................................. 5 3.2.3 Wind, Barometric Pressure and Solar Radiation ................................................. 6 3.2.4 Evapotranspiration .............................................................................................. 6 3.2.5 Land Cover ......................................................................................................... 7 3.2.6 Infiltration ............................................................................................................ 8 3.3 Runoff and Streamflow ........................................................................................... 9 3.3.1 Baseflow ............................................................................................................. 9 3.4 Groundwater System ............................................................................................ 11 3.4.1 Geology .............................................................................................................11 3.4.1.1 Precambrian Basement Rocks ................................................................... 11 3.4.1.2 Paleozoic Bedrock of Southern Ontario ..................................................... 12 3.4.1.3 Pleistocene Glacial Geology ...................................................................... 14 3.4.1.4 Holocene Erosion and Deposition .............................................................. 15 3.4.2 Hydrogeology .................................................................................................... 15 3.4.2.1 Bedrock Aquifers ........................................................................................ 15 3.4.2.2 Overburden Aquifers ................................................................................. 16 3.4.2.2.1 Surficial Overburden Aquifers .............................................................. 17 3.4.2.2.2 Confined Overburden Aquifers ........................................................... 18 3.4.2.2.3 Other Overburden Aquifers ................................................................. 19 3.4.2.3 Groundwater/Surface Water Interactions .................................................. 19 3.4.2.4 Groundwater Monitoring ............................................................................ 20 3.4.2.5 Hydrostratigraphy ....................................................................................... 20 3.5 Water Use ............................................................................................................... 21 3.5.1 Data Sources .................................................................................................... 21 3.5.2 Municipal Water Takings .................................................................................