Wetland Value and Function Assessment, Anglican Synod Wetland Stantec Consulting Limited 607 Torbay Road St. John’s, NL A1A 4Y6 Tel: (709) 576-1458 Fax: (709) 576-2126 Prepared for Powderhouse Hill Investments Limited. 12 Caldwell Place St. John’s, NL A1E 6A4 Draft Report File No. 121511075 Date: September 27, 2012 WETLAND VALUE AND FUNCTION ASSESSMENT, ANGLICAN SYNOD WETLAND Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Application Contact Information ................................................................................ 1 1.2 Project Scope ........................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Project Objectives ..................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Study Team .............................................................................................................. 3 2.0 WETLANDS, WETLAND VALUES AND FUNCTION AND REGULATORY CONTEXT .... 5 2.1 Wetlands .................................................................................................................. 5 2.2 Wetland Values ........................................................................................................ 5 2.3 Wetland Function ...................................................................................................... 5 2.4 Regulatory Context ................................................................................................... 6 2.4.1 City of St. John’s ........................................................................................... 6 2.4.2 Province of Newfoundland and Labrador ...................................................... 6 2.4.3 Government of Canada ................................................................................. 8 3.0 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 10 3.1 Wetland Identification and Classification ................................................................. 10 3.2 Wetland Functional Assessment ............................................................................. 10 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF LOCAL ENVIRONMENT .................................................................. 11 4.1 Geological Setting................................................................................................... 11 4.2 Project Location and Surrounding Landuse ............................................................ 11 4.3 Review of Historical Effects on Wetland .................................................................. 11 5.0 WETLAND DESCRIPTIONS ........................................................................................... 15 5.1 Wetland Location, Size and Type ........................................................................... 15 5.2 Watershed and Sub-Watershed .............................................................................. 15 5.3 Hydrological and Hydrogeological Character .......................................................... 17 5.4 Ecological Character of Wetland ............................................................................. 17 5.4.1 Soils ............................................................................................................ 18 5.4.2 Dominant Vegetation ................................................................................... 19 121511075 – Draft Report i September 27, 2012 WETLAND VALUE AND FUNCTION ASSESSMENT, ANGLICAN SYNOD WETLAND 5.4.3 Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat ......................................................................... 22 5.4.4 Aquatic Resources ...................................................................................... 24 5.4.5 Species At Risk / Species of Conservation Concern ................................... 24 5.5 Other Functions and Values to the Local Community ............................................. 24 5.6 Local Occurrence and Rarity of Ecosystems........................................................... 24 5.7 Summary of Key Functions and Values of Wetlands ............................................... 25 6.0 PROPOSED ALTERATION AND MITIGATION MEASURES ......................................... 32 6.1 Description of Proposed Alteration .......................................................................... 32 6.1.1 Purpose of the Proposed Alteration ............................................................. 32 6.1.2 Construction Timing .................................................................................... 32 6.1.3 Construction Plan ........................................................................................ 33 6.2 Mitigation Sequence for Decision Making ............................................................... 33 6.3 Options for Avoidance of Wetland Alterations ......................................................... 33 6.4 Opportunities for Minimization of Effects to Wetland Function and Values .............. 33 6.4.1 Minimization of Project Effects .................................................................... 34 6.4.2 General Mitigation and Wetland Habitat Loss .............................................. 34 6.4.3 Minimization of Hydrological and Hydrogeological Effects ........................... 34 6.4.4 Erosion and Sedimentation Control ............................................................. 35 6.4.5 Wildlife Management and Timing Restrictions ............................................. 35 6.5 Proposed Monitoring ............................................................................................... 35 6.6 Opportunities for Wetland Compensation ............................................................... 35 7.0 SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... 36 8.0 CLOSURE ....................................................................................................................... 36 9.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 37 9.1 Personal Communications ...................................................................................... 37 9.2 Literature Cited ....................................................................................................... 37 121511075 – Draft Report ii September 27, 2012 WETLAND VALUE AND FUNCTION ASSESSMENT, ANGLICAN SYNOD WETLAND LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX A Proposed Anglican Synod Site Plan APPENDIX B Photographs APPENDIX C Explanation of Global, National and Provincial Species at Risk and General Status Ranking LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1 Overview of Project Location .............................................................................. 2 Figure 4-1 1966 Aerial Photograph .................................................................................... 13 Figure 4-2 1985 Aerial Photograph .................................................................................... 13 Figure 4-3 1995 Aerial Photograph .................................................................................... 14 Figure 4-4 2009 Aerial Photograph .................................................................................... 14 Figure 5-1 Anglican Synod Wetland ................................................................................... 16 LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1 Study Team – Wetland Value and Function Assessment .................................... 3 Table 5.1 Approximate Sizes and Types of Wetlands Found Within the Site .................... 15 Table 5.2 Vascular Plants Observed within the Anglican Synod Wetland and Information on their Population Status ...................................................................................... 20 Table 5.3 Bird Species Observed within the Anglican Synod Wetland and Information on their Population Status ...................................................................................... 23 Table 5.4 Summary of Known or Likely Key Functions and Values of the Proposed Altered Wetland ............................................................................................................ 26 Table 6.1 Summary of Proposed Wetland Alterations ....................................................... 32 LIST OF PHOTOS Photograph #1 Evidences of Fluctuating Water Table Photograph #2 Soil Investigations Photograph #3 Shrub Bog Photograph #4 Treed Bog Photograph #5 Moose Tracks Photograph #6 Moose Scat Photograph #7 American Red Squirrel in Adjacent Upland Habitat Photograph #8 Potential Recreational Usage (informal trail system) 121511075 – Draft Report iii September 27, 2012 WETLAND VALUE AND FUNCTION ASSESSMENT, ANGLICAN SYNOD WETLAND 1.0 INTRODUCTION Powderhouse Hill Investments Limited is proposing to construct a residential development (“the Project”) in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador (Figure 1-1; Appendix A). The Project, located directly north and east of Portugal Cove Road and Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) (Outer Ring Road) Access Ramp will consist of approximately 90 lots and require access off Penny Lane. The area is currently zoned Open Space Reserve (OR) and Open Space (O) Rural Zone and changes to the current land development regulations will be required before the new residential development can proceed. Construction activities related to