Approved Chapter 2 WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION APPROVED ASSESSMENT REPORT for the Saugeen Valley Source Protection Area October 15, 2015 Approved Assessment Report -- Saugeen Valley Source Protection Area Approved This page intentionally left blank. Approved Assessment Report -- Saugeen Valley Source Protection Area Approved APPROVED ASSESSMENT REPORT for the Saugeen Valley Source Protection Area Table of Contents CHAPTER 2.0 WATERSHED CHARACTERIZATION 2.0 Watershed Characterization ......................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Source Protection Region .............................................................................................. 2-1 2.2 Saugeen Valley Source Protection Area ...................................................................... 2-1 2.2.1 Jurisdictions .......................................................................................................... 2-2 2.2.1.1 Conservation Authorities ......................................................................... 2-2 2.2.1.2 Municipalities .......................................................................................... 2-3 2.2.1.3 Provincial Ministries ................................................................................ 2-4 2.2.1.4 Federal Government ................................................................................. 2-5 2.2.1.5 First Nations ............................................................................................. 2-6 2.2.2 Non-Governmental Organizations and the Public ................................................ 2-6 2.3 Physical Description....................................................................................................... 2-9 2.3.1 Surface Elevation (Topography) .......................................................................... 2-9 2.3.2 Bedrock Geology .................................................................................................. 2-9 2.3.2.1 Karst Features ....................................................................................... 2-11 2.3.3 Surficial Geology ................................................................................................ 2-12 2.3.3.1 Overburden Thickness ........................................................................... 2-13 2.3.4 Physiography ...................................................................................................... 2-14 2.3.5 Soil Characteristics.............................................................................................. 2-14 2.4 Surface Water Hydrology .......................................................................................... 2-15 2.5 Naturally Vegetated Areas .......................................................................................... 2-16 2.5.1 Wetlands .............................................................................................................. 2-17 2.5.2 Woodlands and Vegetated Riparian Areas ......................................................... 2-20 2.5.2.1 Woodlands ............................................................................................. 2-21 2.5.2.2 Vegetated Riparian Areas ...................................................................... 2-21 2.6 Aquatic Ecology ........................................................................................................... 2-22 2.6.1 Fisheries ............................................................................................................. 2-22 2.6.2 Aquatic Macroinvertebrates ................................................................................ 2-23 2.6.3 Species and Habitats at Risk .............................................................................. 2-24 2.6.4 Invasive Species ................................................................................................. 2-26 Approved Assessment Report -- Saugeen Valley Source Protection Area Approved 2.7 Human Characterization ............................................................................................. 2-27 2.7.1 Population Distribution and Density ................................................................... 2-27 2.7.2 Land Use ............................................................................................................ 2-29 2.7.2.1 Settlement Areas ................................................................................... 2-30 2.7.2.2 Rural Areas ............................................................................................ 2-30 2.7.2.3 Rural Residential .................................................................................... 2-31 2.7.2.4 Cottage and Camp Development ......................................................... 2-31 2.7.2.5 Planned Development ............................................................................ 2-31 2.7.2.6 Industrial/Commercial Sectors Distribution .......................................... 2-32 2.7.2.7 Quarries and Aggregate Extraction ....................................................... 2-32 2.7.2.8 Transportation ........................................................................................ 2-33 2.7.2.9 Utilities ................................................................................................... 2-34 2.7.2.10 Institutional Lands ................................................................................. 2-34 2.7.2.11 Hazard and Natural Environment Land Use ......................................... 2-34 2.7.2.12 Other Land Use ..................................................................................... 2-35 2.7.3 Wastewater Treatment ........................................................................................ 2-35 2.7.4 Brownfields ........................................................................................................ 2-36 2.7.5 Oil, Gas and Salt Facilities .................................................................................. 2-37 2.7.6 Agricultural Resources ....................................................................................... 2-37 2.7.7 Forestry ............................................................................................................... 2-45 2.7.8 Protected Areas .................................................................................................. 2-45 2.7.9 Recreation ........................................................................................................... 2-47 2.8 Water Quality .............................................................................................................. 2-48 2.8.1 Indicator Parameters............................................................................................ 2-48 2.8.2 Surface Water Quality Data Analysis ................................................................. 2-52 2.8.3 Groundwater Quality Data Analysis and Reporting ........................................... 2-58 2.8.4 Great Lakes Index Station Monitoring ................................................................ 2-66 2.9 Water Use ............................................................................................................... 2-68 2.10 Data and Knowledge Gaps for Watershed Characterization ................................ 2-69 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 2-71 MAPS Approved Assessment Report -- Saugeen Valley Source Protection Area Approved List of Figures Figure 2.2.1 Durham Conservation Area ................................................................................ 2-2 Figure 2.3.1 Exposed Limestone Bedrock at McGowan Falls in Durham .............................. 2-9 Figure 2.3.2 Karst Formation ................................................................................................ 2-11 Figure 2.5.1 Local Setting of the Greenock Swamp ............................................................ 2-18 Figure 2.8.1 Summary of selected water quality parameters from the Great Lakes Index Station monitoring program at the Kincardine (Lake Huron) location ............ 2-67 Figure 2.8.2 Summary of selected water quality parameters from the Great Lakes Index Station monitoring program at the Southampton (Lake Huron) location ......... 2-68 Approved Assessment Report -- Saugeen Valley Source Protection Area Approved List of Tables Table 2.2.1 Municipalities within the Saugeen Valley Source Protection Area .................... 2-4 Table 2.2.2 Non-Governmental Organizations in the Saugeen Valley SPA .......................... 2-7 Table 2.3.1 Stratigraphy of Bedrock in the Saugeen Valley SPA ....................................... 2-10 Table 2.3.2 Summary of Quaternary Deposits and Events in the Saugeen Valley SPA ...... 2-12 Table 2.4.1 River Systems in the Saugeen Valley SPA ..................................................... 2-15 Table 2.5.1 Wetlands as a Percentage of Land Area in Subwatersheds in the Saugeen Valley SPA ....................................................................................... 2-18 Table 2.5.2 Wetlands Database for the Saugeen Valley SPA .............................................. 2-19 Table 2.6.1 Classification by Thermal Regime of Streams in the Saugeen Valley SPA .... 2-23 Table 2.6.2 Family Biotic Index (FBI) Values for Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Subwatersheds in the Saugeen Valley SPA .....................................................