HAMILTON CONSERVATION AUTHORITY S P E CI AL P OIN T S O F I N TE R E ST
• The water flowing down Spencer Creek is 54% of the water that drains into Cootes Paradise. • Actions taken in the Spencer Creek watershed will help to de-list the Hamilton Harbour as a federal Area of Concern. • Local partners are working together to preserve and restore our local natural environment. I NSI D E T HIS I SS UE : Stewardship Action Plans Caring for Nature
Spencer Creek Stewardship Action Plans Annual Progress Report
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Spencer Creek Stewardship Action Plans
The Hamilton Conservation Authority is currently developing community-based Stewardship Action Plans for all fifteen subwatersheds of Spencer Creek. We are developing three plans per year over a five year period (2007-2011). Through a priority planning exercise undertaken with local partner agencies, it was determined that we would start this project in the urban subwatersheds of the creek system, and work our way into the increasingly more rural areas in the subsequent years; citing the need to address the most stressed subwatersheds at the outset. We are working with the community to develop comprehensive Action Plans that restore and protect the health of these streams and their ecosystem s. The Plans are developed using input from a Stakeholder Advisory Map of project study areas per year between 2007-2011 Committee whose membership includes representatives from local agencies, organizations and businesses, as well as local residents. The Plans include Stewardship Actions that relate to education outreach, restoring the natural environment and learning more about the local ecosystem. These plans will serve as guides for preventing and reversing the impacts of environmental stresses and working toward improving water quality and quantity, ecological linkages (terrestrial and aquatic), and general environmental
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Caring for 2 Groundwater Caring for Surface water Caring for Agriculture Caring for Communities Project Partners
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Spring, Sulphur and Lower Spencer Creeks
Now, in the third year of the Spencer Creek Stewardship Action Plans project, HCA is developing Action Plans for the Spring, Sulphur and Lower Spencer Creeks subwatersheds. These subwatersheds are shaped by the Niagara Escarpment and its associated Dundas Valley and include the Cootes Paradise Marsh. As a result, these subwatersheds pose unique environmental challenges, as residential, commercial and industrial properties lie within these significant natural areas. HCA is currently seeking representatives for the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for this project.
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Inset Map of 2009 study area
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What plans are already underway?
In 2008 local partners were busy implementing the first three Spencer Creek Stewardship Action Plans; those developed for Ancaster, Chedoke and Tiffany Creeks in 2007. At the same time, a local Stakeholder Advisory Committee was developing Action Plans for Borer’s, Logie’s and Sydenham Creeks. In 2009, the members of the Spencer Creek Stewardship Action Plans Implementation Team will continue to implement Stewardship Actions in Ancaster, Chedoke and Tiffany Creeks and will begin planning and budgeting for implementation in Borer’s, Logie’s and Sydenham Creeks, which is scheduled to begin in 2010. For more information on the Stewardship Action Plans and any implementation efforts, visit the HCA website at http:// www.conservationhamilton.ca/ environment/stewardship/ hhwspwatershedplanning.asp The following articles summarize the efforts of the Spencer Creek Stewardship Action Plans Implementation Team in 2008.
Borer’s Falls
HCA hosts a public open house for local residents to share their ideas.
Caring for Nature
“Earth Day tree plantings resulted in increased streamside habitat along Tiffany and Chedoke Creeks.”
Project partners undertook a number of actions that aimed to protect and improve the natural environment of the Spencer Creek watershed. Partners hosted Earth Day Tree Plantings, attended by over 50 volunteers at the Tiffany Creek Conservation Area and Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) which resulted in increased streamside (riparian) habitat along Tiffany and Chedoke Creeks. The Hamilton-Halton Watershed Stewardship Program (HHWSP) has also added a Riparian Buffer fact sheet to its fact sheet series; all are available on the
HCA website. Other projects included a log jam removal project, undertaken by the Hamiltonbased Ontario Stewardship Rangers which was successful in restoring flow to a tributary of Spencer Creek as well as a shoreline clean up at Cootes Paradise.
RBG hosted a similar project, an open house for residents of the Westdale area which highlighted the importance of riparian habitats to the health Cootes Paradise. RBG also initiated a Forest Health study in 2008, using the Bay Area Restoration Council (BARC) to solicit participants for the study.
HHWSP hosts a wetland Numerous workshops were workshop for local residents. hosted in 2008. The HHWSP and Hamilton Wentworth Stewardship Council (HWSC) hosted a wetland workshop for 20 local residents. They are also planning a new workshop for their workshop series which will provide rural non-farm residents with tools for managing the natural areas of their properties.
Caring for Groundwater
HCA continues to monitor water quality and static water levels in the groundwater aquifers throughout the HCA watersheds. HHWSP has been delivering the Abandoned Well Decommissioning Program since 2003. Funding is available from the City of Hamilton to plug and seal abandoned wells to protect our groundwater from contaminants that can easily reach our aquifers via these direct conduits. Another two abandoned wells were decommissioned in 2008. To reduce the potential for contaminants to pollute our groundwater, Green Venture has incorporated anti-pesticide messaging into its EcoHouse tours and gardening workshops. Abandoned wells are direct conduits for contaminants.
Green Venture has been promoting the City of Hamilton Pesticide By-law, discussing the impacts of pesticides on our streams and groundwater as well as offering suggestions for pesticide alternatives.
HHWSP Technicians conducted 16 free on-site consultations with Ancaster, Chedoke and Tiffany Creeks residents.
SPEN CER CRE EK ST EWAR DSH I P ACT I ON AN N U AL PROG RESS REPORT
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Caring for Surface Water
HCA continues to monitor water quality and quantity in Spencer Creek. Particular sampling in Ancaster Creek was conducted to obtain baseline phosph orus levels for analyses. This will assist RBG as it is finalizing the development of a guiding document for the mitigation of phosphorus loadings to Cootes Paradise. More worksh ops were offered by pr oject partners in 2008. HCA co-hosted an Er osion and Sediment Control Workshop attended by 10 local contractors and is building on that initiative by developing a pilot progr am to monitor er osion and sediment control on construction sites in the Hamilton Harbour watershed, to be initiated in 2009/10. tools for carin g for these unique ecosystems. HHWSP produced an On-line Ponds fact sheet that is available on the HCA website. HCA completed an inventory of all dam s that are h olding back water an d preventing the migration of fish species upstream, many of which are the control structures for on-line ponds. The Hamilton Golf and Country Club is currently working with the HCA to retrofit an on-line pond to an off-line irrigation sou rce as part of their irrigation program. Green Venture presented its Wise Water Use Program to over 30 different youth groups, sh owcasing rain gardens, green roofs, an d rain b arrels to pr omote water conservation. GV also developed two new fact sheets for their series; the titles include Runoff and Rain Bar rels. The fact sheets are available on their website.
“Green Venture presented its Wise Water Use Program to over 30 different youth groups.”
HCA staff monitor surface water quality and quantity
HHWSP and HWSC also co-hosted a Rural Pond Stewardship Worksh op for 44 local residents, providing them with management
Caring for Agriculture
The City of Hamilton, as a result of storm water master plan, has established a Rural Stewardship Working Group. The group is targeting land management practices contributing to sediment and erosion for education and remediation. HHWSP continued to deliver its rural water quality and habitat improvement program in the Spencer Creek Watershed. Over 4000 trees were planted in the Spencer Creek Watershed in 2008. Also, in partnership with the Canada Ontario Farm Stewardship Program associated with the Environmental Farm Plan, a new pasture was created to relocate over 100 head of livestock from the Dundas Valley Environmentally Significant Area, as well as restricting their access to Spencer Creek. HHWSP funds new pasture for livestock relocation project.
Caring for Communities
Local partners participated in a number of activities in 2008 that engaged the communities of the Spencer Creek Watershed. The HWSC funded two school yard natur alization pr ojects, providing local students with a living classroom where they can reinforce their in-class lessons by observing a real working ecosystem. They also partnered with MacGreen of McMaster University to host a Cootes Cleanup day where six sites along Spencer Creek were cleared of debris and garbage. The Bay Area Restoration Council was able to mark over 440 sewers with their Yellow Fish Road Pr ogr am an d its “Only Rain Down the Drain” mess age. They were also able to implement the Stream of Dream s Program with three schools to raise aw areness ab out aquatic ecosystems. Green Venture has added a variety of new content to its Eco-House tours, including: Best Management Pr actices, rain gardens using n ative plants, alternatives to lawn fertilization, alternatives to traditional lawn grasses, and many more. HHWSP is reviewing its on-line survey to include questions aimed at learning more about how to engage the community in the implementation of the Spencer Creek Stewardship Action Plans. It has also be gun discussions with the Hidden Lake Golf and Country Club about hosting a golf course workshop for local courses centered around the Audubon Certification Program.
The Bay Area Restoration Council hosts an Adopt a Creek volunteer work day.
If you would like more information on the
Jaime Overy, Project Planner Hamilton Conservation A uthority
838 Mineral Springs Road P.O. Box 7099 Ancaster, Ontario Phone: 905-525-2181 Fax: 905-648-4622 E-mail: jovery@conservationhamilton.ca
Spencer Creek Stewardship Action Plans Project or information on how you can help us to implement the Stewardship Actions developed for these communities. Please contact Jaime Overy, the project planner at the Hamilton Conservation Authority.
We’re on the Web! www.c onservationhamilton.c a
Partner Appreciation
The Spencer Creek Stewardship Action Plans Project is a cooperative effort engaging many dedicated local agencies, groups and individuals. The contributions of these partners is invaluable in the development of comprehensive plans. Many have also made a significant commitment to the Spencer Creek Stewardship Action Plans Implementation Team that ensures that the Stewardship Actions outlined in these Plans will be delivered successfully and that our goal of engaging the community to improve the health of the Spencer Creek watershed for future generations will be met. Partners: Bay Area Restoration Council Bruce Trail Conservancy City of Hamilton Ducks Unlimited Environment Hamilton Field & Stream Rescue Team Fisheries & Oceans Canada Green Venture Hamilton Coalition on Pesticide Issues Hamilton Conservation Authority Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan Landowners & citizens Local nurseries & landscaping companies Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs Ministry of Natural Resources Hamilton Wentworth Stewardship Council McMaster University Royal Botanical Gardens Redeemer University College Wentworth Soil and Crop Implementation Team Members: