www.lsrca.on.ca

East Holland River Project: 2007 - 2012

Final Report

 

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East Holland subwatershed is home to:

53 endangered or rare plant and animal species

11 significant wetlands

187 bird species

43 mammal species

304 plant species

Land use; 31% agriculture, 24% urban, 32% Natural Heritage Features and 13% Other land uses

Total annual phosphorus loads entering East Holland River; 2000: 16,111 kg 2009: 12,900kg

Under considerable development pressure, and al-ready one of the most populated and polluted river systems in the Lake Simcoe Watershed, the East Hol-land River subwatershed (EHR) drains into Cook’s Bay and is one of the highest contributors of phosphorus entering Lake Simcoe.

The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSR-CA), with support from the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation (LSCF), identified this area as a high priority for restoration.

Recognizing the pressure that rapid local growth was placing on the natural environment, in 1998 the local municipalities initiated a planning process to undertake the development of a management plan. In 2001, the East Holland River Subwatershed Management Plan was completed by the LSRCA in partnership with York Re-gion, the Towns of Georgina, East Gwillimbury, Newmar-ket, Aurora, Whitchurch-Stouffville and the Township of King. The guiding principles for the plan were to “Protect what is healthy,” and to “Reha-bilitate what is degraded.”

Background The East Holland River

East Holland River Subwatershed Facts

The Lake Simcoe Protection Plan: a provin-cial plan based on consultation with citizens and experts from the scientific community. It has set a high standard to protect and restore the health of Lake Simcoe.

Ontario Drinking Water Source Protection: Municipalities are establishing plans and ac-tions to protect public sources of drinking water through broad based consultation.

The EHR Subwatershed Management Plan set 30 year resource targets. These targets were based on the sci-ence and research that was conducted to complete the Management Plan, and were developed to concentrate environmental restoration efforts within the EHR.

Achieving these targets and environmental objectives were intended to help reduce excess nutrients and sediment from entering the East Holland River and eventually Lake Simcoe, as well as to improve fish and wildlife habitat.

The EHR Project is Aligned With:

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gETTIng STarTEd

The East Holland River Project

In 2005, the LSCF identified the EHR as a focal point for a fundraising campaign designed to raise public aware-ness of the importance of the river and its impact on improving the health of Lake Simcoe. The LSCF, in partnership with LSRCA, presented a fundraising plan to help restore the EHR.

In 2006, LSRCA and LSCF staff held meetings with representatives of the local municipal Environmental Advisory Committees, municipal partners, and local provincial and federal government representatives to discuss opportunities for raising the public profile of this initiative. In 2006, LSRCA hired a Watershed Co-ordinator, to develop and implement the work plan, which focused on supporting the goals and objectives of the EHR Management Plan. Additionally, the coordi-nator also worked with local stakeholders and interest groups to develop new projects and enhance collab-orative efforts in the community.

The East Holland River Project was officially launched in the fall of 2007.

Supporting the goals of the EHR Subwatershed Man-agement Plan, the project was successful in restoring erosion sites, planting significant buffers, increasing forest cover, and reducing phosphorus and other con-taminants from entering Lake Simcoe. These successes are being used as a springboard to launch a new fund-raising campaign for The Creeks Project, in the Barrie, Hewitts and Lovers creeks subwatershed.

Of significant value to the EHR campaign was raising public awareness about the importance and health of the river, and more than 1,200 participants attended community events. There was also an increase in the number of projects that now occur annually due to the campaign. As a result of the EHR project all of the im-portant water quality improvement projects complet-ed were implemented at a fraction of the cost to each partner – leveraging campaign funds 6:1 on average!

ImpacT of ThE campaIgn

Did You Know?

The East Holland River was named after Major Samuel Holland, Surveyor General of Upper Canada

It was previously named Esconyondy River and Miciaguean River

East Holland River and its tributaries are crossed by over 287 transportation lanes (roads and railways)

The East Holland subwatershed is 247 sq ki-lometers in size and is located predominantly in York Region

2007 population: 125,000

2013 population: 150,000

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168 identified erosion sites will be restored

261 kilometers of buffer will be planted along rivers and streams

Forest cover will be increased to 25%

2.5 metric tonnes of phosphorus reduced from Lake Simcoe

Initiative will demonstrate results and expand around the watershed

• 5,835 metres of buffer planted• 1,523 metres of stream restored• 19,330 aquatic and herbaceous

plants planted

• 44,725 trees planted

• 0.86 hectares total area of Storm Water Management Ponds (SWM) Retrofitted/ Developed

• 192 Projects Completed (147 Urban/45 Rural)

• Campaign Funds leveraged 6:1• $4.7 Million in Projects

goaLS

• 1,265 community members/volunteers participated in com-munity restoration events

• 44 public projects• 148 private landowner projects

Buffer Planted and Erosion Sites Restored

Increased Forest Cover

Phosphorus and Contaminants Reduced

East Holland River Project 2007-2012: Great Results and Impact!

Increased Awareness and Participation in Restoration

ouTcomES

• 6 fish barriers removed• 12 habitat structures installed• 1 species at risk protected

(Snapping Turtle)

• 26 hectares of area planted

• Innovative Stewardship Demonstration Sites com-pleted in Aurora, Newmarket and East Gwillimbury

• 190 hectares total catchment area treated through SWM Pond upgrades

• 64 drinking water sources protected (Septic Upgrades, Wellhead Protection and Well Decommissioning)

• 3 studies/reports complet-ed (Subwatershed Imple-mentation Plan, Engineered Wetland and Musselman’s Lake Stewardship Report)

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This urban park within the Town of Newmarket had an on-line Storm Water Quantity Management Pond which was constructed over 30 years ago with an up-stream drainage area of 155 hectares. Eastern Creek, which passes through the Storm Water Management Pond (SWM), is a tributary of the East Holland River. The existing SWM Pond did not address water quality.

The SWM Pond was retrofitted with a sediment forebay and red sand filter technology to increase the overall phosphorus uptake. A by-pass channel with a flow splitter was installed to maintain base flow in the creek system. A riparian buffer was also planted which pro-motes bank stability and shading of the pond and the by-pass channel. Educational signage was installed and provides those who use the site with knowledge about

the importance of proper treatment of stormwater runoff, native tree and shrub plantings,

and streambank riparian buffers.

InnovaTIvE STEwardShIp projEcTSStoRmwatER Pond PRoJECt: GEoRGE RiCHaRdSon PaRk in tHE town oF nEwmaRkEt

The Problem

The Solution

Results of the Project

Estimated 23 kilograms/yr reduction of phos-phorus

Estimated 200 tonnes reduction in sediment per year

Eastern Creek now by-passes the SWM pond. When combined with buffer plantings, the project will reduce water temperature, im-prove fish habitat and allow fish migration

Through a community tree planting event held on-site, over 1000 native trees and shrubs were planted along the perimeter of the new pond and by-pass channel. Volunteers learned about the importance of this water quality project while planting an area of over 12,250 square metres

Excavation of Main Cell Pond

Installation of Red Sand Filter

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George Richardson Park SWM Pond: After Naturalization

LSRCA’s Integrated Watershed Management Plan:

The Lake Simcoe Integrated Watershed Management Plan is intended to be a roadmap to provide future direction for the protection and rehabilitation of the watershed ecosystem. To learn more about the plan visit www.lsrca.on.ca.

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CREEk natuRalization PRoJECt – HiGHland GatE GolF Club in tHE town oF auRoRa

This section of Tannery Creek was eroded with no creek-side buffer, which allowed sediment and con-taminants to flow downstream into the East Holland River and eventually Lake Simcoe. This section of creek contained on-line ponds which collected sedi-ment and warmed up the water temperature. In addi-tion, some sections of streambank were unstable and the existing dams and culverts were barriers to fish migration.

The Problem

This project included the stabilization of the stream-banks, the creation of a natural riparian buffer, im-proved water quality using various overland flow fil-tration techniques, improved riparian function for flow attenuation and fish habitat enhancement.

The Solution

Results of the Project

Removed 3 on-line ponds

Removed 2 culverts and replaced them with an open span bridge

Restored 300 metres of streambank using bioengineering techniques

Installed pools, riffles and wetland areas to provide habitat for fish and wildlife

Planted over 550 native shrubs

Planted over 135 wetland plants

Anticipated Annual Improvements:

Diversion of 1.05 kg/yr of phosphorus

Reduced sediment load by increasing naturalized riparian buffers & stream-bank stabilization techniques

BEforE afTEr

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BEforE afTEr

This privately owned parcel of land within the Town of Newmarket has approximately 185 metres of Eastern Creek, a tributary of the East Holland River, traversing through it. The site had over 18,000 square metres of hard surface area in the form of parking lot and road that previously drained directly into the adjacent East-ern Creek, which is now being treated.

The watercourse banks were mowed right to the edge of the creek and had no riparian plant buffer, making it unstable. Over 18,000 square metres of parking lot run-off was running directly into the creek and having a neg-ative impact on water quality. The existing conditions led to degraded fish habitat on-site and downstream.

The banks were stabilized using bioengineering tech-niques including the installation of river stone along the edge of the creek and native plantings along the banks and riparian area. Creek bed enhancements included creating pool and riffle areas, which help improve fish habitat. Oil and grit separators were installed to assist in the reduction of hydrocarbons, phosphorus and sedi-ment from entering the creek. Educational signage was also installed on-site, to provide those who use the site and parking lot with knowledge about the importance of properly treating stormwater runoff, planting native trees and shrubs, improving streambank riparian buf-fers, using bioengineering methods, and creating wet-lands for natural filtration.

StREambank ERoSion ContRol PRoJECt – EaStERn CREEk at SoutHlakE REGional HEaltH CEntRE in tHE town oF nEwmaRkEt

The Problem The Solution

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“Once the project was com-plete, our team went back to Eastern Creek and found better habitat conditions with less erosion occur-ring that resulted in a 74% increase in fish numbers in-cluding more juvenile fish; this project had a positive impact!”

- Jeff Andersen, Senior Fisheries Biologist, LSRCA

Results of the Project

5 micro wetlands and 2 oil and grit separators were installed with an anticipated 90% reduc-tion of sediment entering the creek

370 metres of streambank was stabilized using bioengineering techniques

Over 1,000 native trees and shrubs were planted in the riparian area

Anticipated reduction of 4 kilograms of phos-phorus per year from entering East Holland River

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City of Barrie Waterfront

whaT’S nExT: ThE crEEkS projEcTBuilding upon the success of the EHR campaign, the LSCF will again partner with the LSRCA in 2013 to di-rect stewardship efforts towards the Barrie, Hewitts and Lovers Creeks subwatersheds.

The campaign will operate under the name The Creeks Project and extend four years to the end of 2016.

Both the Barrie and Lovers Creeks subwatersheds are heavily impacted by urban growth and development pressures are continuing.

Working with the City of Barrie, the Town of Innisfil and other supportive agencies, The Creeks Project will launch in 2013 calling on the public to participate in the cleanup of the communities’ creeks over the next four years.

The City of Barrie and LSRCA staff have identified po-tential projects that are valued in excess of $9 million and include such opportunities as: Low Impact De-velopment (LID) demonstration areas, Upper Kidds and Dyment Creeks bank stabilization, Dyment and Bunkers Creeks daylighting, SWM Pond Retrofits to improve water quantity and quality controls, riparian buffer plantings, Lakeshore Drive LID’s in parking lots and more!

The Town of Innisfil has identified multiple locations where potential projects may occur, including creek restoration and bank stabilization, online pond retrofit-ting and a re-evaluation of an existing public property with a vision that supports ecological restoration.

hIgh profILE projEcTS

During The Creeks Project campaign there will also be a “High Profile Projects” initiative that will support the allocation of LSCF funding to projects around the Lake Simcoe Watershed that would attract substantial part-ners and improve the health of a subwatershed, such as supporting LID adoption in new residential develop-ments.

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Upper Tier and Lower Tier Municipalities – (York Region, Town of Georgina, Town of East Gwillimbury, Town of Newmarket, Town of Aurora, Township of King, Town of Whitchurch Stouffville)

Provincial and Federal Governments – (MOE, MNR, OMAFRA, and Environment Canada)

Community Groups – (York Environmental Stewardship, Bogart Creek Restoration Com-mittee, Aurora Community Arboretum, Scouts Canada, Bassmasters, Salvation Army)

Private landowners

Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation

Municipal partners as landowners

Private landowners

Provincial Government

Federal Government

LEAP

Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation

Other agencies (YNPP, ORMF, SWP, YES, etc)

PaRtnERSFundinG ContRibutoRS

Founded in 1973, the Lake Simcoe Conservation Foun-dation (LSCF) is the leading charitable organization de-voted to improving the environmental health of Lake Simcoe and its watershed; raising funds to support pri-ority restoration, protection, research and educational projects of LSRCA.

Website: www.lakesimcoefoundation.ca Email: foundation@LSRCA.on.ca Telephone: 905-895-1281 Toll Free: 1-800-465-0437 120 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 4X1

For over 60 years, LSRCA has been working with mu-nicipal, community and other government partners, providing leadership in the protection and restoration of the environmental health and quality of Lake Simcoe and its watershed.

Website: www.LSRCA.ca Email: info@LSRCA.on.ca Telephone: 905-895-1281 Toll Free: 1-800-465-0437 120 Bayview Avenue, Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 4X1