NVCA IWMP and S takeho lder Engagement Overv iew

Chris Hibberd, Director, Watershed ManagementJuly 26, 2018

Stakeholder Committee Meet ing #1

Purpose of the Presentation

• About the NVCA and the Nottawasaga Watershed

• What is IWMP / IWMP Process?

• Findings of the Watershed Characterization Study

• Stakeholder Engagement

• Next Steps

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ALTERNATIVE FORMATS: If you require this slide show in a different format, please contact NVCA at 705-424-1479 or admin@nvca.on.ca

About the NVCA

Jurisdiction, Role and Mandate

• NVCA was created in 1960, at the request of all watershed municipalities, under The Conservation Authorities Act (RSO, 1946).

• Section 20 of the Act enables a conservation authority:

“to provide, in the area over which it has jurisdiction, programs and services designed to further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources…”

• Section 21 of the Act defines specific programs to be delivered.

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About the NVCA

Fundamental Principles

• Ontario’s 36 Conservation Authorities are based on 3 fundamental principles:

• Watershed based jurisdictions;

• Local decision making; and

• Funding partnerships.

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NVCA Watershed

Creating a healthy environment and communities through innovative watershed management

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Nottawasaga Valley Watershed

• 3,700 km2 in size

NVCA Economic Dr ivers

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• Longest freshwater beachin the world

Wasaga Beach

• Key Ontario Fishery(Nursery & Spawning Area)

Nottawasaga River

• Drinking Source Water ProtectionOak Ridges Moraine

• Internationally significant Minesing Wetlands

• Niagara Escarpment, Georgian Bay Tourism

• Vibrant agricultural sectorAgriculture

NVCA Goals

Adding Value for Residents

• Plan review to ensure safe development with respect to flooding/erosion hazards

• Floodplain regulations

• Developing environmental policy

• Partnership on restoration projects

• Flood and low-water monitoring programs

• Flood warning/forecasting

Protect life and property from hazards

Protect, enhance and restore watershed health and promote sustainable development

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NVCA Goals

Adding Value for Residents

• Outdoor education programs for youth atthe Tiffin Centre for Conservation

• Water quality/quantity monitoring

• Partnership with our academiccommunities, federal/provincialgovernments, municipalities, agriculture,business and stakeholders

Promote the watershed and NVCA

Seek new knowledge and share information

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NVCA Goals

Adding Value for Residents

• Recreational conservation lands

• Special events (Spring Tonic Maple SyrupFestival)

• Opportunities for involvement(stakeholder committees, volunteers)

Connect people with the watershed

Lead, partner and collaborate

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NVCA Services

Annual Contributions - 2017

92 wells monitored for groundwater level and quality

112 sites monitored for streamflow

57 sites monitored for benthic macroinvertebrates (measure of stream health)

15 flood messages issued

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NVCA Services

Annual Contributions - 2017

5,200+ hectares of Conservation Lands

142 Stewardship & Forestry Projects

$873,269 Stewardship & Forestry Grant Dollars Applied

Over 231,000 Trees Planted

12.5 km of Stream Protected or Rehabilitated

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NVCA Services

Annual Contributions - 2017

1,500 volunteers engaged in hands-on stewardship projects

Over 185 School Group Visits to Tiffin Centre

11,600 students attending Education Programs

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Integrated Watershed ManagementPlanning Process

What is IWMP?

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ENVIRONMENT

•Water quality

•Biodiversity

•Pollution

•Aquatic habitat

•Geology

•Climate change

SOCIETY

•Drinking water

•Flood risk

•Recreation

•Waste management

•Land use

ECONOMY

•Manufacturing

•Agriculture

•Hydropower

•Transportation

•Forestry

•Tourism

IWMP

Why is IWMP important?

• Watershed-based, informed by science

• Manage natural resources and humanactivities together

• Considers environmental, economic andsocietal needs together - they are connectedand impact each other in good and bad ways

• Relies on an adaptive managementapproach that monitors implementation andre-evaluates as necessary

• Collaborative governance at many levels forshared decision making and priority setting

Why now?

• Most recent Watershed Management Plan developed in 1996.

• In 2006, conducted a strategic review of the plan to address current/arising issues

• New plan now to address:

• increasing growth pressures

• changing climate

• direction from the Province for planning and development to take an IWM approach

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NVCA IWMP Process

Strategy and Action Plan Framework

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NVCA IWMP Process

• Build an internal team

• Engage Consultant Team

• Look at current watershedconditions

• Engage stakeholders

• Identify watershed issues

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NVCA IWMP ProcessStakeholders

• Municipalities

• Academic institutions

• Agriculture

• Building industry

• NGO’s

• Province – MOECP and MNRF

• Federal – Environment and Climate Change Canada

• Schools and School Boards

• Business

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IMWP StakeholdersTerms of Reference

• Provide guidance, critiques and suggestions on proposed approaches, concepts and actions.

• Participate and share knowledge on the watershed and your area of expertise.

• Identify potential issues or concerns and how these might be addressed.

• Participate in two-way communication between stakeholders and NVCA.

• Attend future stakeholder meetings plus input into draft watershed plan.

• Act as “ambassadors” for the development of the IWMP.

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“Ground Rules”

Listen Actively – respect others when they arespeaking

Speak from your own experience

Allow everyone to participate equally

Be conscious of body language and nonverbalresponses

Turn cell phones off (unless an emergency)

Be positive

Talk one person at a time

Limit side conversations

Have a good time!

Watershed Characterization

This portion of the presentation was given by Ecosystem Recovery Inc.

Watershed CharacterizationKey Components

• Environment

• Economy

• Society

Environment

Water Quality

Biodiversity

Pollution

Aquatic Habitat

Geology

Climate Change

Society

Drinking Water

Flood Risk

Recreation

Waste Management

Land Use

Economy

Manufacturing

Agriculture

Hydropower

Transportation

Forestry

Tourism

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Physical Features & LandformsDefining Landscape Characteristics

Niagara Escarpment (Karst)

Oak Ridges Moraine(groundwater recharge)

Simcoe Uplands (Oro Moraine)

Simcoe Lowlands (Clay, abandoned shorelines)

Surface Drainage NetworkWater and Sediment Conveyance

10 Subwatersheds

Headwaters in moraines

Total Channel Length: 5,830 km

Erosion – urban runoff, livestock access, loss of riparian vegetation

Surface Drainage NetworkOpen or Enclosed Drains

Municipal Drains(Innisfil, lower/middle Nottawasaga)

Award Drains(Pine, Innisfil, lower Nottawasaga)

Unclassified(headwater Boyne, Pine, Mad)

HydrogeologyGroundwater Discharge and Recharge

4 Regional Aquifers, complex hydrostratigraphy

Highest recharge in moraine, escarpment (Pine, Willow, lower Nottawasaga)

Groundwater Protection AreasMonitoring and Protecting

Monitoring Initiatives

Wellhead Protection Areas (WHPA)– rate of groundwater movement

Highly Vulnerable Aquifers (HVA)(Simcoe Lowlands; high permeability,

exposed at surface)

Significant Groundwater Recharge(sand and gravel)

Surface Water QuantityModels and Monitoring

• Stream Gauging (Water Survey of Canada, NVCA) (24)

• Meteorological stations (14)

• Modeling studies - Generic floodplain mapping

• Drought:

– Frequency of Level 1 and 2 low flow conditions is attributed to climate variability for Innisfil Creek, not agriculture water taking (Bluemetric and Matrix,2017)

– Watershed response team for low flows in Innisfil Creek

• Modeling not current for all subwatersheds

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Water QualityIndicators of Subwatershed Health

• Subwatershed Reports

• Healthy

o Streams through healthy forest and wetland cover (e.g., Niagara Escarpment)

• Unhealthy

o Highly urbanized, intensively farmed

o Innisfil is most degraded

o Concern: high nutrient loading – phosphorus

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Water QualityIndicators of Subwatershed Health

Temperature

Water QualityIndicators of Subwatershed Health

Phosphorous

Water QualityIndicators of Subwatershed Health

Nitrogen

Water QualityIndicators of Subwatershed Health

Dissolved Oxygen

Aquatic Condit ionsEffect of Landscape and Human Activity on Fish

Headwaters – positive influence

Stream health decreases downstream

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Aquatic Condit ionsEffect of Landscape and Human Activity on Fish

Fish Barriers

Numerous barriers

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Aquatic Condit ionsTypes of Fisheries

• Warmwater gamefish

• Cold and coolwaterstreams

• Special Concern: Northern Brook Lamprey, Silver Lamprey

• Threatened: Lake Sturgeon

• Historically supported: wetland spawning walleye

Terrestrial VegetationEcological Land Classification

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Terrestrial VegetationEcological Land Classification

Diverse vegetation communities due to variable physiography

Wetlands: 12%, Forests: 32%Health is generally good

Working landscape:agriculture is predominant

Urban landscape is barrier to species movement

BiodiversityReptiles and Amphibians (33 Species)

High diversity due to extensive connected wetlands and

forests

Highest diversity and density: north and northeast part of watershed (less fragmented)

Biodiversity:Breeding Birds (189 Species)

Highest diversity at Wasaga Beach Prov. Park. (optimal interior: edge

ratio and diverse topography)

High breeding bird density in east (Lake Simcoe)

89 species of high conservation priority

NVCA watershed provides important habitat for migrating

birds

Biodiversity:Provincially Rare Flora (19 species)

19 species of rare plants

Rare plants concentrated in sandy habitats and wetlands (Minesing

wetlands)

Biodiversity:Provincially Rare Fauna(40 reptile, amphibian and bird species)

40 Species at Risk fauna

Highest fauna SAR at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park.

Signif icant AreasANSIs, PSWs and Provincial Parks

35 Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI)

Most significant features: Minesing wetland, Wasaga

Beach Prov. Park.

Highest recharge in moraine, escarpment (Pine, Willow, lower

Nottawasaga)

Addit ional Potent ia l ly S igni f icant AreasSpecific Habitats

Green and Blue - largest patches of trees (wetland and forest) with specific habitat requirements

Orange - high potential to support diversity of grassland birds

Yellow - rare species

Yellow and orange represent fastest-declining guilds of birds

Animal MovementCorridors

Movement corridors along river valleys

Agriculture allows for some animal and plant

dispersal

Habitat near urban areas becomes

fragmented

Urban landscape is barrier to species

movement

Climate ChangeEffects on Hydrosphere and Biosphere

• Study completed in 2016

– Increase in temperature

– Increase in precipitation

• Effects

– Increased evaporation

– Reduction in lake levels

– Decline in biodiversity

• Wetland SAR – vulnerable to hydrological change

• Forest – edge effects

• Breeding amphibians, birds, small mammal

• NVCA

– Studies and initiatives

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Climate ChangeHow Much Habitat is Enough?

(Environment Canada 2013)

• Maintaining and enhancing the size, diversity, configuration and connectedness of a wide variety of features will be key to allowing species to adapt and move to suitable new areas as their habitat changes

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Community Services & Socia l Interests

Land Use and Drinking Water

• Land Use:

– Agriculture = 47%

– Forest = 33%

– Wetland = 12%

– Urban = 4.3%

– Aggregate = < 0.5%

• Drinking water systems

– 34 systems

– 103 municipal drinking water wells

– 1 surface water intake (Collingwood)

Community Services & Socia l Interests

Land Use and Drinking Water

• Land Use:

– Agriculture = 47%

– Forest = 33%

– Wetland = 12%

– Urban = 4.3%

– Aggregate = < 0.5%

• Drinking water systems

– 34 systems

– 103 municipal drinking water wells

– 1 surface water intake (Collingwood)

Natural HazardsRisk to Humans

• Flooding

– Flood Damage Centres

– Dams and Dykes

• Shoreline

• Erosion

• Unstable Bedrock

Natural HazardsRisk to Humans

• Flooding

– Flood Damage Centres

– Dams and Dykes

• Shoreline

• Erosion

• Unstable Bedrock

Stormwater ManagementConstructed and Natural Features

• Constructed stormwater management

– Flow conveyance structures

– Low Impact Development (LID)

– End of Pipe treatment

• Natural Heritage Features

– Wetlands

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Wastewater ManagementSeptic Systems

• Centralized and decentralized facilities

• Septic systems

– 50–75 % of families on private septic systems

• Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure

– Counties: Simcoe, Dufferin and Grey

• Marinas

– 15 of the 49 marinas accept holding tank waste

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Future GrowthGrowth Plan (2017)

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Economic AssetsIndustries and Water Usage

• Key Industries

– Aggregate extraction,

– Tourism and Recreation,

– Automotive manufacturing, and

– Sod farming

• Agriculture

– Row crops = 60%

– Hay or pasture = 40%

• Water Use

– Municipal = 66 %

– Agriculture = 16% (PTTW)

– Commercial = 12%

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Ecological Asset ManagementNatural Environment Value

• Natural capital is an asset on which social and economic systems depend

• Like other assets, natural assets should be measured, tracked and maintained

• Natural assets deliver services from which humans benefit

• Services are derived from the natural assets within NVCA jurisdiction

– Recreation

– Water supply

– Atmospheric gas regulation (clean air)

– Pollination

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Importance of Ecological Assets

Natural Environment Value

• 37% of the area within NVCA jurisdiction is natural land cover

• The natural land cover provides a flow of services to humans

– Water supply valued at $75.3 million

– Pollination valued at $127 million

– Gas regulation (clean air) valued at $3.2 million

– Carbon sequestration valued at $30 million

• Like any asset, natural assets need to be measured and managed

• Role for local authorities in measuring and managing natural assets

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Stakeholder Insights & Comments

Comments and Questions?

Discussion

With reference to the IWMP Figure, what do you value about the NVCA watershed from economic, cultural and environmental perspectives?

Consider Section 5 (Economic Assets) and Section 6 (Ecological Assets) of the Characterization Report for guidance

Environment

Water Quality

Biodiversity

Pollution

Aquatic Habitat

Geology

Climate Change

Society

Drinking Water

Flood Risk

Recreation

Waste Management

Land Use

Economy

Manufacturing

Agriculture

Hydropower

Transportation

Forestry

Tourism

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ENVIRONMENT

•Water quality

•Biodiversity

•Pollution

•Aquatic habitat

•Geology

•Climate change

SOCIETY

•Drinking water

•Flood risk

•Recreation

•Waste management

•Land use

ECONOMY

•Manufacturing

•Agriculture

•Hydropower

•Transportation

•Forestry

•Tourism

IWMP

Coffee Break

Breakout Groups: Watershed Stressors

Watershed Stressors

Question 1

• The Characterization Report identified several issues (symptoms) and stressors (causes) within the NVCA watershed. What do you perceive to be the main issues and their stressors in the watershed and how are these affecting the things you value?

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Watershed Stressors

Question 2

• What impact(s) will anticipated urban development have on the issues and stressors in the watershed? Will new issues and/or stressors be created?

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Watershed Stressors

Question 3

• What impact(s) will climate change have on these issues and stressors? Will new issues and/or stressors be created?

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Watershed Stressors

Question 4

• Are there existing tools in place to address these issues/stressors? Are there collaborative initiatives that could be created to maximize resources to address these issues/stressors?

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Watershed Stressors

Question 5

• What information do you or your organization have that would provide valuable input into the IWMP?

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Next StepsNVCA IWMP Stakeholder Committee

• Reporting Back

– provide results of meeting to stakeholders and on NVCA’s website

– opportunity to provide additional feedback via online survey

• Next Meeting

– September 2018

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Thank-you

Questions?

c.hibberd@nvca.on.ca

705-424-1479

www.nvca.on.ca

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