OTTY LAKE - JEBBS CREEK CATCHMENT

Transcription

TAY RIVER SUBWATERSHED REPORT 2011
The RVCA produces individual reports for
14 catchments in the Tay River
Subwatershed. Using data collected and
analysed by the RVCA through its
watershed monitoring and land cover
classification programs, surface water
quality conditions are reported for Otty and
McLaren Lake and Jebbs Creek along with a
summary of environmental conditions for the
surrounding countryside every six years.
This information is used to help better
understand the effects of human activity on
our water resources, allows us to better
track environmental change over time and
helps focus watershed management actions
where they are needed the most.
The following pages of this report are a
compilation of that work. For other Tay River
Catchments and the Tay River
Subwatershed Report, please visit the
RVCA website at www.rvca.ca.
Inside
1. Surface Water Quality Conditions
Otty Lake
McLaren Lake
Jebbs Creek
2. Riparian Conditions
Riparian Zone
Shoreline Zone
Instream Aquatic Habitat
3. Land Cover
4. Stewardship & Protection
5. Issues
6. Opportunities for Action
Catchment Facts
 Most Otty Lake waterfront development
occurred between 1950 and 1980.
Waterfront developments doubled
between 1960 and 1980 (430 waterfront
lots, 62 vacant lots) and stood at 547
dwellings in 2005 (including back-lot
subdivision development)
 Five subdivisions have been developed
in the catchment since 1979; two
(Burgesswood and Maple Glen) have
both waterfront and back lots with
common lake access. A third, Otty
Woods (McKay Farm) is being developed
and will also have common lake access
 Otty Lake community developed a
“Report on the State of Otty Lake and its
Watershed” (2007) and “The Otty Lake
Management Plan” (2008) with various
partners that guide the communities’
priorities for protecting water quality and
the natural environment of the lake
 Floodplain mapping is available for Jebbs
Creek downstream of the Rideau Ferry
Road to the Tay River
 Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection
Assessment Report indicates that the
shallowest upper bedrock aquifer is
highly vulnerable to land-use activity due
to thin soil cover
 Situated in part of the Algonquin
Highlands, an ancient geologic region of
hilly bedrock made up of such
Precambrian rocks as marble,
conglomerates and dark or colour
banded granite-like rocks. A large area of
younger sandstone flanks the
catchment’s northern boundary and a
veneer of glacial drift (glacial till, sand
etc.) overlies the bedrock
 Includes seven smaller lakes, those
being Andrew, Doctor, McLaren, Mills,
Mud, Rock and Thoms Mud Lakes
 64% of the catchment falls within Tay
Valley Township, 34% within the
Township of Drummond-North Elmsley
and 2% within the Town of Perth
 Drains 52.8 sq. km of land or 6.6% of the
Tay River Subwatershed and 1.2% of the
Rideau Valley Watershed
 Dominant land cover is woodland (43%)
and wetland (19%), followed by water
(14%), crop and pastureland ( 12%),
settlement (5%) and grassland (5%)
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2
5
7
10
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12
17
18
19
20
 In 2005, more than 50% of properties on
Otty Lake have been classified with
greater than 50% ornamental shoreline
(using MAPLE protocol)
 Natural vegetation has been removed
from about 50% or 17 km of shoreline.
Docks, decks, boat houses, boat ramps
and retaining walls occupy 3.5 km of the
shoreline
 Contains a cool/warm water baitfish and
recreational fishery with 20 fish species
 Water quality rating in Otty Lake is poor;
very poor in McLaren Lake and from fair
to poor along Jebbs Creek downstream
towards Perth
 MOE well records indicate there are 632
private water wells or 14% of all wells in
the Tay River Subwatershed
 Ducks Unlimited Canada holds two
Permits to Take Water to store surface
waters for wetland habitat
 30 stewardship (landowner tree planting/
clean water) projects have been
completed along with three Otty Lake
Association community shoreline planting
projects
OTTY LAKE SURFACE WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS
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Introduction
Surface water quality in the Otty Lake-Jebbs Creek
Catchment is assessed using water and aquatic insect
samples collected in Otty Lake, McLaren Lake and Jebbs
Creek through RVCA’s surface water quality monitoring
programs. Analyzed results are presented below.
RVCA has adopted the Canadian Council of Ministers
of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) to
provide an overall measure of surface water quality in
Tay River catchments using a rating for water quality
ranging from “Very Poor, Poor, Fair, Good to Very
Good”. WQI scores for lakes and streams are based on
how often, how many and by how much sample results
for each parameter exceed established water quality
guidelines.
In applying the CCME WQI, the RVCA has selected five
parameters that are available for all lakes in the Tay
Subwatershed: total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total
phosphorus (TP), pH (acidity), water clarity (Secchi
depth) and dissolved oxygen (for fish habitat).
Assessment of streams is based on 21 parameters
available for all Tay watercourses including nutrients
(total phosphorus, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrates), E.
coli, metals (like cadmium and copper) and additional
chemical/physical parameters (like alkalinity, chlorides,
pH and total suspended solids).
1) a. Otty Lake Water Quality
Surface water quality has been monitored in Otty Lake
under the RVCA Watershed Watch Program since
2002 (Fig. 1) This report covers the six year period
from 2005 through 2010 and 2011 data is also shown
where it is available.
The Water Quality Index rating for Otty Lake is “Poor”
due mainly to three RVCA phosphorus samples
exceeding the Provincial Water Quality Objective
(PWQO). It is noted that in phosphorous sampling
under the Lake Partners Program (discussed further
below), samples taken at the same or similar times as
RVCA’s three samples had average values and do not
exceed the PWQO.
Observed exceedances may be partially attributed to
the natural aging of a lake, but can be slowed down by
lake residents reducing nutrient inputs through the
proper maintenance of their septic systems, by keeping
shorelines natural and using phosphate free soaps and
detergents.
The WQI also considers the proportion of the lake that
is suitable for fish habitation based on its oxygen
content. Oxygen concentrations in all lakes tend to
decline through the summer, but Otty Lake has had
some particularly low concentrations that have affected
the WQI and can stress the resident fish population.
At the Deep Point: Nutrients
Figures 2 and 4 show that although there is some
variability in nutrient concentrations at the deep point,
the majority of samples are below established
guidelines.
Eighty-six percent of samples analysed for TP are less
than the PWQO of 0.020 mg/l (Fig. 2), indicating that
nutrients may be elevated at times.
Figure 2. Otty Lake total phosphorus concentrations at the
deep point (from RVCA Watershed Watch Program)
Figure 1. Watershed Watch sampling on Otty/McLaren Lake
The Otty Lake Association (OLA) also samples TP six
times annually from May to October, as part of the
Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s Lake Partner
Program (LPP).
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As shown in Figure 3, 98 percent of these samples are
below the PWQO for TP. Differences in reported results
from the LPP and Watershed Watch (WW) Program
may be observed as they use different sampling
protocols. LPP composite samples are taken within the
upper water layer or the depth measured using a
Secchi disk. Watershed Watch composite samples are
taken throughout the zone of sunlight penetration which
is considered to be twice the Secchi depth. While
individual results do differ, the overall data sets are
similar: the average concentrations for WW and LPP
are 0.014 mg/l and 0.013 mg/l respectively, with
comparable variability about the mean. Both data sets
show TP concentrations occasionally exceeding the
PWQO at the deep point with the majority of samples
being below the provincial objective.
Table 1 shows the average concentration of TP and
TKN summarized for each year (from the RVCA
Watershed Watch Program) There are minimal
differences in the concentrations of both nutrients from
year to year.
Nutrient enrichment is not currently a problem, but
given exceedances at the deep point it is important for
property owners and lake users to continue to employ
best management practices to ensure the continued
health of the lake.
Table 1. Average nutrient concentrations in Otty
Lake at the deep point (from Watershed Watch)
Year
Average TP
(mg/l)
Average TKN
(mg/l)
2006
.017
.447
2007
.011
.423
2008
.010
.397
2009
.014
.438
2010
.015
.373
2011
.016
.328
Around the Lake: Nutrients
The average nutrient concentrations at shoreline sites
(Figures 5 and 6) show year to year changes; deep
point concentrations are also included to show
variability between the near shore and open water
locations.
Figure 3. Otty Lake total phosphorus concentrations at the
deep point (data is courtesy of MOE Lake Partners Program)
Ninety-five percent of samples analysed for TKN fall
below RVCA’s guideline of 0.5 mg/l (Fig. 4).There is no
clear trend showing an increasing/decreasing
concentration of nutrients in the lake.
Figure 4. Otty Lake total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations at the
deep point (from RVCA Watershed Watch Program)
Total phosphorus concentrations are very similar (Fig. 5)
with the exception of Site A, which tends to exceed the
PWQO. Shoreline TP concentrations are all greater than
the deep point.
Total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations are also
consistent across shoreline and deep point sites (Fig. 6),
Figure 5. Otty Lake average total phosphorus concentrations
(from RVCA Watershed Watch Program)
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as well as from year to year. Site A (at the head of Marl
Bay where Jebbs Creek narrows) and site E (in Mud
Lake at the outlet from McLaren Lake) are exceptions
as they both frequently exceed the TKN guideline.
These results provide further evidence that nutrient
enrichment may be a problem in some near shore
areas and could result in abundant plant or algal
growth.
Figure 8 shows the depths where suitable conditions
exist for warm water fish species (temperature less than
25°C and dissolved oxygen greater than 4 mg/l). The
vertical axis represents the total lake depth at the site of
27 metres where the profile is taken. Suitable oxygen
temperatures exist to an average depth of 14 metres
and has remained fairly consistent through sampling
years.
Spring and early summer typically have good conditions
for fish habitat but as temperatures warm and the
deeper waters are depleted of oxygen, there is limited
habitat available in late summer and early fall. Care
should be taken to avoid nutrient enrichment, as it fuels
primary productivity (plant and algal growth), which
depletes oxygen levels as this organic matter dies off
and begins to decay.
Figure 6. Otty Lake average total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN)
concentrations (from RVCA Watershed Watch Program)
Water Clarity
Water clarity is measured using a Secchi disk during
each deep point sample. Figure 7 shows that all
readings have exceeded the minimum PWQO of 2
metres, indicating that waters are usually clear and
sufficient sunlight is available to support aquatic life.
Figure 8. Depths suitable for warm water fish in Otty Lake
Habitat: pH
pH is a basic water quality parameter used to assess
the acidity of water an important factor for aquatic life;
pH concentrations in Otty Lake are shown in Figure 9.
Figure 7. Secchi depths at the deep point in Otty Lake
Habitat: Dissolved Oxygen and Temperature
Two other factors, dissolved oxygen/temperature and
pH are also assessed to provide an overall idea of the
health of Otty Lake from a fish habitat perspective.
Figure 9. pH concentrations at the deep point in Otty Lake
MCLAREN LAKE SURFACE WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS
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Around the Lake: E.coli
Summary
E. coli is also sampled at shoreline sites at least twice
each sampling season. Figure 10 shows that all
samples are well below the PWQO guideline of 100
colony forming units (CFU) per 100 ml, suggesting that
bacterial contamination is not an issue in Otty Lake
(please note that E. coli data is not used in the WQI
rating calculation).
Otty Lake can be characterized as a lake with clear
waters and moderate nutrient levels with an increasing
chance of limited oxygen in the deep waters that may
limit fish populations. Abundant aquatic vegetation
(macrophytes) can also occur but the lake generally has
good aesthetics for recreational use. However, the
water quality rating suggests that the health of the
aquatic ecosystem may be at risk as there is a potential
for it to be impacted by increased nutrient loads and
poor oxygen levels. Residents should inform
themselves about the cumulative effect of their activities
on the lake and what can be done about it.
1) b. McLaren Lake Water Quality
Surface water quality conditions in McLaren Lake have
been monitored under the RVCA Watershed Watch
Program since 2006 (Fig. 1). This report covers the five
years from 2006 through 2010 and 2011 data is also
shown where it is available.
Figure 10. Average E. coli concentrations for Otty Lake
shoreline sites (from RVCA Watershed Watch Program)
The Otty Lake Association also conducts regular E. coli
testing at 10 sites distributed throughout the lake, with
at least 30 samples taken each year. Figure 11 shows
that all samples taken between 2006 and 2011 are
below the PWQO of 100 CFU/100ml, which provides
further evidence that bacterial contamination is not
currently a problem that would affect recreational uses
of Otty Lake.
Figure 11. Average E. coli concentration for Otty Lake
shoreline sites (data is courtesy of Otty Lake Association)
The WQI index rating for McLaren Lake is “Very
Poor” (for an explanation of the WQI, please refer to the
“Introduction” section on Pg.2 of this report). This is
largely because of nutrient concentrations exceeding
their provincial and RVCA guidelines (with total Kjeldahl
nitrogen concentrations being particularly high) and
oxygen concentrations being consistently low
throughout much of the water column, which can
negatively impact the resident fish population.
At the Deep Point: Nutrients
Nutrient concentrations in McLaren Lake have remained
relatively consistent at the deep point for both total
phosphorus and total Kjeldahl nitrogen. Seventy-six
percent of samples analysed for TP are below the
PWQO of 0.02 mg/l (Fig. 12). One result in June 2009
Figure 12. Total phosphorus concentrations at the deep point
in McLaren Lake
MCLAREN LAKE SURFACE WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS
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was outside the typical range of other samples and
appears to be an anomaly in the dataset because
subsequent samples are comparable to the average
results.
metres, indicating that waters are usually clear and
sufficient sunlight is able to penetrate the water column
to support aquatic life.
Only three percent of samples analysed for TKN fall
below RVCA’s guideline of 0.5 mg/l (Fig. 13). Elevated
nitrogen levels have been consistently observed in
McLaren Lake and can be attributed to the nitrogen rich
waters of the wetland area it drains.
Figure 14. Secchi depth measurements at the deep point in
McLaren Lake
Habitat: Dissolved Oxygen and Temperature
Figure 13. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations at the deep
point in McLaren Lake
Dissolved oxygen and temperature are used to show
the health of McLaren Lake from a fish habitat
perspective. Results of the dissolved oxygen/
temperature profile are shown in Figure 15.
Table 2 shows the average concentration of each
nutrient summarized by year. There is no clear trend
showing an increase or decrease in either TP or TKN
nutrient concentrations.
While there is evidence of nutrient loading at the deep
point, it is probably due to the natural influence of the
wetland. Regardless, it is important for property owners
and lake users to continue to employ best management
practices to minimize human impacts on the lake’s
water quality.
Table 2. Average nutrient concentrations in
McLaren Lake at the deep point
Average TP Average TKN
Year
2006
2007
.019
.013
.600
.560
2008
2009
2010
.018
.034
.016
.627
.745
.593
2011
.021
.508
Figure 15. Suitable depths for fish habitat of warm water
species in McLaren Lake
Water Clarity
The grey bars on the graph show the depths to which
suitable conditions exist for warm water fish species
(temperature less than 25°C and dissolved oxygen
greater than 4 mg/l). The vertical axis represents the
total depth at the deep point (18 metres) where the
profile is taken.
Water clarity is measured using a Secchi disk during
each deep point sample. Figure 14 shows that all
readings have exceeded the minimum PWQO of 2
Suitable oxygen and temperature levels exist, on
average, to a depth of 5 metres and has remained fairly
consistent through the sampling period. The deeper
JEBBS CREEK SURFACE WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS
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waters are frequently depleted of oxygen and typically
provide very limited fish habitat.
Care should be taken to avoid further nutrient
enrichment as it fuels primary productivity (aquatic plant
and algal growth), which depletes oxygen levels as this
organic matter dies off and begins to decay.
1) c. Jebbs Creek Water Quality
Surface water quality conditions in Jebbs Creek are
monitored through the RVCA’s Surface Water Quality
Program (at the Rideau Ferry road crossing) and
Benthic Invertebrate Monitoring Program (at the Perth
Wildlife Reserve) (see Fig. 17 for their location).
Habitat: pH
pH is a basic water quality parameter used to assess
the acidity of water, an important factor for aquatic life.
pH concentrations in McLaren Lake are shown in
Figure 16.
With the exception of one result from May 2011, all
samples are within PWQO guidelines which state that
pH should be between 6.5 and 8.5 to protect aquatic life
and prevent irritation for anyone using the water for
recreational purposes.
In some areas of the Tay River Subwatershed, surface
waters do tend to be a bit more alkaline (higher pH),
which can generally be attributed to geology rather than
anthropogenic activities. That being said, care should
be taken to ensure that no additional pollutants enter
the lake that may alter pH conditions.
Figure 17. Jebbs Creek water quality rating
The water quality rating for Jebbs Creek is “Fair” using
the Water Quality Index and is based on data for
nutrients, E. coli, metals and additional chemical/
physical parameters (for an explanation of the WQI,
please see the “Introduction” on page 2 of this report).
Nutrients
Total phosphorus (TP) is used as a primary indicator of
excessive nutrient loading and may contribute to
abundant aquatic vegetation growth and depleted
dissolved oxygen levels.
Figure 16. pH concentrations sampled at the deep point in
McLaren Lake
Ninety-three percent of TP samples analyzed are below
the PWQO of 0.03 mg/l (Fig. 18).
Summary
The average concentration of TP in Jebbs Creek is 0.02
mg/l (75th percentile of 0.024 mg/l). This data shows
that although TP concentrations may exceed the
provincial guideline, it is not presently a significant
problem.
The “Very Poor” water quality rating attained for
McLaren Lake using the CCME WQI is largely driven by
elevated nitrogen concentrations and low oxygen levels
in the lake. The nitrogen concentration is naturally high
due to the impact of the nearby wetland that flows into
the lake, while the very low oxygen levels and anoxic
deep waters may limit the success of some fish
populations, reducing overall habitat quality.
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) is used as a secondary
indicator of excessive nutrient loading. The majority of
samples (71 percent) analyzed for TKN exceed RVCA's
guideline of 0.5 mg/l and average 0.6 mg/l (Fig. 19).
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Figure 18. Jebbs Creek total phosphorus concentrations
Figure 20. E. coli concentrations in Jebbs Creek.
This data shows that bacterial contamination does
occur in Jebbs Creek, although it is not a persistent
problem. Efforts should be made to reduce runoff that
may be contributing to excessive E. coli levels to
improve the overall health of the creek.
Metals
Of the metals routinely monitored in Jebbs Creek,
copper (Cu) is the only parameter that reported
concentrations above the PWQO Guideline of 0.005
mg/l. In elevated concentrations, Copper can have toxic
effects on aquatic species and be harmful to human
health.
Figure 19. Jebbs Creek total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations
The combination of available phosphorus and abundant
nitrogen increases the potential for excessive aquatic
vegetation growth and algal blooms. This may deplete
in-stream oxygen levels that can result in harmful
impacts to aquatic life in the creek.
The majority of copper samples are well below the
guideline, with an average concentration of 0.003 mg/l
(75th percentile 0.003mg/l); only two samples exceed
the PWQO (Fig. 21).
This would suggest that metal pollution is not a
significant problem in Jebbs Creek, although caution
Given the potential for high TKN concentrations, it is
important that best management practices be applied to
reduce overall contributions to Jebbs Creek.
E. coli
E. coli is used as an indicator of bacterial pollution from
human or animal waste, in elevated concentrations it
can pose a risk to human health.
Eighty-one percent of samples (Fig. 20) analyzed are
below the PWQO of 100 colony forming units/100
milliliters (CFU/100ml). The average count is well below
the guideline of 35 CFU/100ml (geomean 64
CFU/100ml).
Figure 21. Copper concentration in Jebbs Creek
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should be taken to ensure that contaminated runoff to
the creek is minimized.
number of benthic invertebrate families found within a
sample.
Benthic Invertebrates
Using Family Richness as an indicator, Jebbs Creek is
reported to have “Fair” water quality (Fig. 23).
Freshwater benthic invertebrates are animals without
backbones that live on the stream bottom and include
crustaceans such as crayfish, molluscs and immature
forms of aquatic insects. Benthos represent an
extremely diverse group of aquatic animals and exhibit
wide ranges of responses to stressors such as organic
pollutants, sediments and toxicants, which allows
scientists to use them as bioindicators.
As part of the Ontario Benthic Biomonitoring Network
(OBBN), the RVCA has been collecting benthic
invertebrates at one location on Jebbs Creek since
2003 and three locations in Otty Lake since 2004.
Monitoring data is analyzed and the results are
presented using the Family Biotic Index, Family
Richness and percent Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and
Trichoptera.
The Hilsenhoff Family Biotic Index (FBI) is an indicator
of organic and nutrient pollution and provides an
estimate of water quality for each site using established
pollution tolerance values for benthic invertebrates.
FBI results for Jebbs Creek show that it has “Poor” to
“Fair” water quality for the period from 2005 to 2010
(Fig. 22) and scores an overall “Poor” surface water
quality rating using a grading scheme developed by
Conservation Authorities in Ontario for benthic
invertebrates.
Figure 22. Surface water quality conditions in Jebbs Creek
based on the Family Biotic Index
Family Richness measures the health of the community
through its diversity and increases with increasing
habitat diversity suitability and healthy water quality
conditions . Family Richness is equivalent to the total
Figure 23. Surface water quality conditions in Jebbs Creek
based on Family Richness
Ephemeroptera (Mayflies), Plecoptera (Stoneflies), and
Trichoptera (Caddisflies) are species considered to be
very sensitive to poor water quality conditions. Their
presence is an indicator of good water quality with
higher populations of these organisms in a sample
typically indicating improved conditions at the site.
With the EPT indicator, Jebbs Creek is reported to have
water quality ranging from “Poor” to “Good” (Fig. 24)
from 2005 to 2010.
Figure 24. Surface water quality conditions in Jebbs Creek using
the EPT Index
Overall Jebbs Creek has a water quality rating of “Poor”
from 2005 to 2010.
JEBBS CREEK RIPARIAN ZONE CONDITIONS
2) a. Overbank Zone
Riparian Buffer along Jebbs Creek, Otty Lake and
other Catchment Lakes and Tributaries
minimum 30 metre wide vegetated buffer along at least
75 percent of the length of both sides of rivers, creeks
and streams. Results from the RVCA’s Macrostream
Survey Program are used to show (Fig. 26) that over
100 percent of the left bank and 97 percent of the right
bank of Jebbs Creek (excluding its tributaries) has a
buffer width greater than 30 metres.
Jebbs Creek Buffer Evaluation
100
Percentage (%)
Figure 25 shows the extent of the naturally vegetated
riparian zone in the catchment, 30 metres either side of
all waterbodies and watercourses. Results from the
RVCA’s Land Cover Classification Program show that
80 percent of streams, creeks and lakes are buffered
with woodland, wetland and grassland; the remaining
20 percent of the riparian buffer is occupied by
settlements and crop and pastureland.
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80
60
Left Bank
40
Right Bank
20
0
0‐5m
5‐15m 15‐30m >30m
Buffer Width (m)
Figure 26. Vegetated buffer width along Jebbs Creek
Land Use beside Jebbs Creek
The RVCA’s Macrostream Survey Program identifies five
different land uses beside Jebbs Creek (Fig. 27).
Surrounding land use is assessed from the beginning to
the end of each 100 metre long survey section and up
to 100 metres either side of the creek.
Figure 25. Catchment land cover in the riparian zone
Data from the RVCA’s Macrostream Survey Program
(Stream Characterization) is used in this section of the
report and is generated from an assessment of 38 (100
metre long) sections along Jebbs Creek.
Natural areas make up 96 percent of the lands beside
the creek and are comprised of wetland, forest, meadow
and scrubland. Residential land use at four percent is
the other main land use along Jebbs Creek.
Riparian Buffer along Jebbs Creek
The riparian or shoreline zone is that special area where
the land meets the water. Well-vegetated shorelines are
critically important in protecting water quality and creating
healthy aquatic habitats, lakes and rivers. Natural
shorelines intercept sediments and contaminants that
could impact water quality conditions and harm fish
habitat in streams. Well established buffers protect the
banks against erosion, improve habitat for fish by shading
and cooling the water and provide protection for birds
and other wildlife that feed and rear young near water. A
recommended target (from Environment Canada’s
Guideline: How Much Habitat is Enough?) is to maintain a
Figure 27. Land use alongside Jebbs Creek
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2) b. Shoreline Zone
Erosion
Erosion is a normal, important stream process and may
not affect actual bank stability; however, excessive
erosion and deposition of sediment within a stream can
have a detrimental effect on important fish and wildlife
habitat. Bank stability indicates how much soil has
eroded from the bank into the stream. Poor bank stability
can greatly contribute to the amount of sediment carried
in a waterbody as well as loss of bank vegetation due to
bank failure, resulting in trees falling into the stream and
the potential to impact instream migration. Figure 28
shows the bank stability of the left and right banks along
Jebbs Creek.
Figure 29. Undercut streambank along Jebbs Creek
Figure 28. Erosion along Jebbs Creek
Streambank Undercutting
Undercut banks are a normal and natural part of stream
function and can provide excellent refuge areas for fish.
Figure 29 shows that Jebbs Creek has only a few areas
of extensive bank undercuts at the outlet from Otty Lake.
Stream Shading
Grasses, shrubs and trees all contribute towards shading
a stream. Shade is important in moderating stream
temperature, contributing to food supply and helping with
nutrient reduction within a stream. Figure 30 shows
stream shading along Jebbs Creek.
Human Alterations
Figure 31 shows 81 percent of Jebbs Creek remains
“unaltered.” Sections considered “natural” with some
Figure 30. Stream shading along Jebbs Creek
human changes account for 16 percent of sections, with
the remaining three percent of sections sampled being
considered “altered” (e.g., road crossings and areas
with little or no buffer).
Overhanging Trees and Branches
Figure 32 shows that the majority of Jebbs Creek has
little to no instream woody debris and few overhanging
trees and branches. Overhanging trees and branches
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Figure 31. Alterations to Jebbs Creek
Figure 33. Instream woody debris for Jebbs Creek
Figure 32. Overhanging woody debris along Jebbs Creek
provide a food source, nutrients and shade. This is due
largely to riverine wetland habitat along the system.
Instream Woody Debris
Figure 33 shows that the majority of Jebbs Creek has
low to moderate levels of instream woody debris in the
form of branches and trees. Instream woody debris is
important for fish and benthic habitat, by providing
refuge and feeding areas.
2) c. Instream Aquatic Habitat
Habitat Complexity
Streams are naturally meandering systems and move
over time, there are varying degrees of habitat
Figure 34. Instream habitat complexity in Jebbs Creek
complexity, depending on the creek. A high percentage
of habitat complexity (heterogeneity) typically increases
biodiversity of aquatic organisms within a system.
Ninety-seven percent of Jebbs Creek is considered
heterogeneous, as shown in Figure 34.
Instream Substrate
Diverse substrate is important for fish and benthic
invertebrates habitat because some species have
specific substrate requirements and for example will
only reproduce on certain types of substrate. Figure 35
indicates that a wide variety of substrate is found in
Jebbs Creek.
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in the creek increases. Pools also provide important
over wintering areas for fish. Runs are usually
moderately shallow, with unagitated surfaces of water
and areas where the thalweg (deepest part of the
channel) is in the center of the channel.
Figure 35. Instream substrate in Jebbs Creek
Figure 36. Instream cobble and boulder habitat along Jebbs
Creek
Figure 37 shows that Jebbs Creek is fairly uniform,
consisting mainly of runs at 99 percent and riffles at
one percent.
Macrostream survey of Jebbs Creek in the 100 metre section
extending upstream from its outlet to the Tay River through the
Perth Wildlife Reserve
Boulders create instream cover and back eddies for
large fish to hide and/or rest out of the current. Cobble
provides important over wintering and/or spawning
habitat for small or juvenile fish. Cobble can also provide
habitat conditions for benthic invertebrates that are a key
food source for many fish and wildlife species. Figure 36
shows where cobble and boulder substrate is found in
Jebbs Creek.
Instream Morphology
Pools and riffles are important features for fish habitat.
Riffles are areas of agitated water and they contribute
higher dissolved oxygen to the stream and act as
spawning substrate for some species of fish, such as
walleye.
Pools provide shelter for fish and can be refuge pools in
the summer if water levels drop and water temperature
Figure 37. Instream morphology in Jebbs Creek
Types of Instream Vegetation
The majority of Jebbs Creek has a healthy diversity of
instream vegetation as seen in Figure 38.
Page 14
Riparian Restoration
Figure 40 depicts the locations where various riparian
restoration activities can be implemented as a result of
observations made during the stream survey
assessments.
Figure 38. Instream vegetation types in Jebbs Creek
Twenty-four percent of the sections have algae in the
channel. Free-floating (at nine percent) and floating
vegetation account for 22 percent of sections. Another
twenty-one percent of sections surveyed consist of
submergent vegetation. Broad-leaved emergents
make up ten percent, narrow-leaved emergents seven
percent and robust emergents make up the remaining
seven percent.
Amount of Instream Vegetation
Instream vegetation is an important factor for a healthy
stream ecosystem. Vegetation helps to remove
contaminants from the water, contributes oxygen to the
stream, and provides habitat for fish and wildlife. Too
much vegetation can also be detrimental. Figure 39
demonstrates that Jebbs Creek has a healthy level of
instream vegetation for most of its length. One hundred
percent of the stream is considered to have common and
normal levels of instream vegetation.
Figure 40. Riparian restoration opportunities for Jebbs Creek
Invasive Species
Invasive species can have major implications on streams
and species diversity. Invasive species are one of the
largest threats to ecosystems throughout Ontario and
can outcompete native species, having negative effects
on local wildlife, fish and plant populations. One hundred
percent of the sections surveyed along Jebbs Creek
have invasive species (Fig. 41). The species observed
include European frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae),
purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and banded
mystery snail (Viviparus georgianus).
Thermal Classification
Temperature is an important parameter in streams as it
influences many aspects of physical, chemical and
biological health. Many factors can influence
fluctuations in stream temperature, including springs,
tributaries, precipitation runoff, discharge pipes and
stream shading from riparian vegetation. Three
temperature dataloggers were deployed in Jebbs Creek
from April to late September 2010 (Fig. 42) to give a
representative sample of how water temperature
fluctuates. Water temperature is used along with the
Figure 39. Vegetation abundance in Jebbs Creek
Page 15
maximum air temperature (using the Stoneman and
Jones method) to classify a watercourse as either
warmwater, coolwater or cold water. Analysis of the data
collected indicates that Jebbs Creek is a warmwater
system with cool water reaches.
Figure 43. Fish species observed along Jebbs Creek
Otty Lake spawning and nursery sites along with
sampling locations shown in Figure 44.
Figure 41. Invasive species along Jebbs Creek
Figure 44. Identified spawning and nursery locations in Otty lake
as reported in the Tay River Fish Habitat and Opportunities for
enhancement report
Figure 42. Temperature dataloggers along Jebbs Creek
Fish Sampling
Fish sampling sites located along Jebbs Creek between
Otty Lake and the Tay Marsh are shown in Figure 43.
Corresponding provincial fish codes shown on the two
preceding maps are listed (in Table 3) beside the
common name of those fish species identified in Jebbs
Creek and Otty Lake.
Page 16
Table 3. Fish species observed in Jebbs Creek and Otty
Lake
BaKil banded
killifish
Blueg bluegill
BnMin bluntnose
minnow
BrSti brook
stickleback
BrBul brown
bullhead
Burbo burbot
CeMud central mud
minnow
CoShi common
shiner
CrChu creek chub
Fallf fallfish
GoShi golden
shiner
EthSp darter spp.
LmBas largemouth
bass
NoPik northern
pike
Pumpk pumpkin
seed
RoBas rock
bass
SmBas smallmouth
bass
WhSuc white
sucker
YeBul yellow
bullhead
Fyke net used to collect fish on Jebbs Creek

pH is a measure of relative acidity or alkalinity,
ranging from 1 (most acidic) to 14 (most alkaline/
basic), with 7 occupying a neutral point.
Table 4. 2010 Water chemistry collected along Jebbs Creek
Month
Range
DO
DO
May 10
low
high
low
high
low
high
low
high
2.6
10.6
-
33
126
-
June 10
July 10
August 10
Conductivity
(µs/cm)
211
234
-
A YSI probe is used to collect water chemistry and 2010
data is summarized in Table 4for the following three
parameters:
Dissolved Oxygen is a measure of the amount of
oxygen dissolved in water. The lowest acceptable
concentration of dissolved oxygen is 6.0 mg/L for
early stages of warmwater fish and 9.5 mg/L for cold
water fish (CCME, 1999). A saturation value
(concentration of oxygen in water) of 90% or above is
considered healthy

Conductivity is the ability of a substance to transfer
electricity. This measure is influenced by the presence
of dissolved salts and other ions in the stream
7.1
8.5
-
Remnant's of an old foot bridge in the Perth Wildlife Reserve
along Jebbs Creek
Water Chemistry

pH
An active beaver lodge along Jebbs Creek in 2010
LAND COVER
3) Land Cover
Woodland is the dominant land cover type in the
catchment as shown in Table 5 and as displayed in the
land cover map on the report cover.
Page 17
that is considered to be the minimum threshold for
supporting edge intolerant bird species and other
forest dwelling species in the landscape.
Table 5. Catchment land cover types
Cover Type
Area (ha)
Area (% of Cover)
Woodland
2250
43
Wetland
1024
19
Water
748
14
Crop & Pasture
644
12
Settlement
291
6
Grassland
254
5
Roads
63
1
Woodland Cover
The Otty Lake-Jebbs Creek catchment contains 2250
hectares of woodland (Fig.45) that occupies 43
percent of the drainage area. When combined with
treed wetlands (treed swamps), wooded areas cover
2285 hectares. This figure is greater than the 30
percent of woodland area required to sustain forest
birds, according to Environment Canada’s Guideline:
“How much habitat is enough?” When forest cover
declines below 30 percent, forest birds tend to
disappear as breeders across the landscape.
One hundred and five (49%) of the 213 woodland
patches in the catchment are very small, being less
than one hectare in size. Another 95 (45%) of the
wooded patches ranging from one to less than 20
hectares in size tend to be dominated by edge-tolerant
bird species. The remaining 13 (6%) of woodland
patches range between 21 and 1154 hectares. Eleven
of these patches contain woodland between 20 and
100 hectares and may support a few area-sensitive
species and some edge intolerant species, but will be
dominated by edge tolerant species.
Figure 45. Catchment woodland cover and forest interior
Most patches (81) have less than 10 hectares of interior
forest, 51 of which have small areas of interior forest
habitat less than one hectare in size. Conversely, three
patches have greater than 30 hectares of interior forest
(at 31, 33 and 36 hectares respectively).
Conversely, two (1%) of the 213 woodland patches in
the drainage area exceed the 100 plus hectare size
needed to support most forest dependent, area
sensitive birds. One of these woodlands (from 100 to
200 ha.) is large enough to support approximately 60
percent of edge-intolerant species. The other patch
tops 200 hectares, which according to the Environment
Canada Guideline will support 80 percent of edgeintolerant forest bird species (including most area
sensitive species) that prefer interior forest habitat.
Forest Interior
The same 213 woodlands contain 86 forest interior
patches (Fig.45) that occupy five percent (244 ha.) of
the catchment land area. This is below the ten percent
figure referred to in the Environment Canada Guideline
Figure 46. Pre-settlement and current wetland cover
STEWARDSHIP AND PROTECTION
4) Stewardship and Protection
The RVCA and its partners are working to protect and
enhance environmental conditions in the Tay River
Subwatershed.
Rural Clean Water Projects
Figure 47 shows the location of all Rural Clean Water
Projects in the Otty Lake-Jebbs Creek drainage area.
From 2005 to 2010, landowners completed 17 projects
including 8 septic system repairs/replacements, 4 well
upgrades, 3 education initiatives, 1 well upgrade and 1
well decommissioning. The total project cost is
$116,179 with $22,355 of that amount funded by grant
dollars received from the RVCA.
Figure 47. RVCA stewardship program project locations
Prior to 2005, the RVCA completed 7 projects in the
area consisting of 4 well upgrades, 1 livestock fencing
project, 1 manure storage project and 1 milkhouse
waste water treatment facility. Total project cost is
$72,593 with RVCA grant dollars contributing $24,858
towards that amount.
Tree Planting & Shoreline Naturalization Projects
The location of all tree planting and shoreline projects
is also shown in Figure 47. From 2005 to 2010, 300
trees were planted at 1 project site through the RVCA
Tree Planting Program. Total project value is $538
with fundraised dollars contributing $112 of that
amount.
Before that, from 1984 to 2004, landowners helped to
plant 12,110 trees at 5 project sites on 6 hectares of
Page 18
private land valued at $22,793; fundraising dollars
account for $10,106 of that amount.
The Otty Lake Association partnered with the RVCA’s
Shoreline Naturalization Program in 2009 and 2010 to
provide 1020 native tree and shrub seedlings at no
cost to shoreline residents around the lake. Total
project value of this partnered effort is $1968.
Valley, Stream, Wetland and Hazard Lands within the
Regulation Limit
Three square kilometres or 5 percent of the catchment
drainage area is within the regulation limit of Ontario
Regulation 174/06 (Fig. 48), giving protection to wetland
areas and river or stream valleys that are affected by
flooding and erosion hazards.
Figure 48. RVCA regulation limits
Natural features within the regulation limit include 1.6 sq.
km. of wetlands (representing 16 percent of all wetlands
in the catchment) and 1.9 kilometers of streams
(representing 2 percent of all streams in the catchment).
A few of these regulated watercourses (1.0 km or 1
percent of streams) flow through regulated wetlands.
Regulation limits mapping has been plotted along 0.9 km
(or 1 percent) of the streams that are outside of
wetlands. Plotting of the regulation limit on the remaining
85.2 km (or 98 percent) of streams requires identification
of flood and erosion hazards and valley systems.
Within the regulation limit, “development” and “site
alteration” require RVCA permission. The “alteration to
waterways” provision of Ontario Regulation 174/06
applies to all watercourses.
ISSUES
Page 19
Developed by the Otty Lake community and its partners, the Report on the State of Otty Lake and its Watershed
(2007) and the Otty Lake Management Plan (2008) outline issues and concerns identified by the lake community and
their community partners. The following list includes many of those identified issues that have implications for the
water and land resources of the lake ecosystem. Refer to these documents as well as the Tay River Watershed
Management Plan (2002) for a more extensive list of Otty Lake catchment issues and actions.
5)
Issues

Water quality is ranked as the number one concern of Otty Lake Management Planning process survey, workshop
and community meeting participants

The potential impact of both surface water runoff and leachate migration from the Town of Perth’s landfill site may
also be a water quality issue.

Nutrient loading, bacterial contamination and water clarity are identified as specific concerns along with an
increase in aquatic vegetation growth that was felt to interfere with recreation activities and impair the aesthetics of
Otty Lake

An effective septic re-inspection program for all Otty Lake shoreline properties was identified as an important tool
in identifying poorly functioning septic systems and protecting lake water quality

There are recognized threats to fish and wildlife including the loss of habitat through development and
redevelopment, the removal of natural shoreline vegetation, decreased water quality, as well as over-harvesting
and poaching but there was little recently collected scientific data about the conditions of fish and wildlife in the
watershed

Water levels in Otty Lake fluctuate from season to season. More information is needed to understand the factors
involved i.e. precipitation, air temperatures and obstruction to water outflow

There is a lack of historical stream/flow records

There is little groundwater information available. Most properties in the area have thin soil cover and the
groundwater is more susceptible to contamination from activities on the surface

There is a need to understand the implications of invasive species on the ecosystem of the lake. Zebra mussels
were first identified in the lake in 2002 and Eurasian Water Milfoil is also a concern

Re-development is occurring on small lots through cottage conversions to larger permanent residences. The
Conservation Authority and other approval authorities often encountered resistance when they attempt to bring redevelopment into closer conformity with current standards for development setbacks and protection of vegetated
shorelines

Monitoring and enforcement of implementation of conditions of development approval to achieve net
environmental gains (particularly with respect to shoreline protection, its rehabilitation and vegetation
enhancement) is challenging due to lack of resources

Effective shoreline development regulations are needed in Tay Valley Township and Drummond/North Elmsley
Township to help maintain natural shorelines

Although the cumulative impact of human activities around the lake can cause deterioration in the quality of the
water, a reduction in the fish and wildlife and a decline in the overall quality of life in the watershed, many people
are not aware that their individual activities have the potential to harm the lake

The Otty Lake Association and Otty Lake property owners desire a constructive and participatory relationship with
all government and non-government groups and organizations in planning for the future of the Otty Lake
watershed
OPPORTUNITIES
Page 20
Since the March 2008 release of the Otty Lake Management Plan, work has been ongoing by the Otty Lake
Association, members of the Otty Lake community and community partners such as the Rideau Valley Conservation
Authority and Tay Valley and Drummond North Elmsley Townships to address the issues listed above (and others)
through the following actions to protect the water quality and natural environment of Otty Lake.
6)
Opportunities for Action

Tay Valley and Drummond/North Elmsley Townships are implementing mandatory septic inspections for all Otty
Lake shoreline properties

Tay Valley and Drummond/North Elmsley Townships, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) and Otty
Lake residents continue to work together to achieve a 30 metre setback for septic systems

Regular monitoring and reporting on surface water quality conditions in Otty Lake, McLaren Lake and Jebbs
Creek is ongoing by the Otty Lake Association and the RVCA

The Otty Lake Association and the RVCA continue to educate landowners about causes of excessive algae and
aquatic vegetation growth and the need to reduce total phosphorus inputs to Otty Lake through good stewardship
practices

The Otty Lake Association continues to promote an understanding of natural lake water level fluctuations

The Otty Lake Association is maintaining outlet stream flow records to begin to accumulate a historical record.

Awareness of threats to water quality (lake/surface water and groundwater) are promoted through education and
good stewardship practices

Education about making good stewardship decisions and opportunities for targeted shoreline restoration projects
continues using resources available from programs like the RVCA’s Shoreline Naturalization Program. The Otty
Lake Association participated in the RVCA Shoreline Naturalization Program in 2009 and 2010 and in 2012
undertook their own program to make it possible to offer 1 gallon rooted stock to all interested property owners. In
2013 the Otty Lake Association plans to again participate in the RVCA program

The Otty Lake Association has begun to plan for a repeat shoreline survey in 2013 which will provide each Otty
Lake property owner with information about their shoreline and recommendations for improvement as well as
providing an opportunity to assess the current state of the overall Otty Lake shoreline and its rate of change over
time

The 1:100 year flood elevation information is now available for Otty Lake and can be utilized as an additional
factor to be considered when assessing development setbacks

RVCA continues to manage beaver activity along Jebbs Creek flowing through its property at the Perth Wildlife
Reserve

Otty Lake Association research into which factors are contributing most to the growth of aquatic vegetation
continues by working with the universities, RVCA, and others

Two shoreline enhancement projects along Jebbs Creek and a fish habitat embayment at the Perth Wildlife
Reserve are planned by the RVCA using information gathered during Macro Stream Assessment work on Jebbs
Creek (as shown in Figure 40)

In 2013 the OLA will produce a 5 year review of the recommendations of the Otty Lake Management Plan to a)
recognize what has been accomplished; b) identify what still needs to be addressed and c) incorporate new
issues that now need to be included. This document will be circulated to members of the Otty Lake community
and to its community partners

Work with local groups to identify, rehabilitate, monitor and maintain fish spawning and nursery areas. Explore
opportunities to implement fish habitat improvement and other projects identified in the report titled "Fish Habitat
of the Tay River Watershed: Existing Conditions and Opportunities for Enhancement" (2002) prepared by MNR,
RVCA, Parks Canada, and DFO

OTTY LAKE - JEBBS CREEK CATCHMENT

Transcription

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