FYI June/July 2010 (also available as pdf file)

• Spreading Like Wildflowers & Aquatic Connections
• 2010 Water Monitoring Program
• Calling on the Avon
• St. Marys' Trout Creek Project
• Recommended Native Trees & Shrubs
• Busy Spring for Extension Services Staff
• On the Agenda

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Spreading Like Wildflowers & Aquatic Connections

Thanks to various funders, more native wildflower and grass projects will be completed in June.

The Embro Pond Community Association approached Bill Mackie with a request for the UTRCA to establish a wildflower plot at the entrance to the Embro Pond day use area. A funding application was approved by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (Woodstock branch) for the planting of 1400 plugs. Local students will do the planting and receive an educational lesson on the value of native plants.

An established native wildflower plot planted by local students.

Another 1400 plugs will be planted at Try Recycling’s EcoPark, off of Medway Road east of Clarke Road (north of London). The EcoPark is a rehabilitated aggregate site restored as a special park to provide an ecological experience for families in need. Nature and kids are the focus. The wildflowers are in addition to 175 trees and shrubs that were planted in April. Funding is from the Ministry of the Environment (MOE).

Five hundred plugs will be planted at the Sisters of St Joseph’s residence, to fill in voids in the wildflower plots established in 2008. The planting will be done by UTRCA staff and, possibly, the Friends of Stoney Creek. The preferred option is planting by local school children but, due to the nature of the plots, it is best not to involve too many people or the existing plants would be trampled. Funding is provided through the MOE.

A total of 700 plugs will be established in Hastings Park in the Stoney Creek watershed. The City of London is funding this project and local students will be adding on to existing plots from previous years.

Lastly, 100 wildflower plugs will accent A.J. Baker Public School’s outdoor classroom in Kintore. Funding has once again been approved by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (Woodstock/Ingersoll branch).

In the aquatic plant world, the UTRCA and developers Pat and Jane Elliott of Thorndale completed a site visit around the new storm water pond adjacent to West Nissouri Public School. The Elliotts are very keen to carry out a well designed planting of trees and shrubs around the pond, as well as getting aquatic plants established, as early as this spring. A tour of various projects in Woodstock around storm water ponds gave them a good idea of what projects look like when first established, and three and eight years later. We are looking forward to working with the Elliott’s on this exciting project in Thorndale.

Contact: , Resources Specialist

Right: Native aquatic plants take root.

2010 Water Monitoring Program

The UTRCA’s water monitoring programs are in full swing for 2010 with both routine stream monitoring and special projects starting up. Monitoring is conducted to assess the stream health and pollution levels in the 28 subwatersheds that make up the Upper Thames watershed.

Monitoring data is used to measure the effects of land use activities and conservation measures on streams, and helps to target new work. Data is reported through the UTRCA Watershed Report Cards and other project reports. The following is part of this year’s stream monitoring program.

Stream Water Quality

Through the Provincial Water Quality Monitoring Network, the UTRCA monitors 24 stream sites every month for water chemistry (such as nutrients and metals). Bacteria (E. coli) are monitored at these same locations through a partnership with local health units. This monitoring program has run for over 40 years and provides a good measure of long term pollutant levels.

Left: Taking water quality samples.

Fish Sampling

Fish sampling so far this year has been in support of two projects: the Thames River Anglers’ Steelhead (lake-run Rainbow Trout) tagging study, and the Springbank Dam radio telemetry study. Another 70 sites will be sampled as part of routine watershed monitoring, as well as specific projects that may include targeted subwatershed studies and a Brook Trout re-stocking project (based on project and funding approvals).

Benthic Invertebrates

Benthic invertebrates are excellent indictors of water and aquatic ecosystem quality. UTRCA benthic monitoring was done in late May and early June at about 60 sites. Included were those sites that contribute to the water quality scores in the Watershed Report Cards and a set of reference (least impacted) sites. Later in the year, the reference sites will be repeated, sites monitoring urban and rural development and remedial projects will be sampled, and baseline benthic data will be collected for watersheds targeted for remedial programs or additional study.

Groundwater

The UTRCA currently has 24 monitoring wells in the Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network. Monitoring of water levels is continuous throughout the year. The water levels data is being closely looked at for two pilot projects currently underway for the Ontario Low Water Response Program in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources. Starting in September, the wells will be sampled for water quality. The UTRCA has an additional 13 monitoring wells and two related surface water sites that are sampled three times per year for water quality. This program is in partnership with the City of London.

Temperature

The UTRCA acquired 20 continuous temperature meters from Ministry of the Environment (MOE) in 2008. This year, the meters will continue to be used throughout the watershed to assess stream temperature to identify cold, cool and warm water streams, as well as to measure the benefits of stream rehabilitation projects.

Pesticides

The UTRCA will continue to monitor pesticides as part of two studies to assess pesticide levels in streams: a province-wide MOE Urban Pesticide Study with a site in London, and a Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Agricultural Pesticide Study with five rural stream locations. Samples will be collected from June to October.

Sampling for pesticides.

Nutrient Management

The UTRCA recently renewed a contract with MOE to continue water quality and stream flow monitoring for an eight-year nutrient management study. The purpose of the project is to assess water quality in streams draining agricultural lands and to look for trends related to nutrient management and other land use practices. UTRCA monitors seven small agricultural watersheds for this study.

Reservoir Monitoring

UTRCA reservoirs are monitored to assess dissolved oxygen and temperature conditions, to help inform reservoir management decisions. Routine monitoring is conducted from June to September at Fanshawe, Wildwood, Pittock, Stratford and Mitchell reservoirs.

Monitoring stream flow for the nutrient management study.

Mussel Monitoring

Experts from Fisheries and Oceans Canada have plans to sample mussels in the Thames River watershed this summer. Plans involve sampling the Thames from Byron to Big Bend in either late June or August. UTRCA staff will assist with this monitoring to assess the current population of native mussels and the spread of the non-native invasive zebra mussel.

Contacts: , Water Quality Specialist; , Monitoring Technician; , Aquatic Biologist; , Aquatic Biology Technician

Calling on the Avon

2010 marked the 16th year the Upper Avon River Conservation Club has been planting trees on farmland upstream of Stratford. Following their motto of “neighbours helping neighbours,” the group worked together to plant over 700 trees on a section of land next to the Avon River, owned by Leonard and Linda Neeb.

Friends and neighbours began planting trees as a group in 1994 using the 1952 Avon Valley Plan as a planting guide. This year, students from Central Secondary School in Stratford helped with the tree planting activities.

Contact: , Conservation Services Specialist

Right: Tree planting along the Avon.

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St. Marys’ Trout Creek Project

A few years ago, a group of like-minded residents from Stratford formed a community group (AREA) to address water quality issues in Lake Victoria. Their main project was the creation of a new marsh area at the top end of the lake. The cattails transplanted last spring survived the winter and are actively growing. The hope is that they will fill out the area over time.

A similar project has been initiated on a section of Trout Creek in St. Marys. After filling a section of eroded area with stone and soil, aquatic vegetation was planted in an attempt to re-establish the old shoreline. The plants have done well and the shoreline now features an attractive variety of grasses and flowers. The project adds diversity to the area, as well as providing some water quality benefits.

Contact: , Conservation Services Specialist

Below: The Trout Creek planting site before (left) and after.

Recommended Native Trees & Shrubs

Many people want to plant locally native species, but often don’t know which species are endemic to the Upper Thames River watershed or where to obtain them. To assist community groups, consultants and landowners who want to use native woody species in their reforestation or naturalization projects, staff have compiled a recommended list of trees, shrubs, vines and woody groundcovers and posted it on our website.

The list contains 90 woody plant species, divided into trees, shrubs, vines and woody groundcovers. All species are native to the counties of Middlesex, Oxford and Perth (exceptions are noted) and are available at nurseries. A list of 13 southwestern Ontario nurseries that sell native plants is provided. Also, there are tables that indicate the light, soil moisture and soil type requirements of each species so the right plant can be grown in the right location.

Cathy Quinlan, Karen Pugh and Brenda Gallagher are now working on a recommended list of locally native wildflowers and grasses. This second list should be available on-line by the summer.

Click HERE to see the list of recommended native trees and shrubs.

Contact: , Terrestrial Biologist

A site visit to a farm with gully erosion problems.

Busy Spring for Extension Services Staff

The heavy rains we experienced last spring (2009), caused plenty of damage to farm fields. Throughout the fall and spring, Extension Services staff have been busy answering the call from concerned farmers as to what to do about fixing erosion problems on certain fields. Some fields experienced gully erosion not seen before.

Engineer Brad Glasman has spent many hours walking fields with landowners, surveying and designing structural erosion control systems that will help correct these problems and prevent further damage from occurring. Most of these projects can be cost shared through the local Clean Water Program funded by our local municipalities. Click HERE for more information on the Clean Water Program.

Contact: , Conservation Services Specialist

On the Agenda

The following items will be presented at the UTRCA Board of Directors meeting on June 22th, 2010. Click HERE for Board meeting minutes.

• Presentation – Cedar Creek Water Quality

• Fanshawe Pioneer Village Report

• Administration and Enforcement - Section 28 Report

• Tangible Capital Assets (TCA) Policies for Approval

• Pittock Dam Gate Painting Phase II - Tender and Contract Administration

• 2011 Budget Concepts

• Building Committee Update

• Joint Health and Safety Committee Meeting Minutes - April 2010

Contact: , Executive Assistant

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