Thames River Recovery Plan - Terms of Reference

• Overview of the Thames River Watershed

• Recovery Goal

• Recovery Objectives

• Partnership Involvement

The loss of species can have unforeseen consequences on our ecosystems. In Canada, as elsewhere in the world, species are becoming extinct at an alarming rate. The Thames River watershed hosts 15% of the species at risk in Canada and is particularly noted for its aquatic species (fish spp., mussel spp., and Spiny Softshell turtle). The Thames River, a Canadian Heritage River, has been identified as a priority for aquatic species at risk protection and recovery within Canada.

"The role of recovery is to find the causes, where possible, define solutions to reverse the decline in numbers or range, and implement cooperative and community-embracing actions to bring species back ‘from the brink’ to a sustainable and viable population level," (Draft Renew Recovery Operations Manual, 2001).

Overview of the Thames Watershed

The Thames River drains an area of 5825 sq km in southwestern Ontario that lies within the counties of Perth, Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin, Chatham-Kent and Essex. The drainage basin is 200 km in length originating northeast of London and flowing southwesterly into Lake St. Clair. The North Thames River begins north of Mitchell and flows through St. Marys. The Middle Thames River originates south of Tavistock and flows through Thamesford before joining the South Thames River between Woodstock and Dorchester. The North and South Thames Rivers meet in London at the Forks of the Thames. From this point the river flows parallel to Lake Erie towards Lake St. Clair, passing through Delaware, Wardsville, Thamesville and Chatham as well as the Chippewa, Oneida, Munsee-Delaware and Moravian First Nation Communities. The Thames joins Lake St. Clair at Lighthouse Cove.

The Thames River was one of the first rivers formed following the retreat of the last glacier in Ontario. The upper reaches of the Thames still flow through the ancient spillways. The lower river flows through flat plains of clay and sand, the result of thousands of years under glacial lakes. The channel has a sinuous form with both straight and meandering sections.

The majority of the Thames lies within the Carolinian Life Zone, which is one of the most biologically diverse regions in Canada, with 2200 species of vascular plants. The Thames watershed includes the only three locations of the Wood Poppy in Canada. It is also home to a diversity of aquatic species such as rare mussels, fish and the Spiny Softshell turtle and Queen Snake.

The watershed has seen vast change as a result of urban, agricultural and industrial growth. The human population within the watershed is 532,000 (1995 data). While the watershed is mainly rural, it includes the larger urban centres of London, Chatham, Woodstock, Stratford, and Tilbury. The industrial sector within the watershed is based around automotive assembly and supply, aggregate extraction for the construction industry, and agricultural based industries.

Recovery Goal

To stabilize and enhance species at risk populations within the Thames River ecosystem, and to reduce or eliminate the threats to these species and their associated habitats, so that their long-term survival in the natural environment is ensured, using an ecosystem management-based approach.

Recovery Objectives

1. To support and expand the broad-based monitoring program that assesses the physical, chemical and biological attributes in the Thames watershed;

2. To expand research of species of risk in the Thames river watershed in order to better identify recovery and survival habitats and potential impacts of species recovery on ecosystem integrity;

3. To protect species at risk critical habitat and species at risk populations through policy and management;

4. To enhance or restore water quality and aquatic habitat by reducing siltation, nutrient loadings and toxic contamination and reducing impacts of altered water flow;

5. To work in cooperation with the stakeholders, agencies, First nations and private landowners of the Thames River watershed in an ecosystem based approach to species at risk recovery;

6. To promote appreciation and understanding of species at risk in the Thames River watershed through a broad based communication and education plan in order to reduce human threats and foster stewardship.

TOP