RECOMMENDATION
THAT
the staff report entitled “Duffins Creek and Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan”
dated November 18, 2003, be received;
AND THAT
the Town endorse in principle the Watershed Plan for Duffins Creek and
Carruthers Creek, recognizing further clarification is required with respect to
implementation mechanisms, funding arrangements, Provincial Technical
Guidelines for the Oak Ridges Moraine and emerging Provincial Source Protection
policies.
AND THAT
staff continue to work co-operatively with the Toronto and Region Conservation
Authority, the Region of York and other municipalities, agencies, residents and
stakeholders, as appropriate, to implement the Duffins Creek and Carruthers
Creek Watershed Plan within the Town of Markham.
AND FURTHER
THAT the staff work cooperatively with the Toronto and Region Conservation
Authority in developing an appropriate implementation body to oversee the
long-term implementation of the recommendations within the Watershed Plan.
PURPOSE
The
purpose of this report is to provide Council with a summary of the Watershed
Plan for Duffins Creek, to inform Council of the management recommendations,
implementation strategies and roles and responsibilities established for the
municipality with respect to the Duffins Creek and Carruthers Creek Watershed
Plan and to endorse, in principle, the Watershed Plan.
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
The Duffins Creek Watershed
extends into the Town of Markham at its eastern boundary and encompasses lands
on the Oak Ridges Moraine. The Federal
Government owns the majority of the lands (see ‘Federal and Provincial
Holdings’ map in Appendix ‘A’). The
Watershed Plan has identified eight goals, twenty-five objectives and
one-hundred and seventy–two actions to be achieved in the watershed and
recommends an approach for managing the Duffins and Carruthers Creek
watershed. The Watershed Plan responds
to the requirements of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, to the extent
feasible, given the Provincial technical requirements have not been
finalized. The Watershed Plan will also
need to be consistent with the forthcoming Provincial requirements for source
water protection. The document provides a strong basis for protection of the
watershed and offers an integrated management approach.
BACKGROUND
Duffins Creek encompasses a small portion of lands in eastern Markham
The Duffins Watershed
extends into Markham at its eastern boundary and is generally bounded by
Highway 7 in the South, the municipal boundary in the North and East, and
Reesor Road in the West. The affected
land in Markham encompasses approximately 3.1% of the Duffins Creek watershed
and is approximately 874 hectares in area.
These lands are predominantly federally and provincially owned. The lands in the north portion of the
watershed are within the Oak Ridges Moraine.
The lands within the Oak Ridges Moraine are owned by the Federal
Government and subject to the Federal Green Space Master Plan process. The Federal Government has indicated the
Duffins Creek and Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan has been considered as input
into their planning process.
TRCA commences Duffins Creek and Carruthers Creek Watershed Strategy
In spring of 1999, the
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) began developing a watershed
plan for the Duffins and Carruthers watershed as part of the continuing effort
under the 1989 Green Space Strategy to develop a watershed plan for each of the
nine watersheds in its jurisdiction.
The purpose of the watershed strategy is to provide an integrated,
customized management framework for natural systems protection, restoration,
environmental education, outdoor recreation and cultural and heritage planning
activities. Once completed, the
watershed strategy will assist in identifying features worth preserving, where
development may be appropriate, and best management practices for open space
and green space corridors.
Town of Markham supports the Duffins Watershed Strategy planning process
The Town of Markham
contributed $5,000 towards for the preparation of the Watershed Strategy. Council appointed Councillor Erin Shapero to
the Duffins Task Force. Regional
Councillor Tony Wong represented the Region of York. The TRCA created two task forces – Duffins and Carruthers consisting of elected municipal
representatives, watershed residents, and representatives from key stakeholder
groups and agencies. The Task Forces
also included representatives from the Aggregate Producers of Ontario, the golf
course industry, Urban Development Institute and members of the agricultural
community. These two task forces met separately to address site-specific issues
but prepared one Watershed Management Plan because many of the same
opportunities and challenges exist for both Duffins and Carruthers Creeks.
Duffins Creek and Carruthers Creek Watershed Plan endorsed by the Duffins
Task Force
Extensive consultation has
occurred throughout the development of the Watershed Plan, involving numerous
public open houses, working group sessions, site tours and meetings with
special interest groups and municipal staff.
In June 2003, the Task Force endorsed the Watershed Plan for the Duffins
Creek and Carruthers Creek, with the understanding that TRCA staff would
continue to work with municipal planning staff to fine-tune the wording of the
Plan and to continue discussion regarding implementation of the Watershed Plan.
THE WATERSHED PLAN
The Executive Summary for the Watershed
Plan for the Duffins Creek and Carruthers Creek is attached as Appendix ‘A’.
Duffins Watershed Plan identifies a
vision, goals and objectives
The purpose of the Watershed Plan is to
evaluate the potential effects of current and future watershed activities and
to identify management actions needed to mitigate the anticipated effects and
enhance the watershed. The Duffins and
Carruthers Creek Watershed Task Forces have defined a vision for the future of
the watersheds as places that are healthy, dynamic, sustainable and that
support clean, safe water. The vision
is supported by five key elements:
·
net gain;
·
environment first;
·
balanced land use;
·
human health and safety; and,
·
ownership commitment, and follow
through.
The Watershed Plan provides a framework
of management strategies, including eight watershed management goals,
twenty-five objectives and the required actions to fulfil the objectives. Some of the objectives include increasing
natural cover, maintaining water balance, minimizing in-stream sediment and
improving water quality. Environmental
indicators and targets for each objective are also recommended. The Watershed Plan also presents
implementation mechanisms and direction for establishing priorities at a
sub-watershed scale.
Duffins
Watershed Plan identifies specific management actions
The Watershed Plan identified 172
management actions required to fulfil the objectives. The management actions are grouped into the following common
areas:
- Protect existing meadows, wetlands, and
forests identified in the enhanced terrestrial natural heritage system and
secure lands to be restored.
- Actively restore areas within the enhanced
natural heritage system, which contribute multiple watershed benefits, and
allow passive restoration to occur in the remaining areas.
3.
Provide stormwater quantity and quality controls for new and
existing development, including transportation corridors.
4.
Manage land uses and water withdrawals to maintain or enhance
infiltration patterns, groundwater pathways, and resultant baseflows.
5.
Eliminate the remaining point source of pollution (i.e.
Stouffville Water Pollution Control Plant) and manage non-point sources of
pollution, in particular stormwater runoff and infiltration from urban land
uses, transportation corridors, and rural contributions.
6.
Enforce stringent erosion and sediment controls for
construction and infrastructure maintenance activities.
7.
Protect and restore natural streams and stream processes by
managing runoff and sediment loss at source, and protecting valley and stream
corridors, and naturalizing altered streams.
8.
Remove and/or mitigate human-built barriers to fish passage
and sediment transport, including on-line ponds, where recommended by the
Fisheries Management Plan.
9.
Maintain self-sustaining, resident/migratory fish and wildlife
populations as barometers of a healthy natural heritage system.
10.
Identify and raise awareness of past and
present human influences on the watersheds and the strong link between human
heritage, watershed recreation and human and environmental health.
Technical studies were prepared in
support of the Duffins Watershed Plan
The following technical studies in
support of the Watershed Plan were undertaken:
·
Surface Water Quality and Quantity;
·
Groundwater Quality and Quantity;
·
Aquatic Habitat and Species;
·
Terrestrial Habitat and Species;
·
Human Heritage; and,
·
Public Use – Outdoor Recreation.
COMMENT
Only
a small portion of the Duffins Creek watershed lies within the Town of
Markham. The portion that is contained
in Markham is not within the urban boundary.
Current land use in the Duffins watershed area in Markham is predominantly
agricultural. Furthermore, these lands
comprise a portion of the federally owned Airport Lands.
The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation
Plan (ORMCP) identifies the minimum standards that must be addressed in
watershed plans for headwaters on the Oak Ridges Moraine. Although, the Duffins and Carruthers
Watershed strategy planning process commenced prior to the Oak Ridges Moraine
legislation, the majority of the minimum standards outlined in the ORMCP have
been addressed in the final draft of the Watershed Plan. However, pending Provincial Technical
Guidelines may require additional information or recommend methodologies in
addition to those already addressed. The Watershed Plan will also need to
reflect Provincial requirements for source water protection, once finalized by
the Province. As such, Council should
endorse the Watershed Plan, in principle, to allow for any modifications that
may result from required provincial technical requirements.
The strategic directions endorsed by
Council arising from the Eastern Markham Strategic Review support the goal and
objectives for the Duffins Creek Watershed Plan (i.e. protection of rural
countryside in Eastern Markham) . The
Town will be undertaking a review of its environmental policies in the rural
area in 2004 and will consider the implementation strategies in the Watershed
Plan as input into the review process.
IMPLEMENTATION
The details of how
the proposed Watershed Plan will be implemented have not yet been
finalized. The Toronto and Region
Conservation Authority will be consulting with affected municipalities in the
fall 2003 to determine an appropriate model for the long-term implementation of
the Watershed Plan and any budget considerations. To ensure that the Town’s interests are considered, it is
recommended that the Town continue to work closely with the TRCA is developing
an appropriate model.
FINANCIAL
CONSIDERATIONS
The Town has already contributed $5,000 towards
the preparation of the Watershed Plan.
There has been no request for additional funding at this time.
ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSIDERATIONS
The Watershed Plan for the Duffins and
Carruthers Creek was developed as an action-oriented Watershed Plan with a
focus on partnership implementation.
Given the significant land holdings by the Provincial and Federal
governments, the Watershed Plan acknowledges innovative management
opportunities. The Watershed Plan
supports the Town’s emerging priorities for protection of the Town’s rural lands.
ENGAGE
21st CONSIDERATIONS
The Watershed Plan for Duffins Creek
and Carruther Creek aligns with the Environmental Focus goal of the Town’s
Engage 21st Markham Strategic Plan.
BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED
The
Engineering Department has participated in the watershed study process and
reviewed this report.
CONCLUSION
The Duffins Creek Task Force and the Toronto and Region
Conservation Authority are to be commended for the progress made in the
preparation of the Watershed Plan. The
document provides a strong basis for protection of the watershed and offers an
integrated management approach. Staff
recommend the Town endorsed the Watershed Plan for the Duffins Creek and
Carruthers Creek and continue to work cooperatively with the Toronto and Region
Conservation Authority in the implementation of the Watershed Plan.
ATTACHMENTS
Appendix A: Executive
Summary: Watershed Plan for Duffins Creek and Carruthers
File Path: Q:\Development\Planning\MISC\MI424\Dufffins-Carruthers Report
Nov 2003.doc
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Valerie Shuttleworth, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director of Planning and Urban Design
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Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Commissioner of Development Services
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