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Muskoka
Watershed Council
Wetland Articles
By Jan McDonnell
The Muskoka Watersheds
Report Card gave wetland protection in Muskoka a grade of C: not
very good given the importance of wetlands to the protection of
water quality, reduction in stormwater impact, provision of habitat,
and the recreational and educational values they provide.
Wetlands are the kidneys of the watershed and clean the water
before it reaches our lakes.
There are thousands of
acres of wetlands across Muskoka, yet only 30 have been evaluated
and provided extra protection from development under the Provincial
Policy statement.
Currently, there is no program to identify any additional
significant wetlands.
Humans have a love-hate
relationship with wetlands.
On the one hand, they have been viewed as annoying soggy
areas that impede the use of land and generate mosquitoes.
On the other hand, they clean our water, provide recreational
enjoyment and are one of the most significant habitats for wildlife
on the planet.
All wetlands are comprised
of both permanent water which may be in the form of shallow standing
water or water just below the surface, and plants which are adapted
to grow in these conditions.
Wetlands range in size
from really huge complexes to ones that are so small you could jump
across them. In the case
of wetlands, size does matter since large wetlands provide
proportionally more benefits both for people and wildlife.
Larger wetlands exhibit greater biodiversity. However, even
tiny wetlands provide valuable benefits to humans and critical
habitat for wildlife.
Wetlands provide water
conservation benefits by storing water and reducing the amount lost
to evaporation. They can
improve water quality because they act as a filter, removing
sediment and excess nutrients from flowing water.
They can reduce flood damage because they can hold back or
slow down peak flows when water levels are high.
Flood damage in Muskoka would have been a lot higher this
spring without the storage capacity of our wetlands.
Wetland systems along
meandering creek and river systems are particularly beneficial in
this regard. Wetland
vegetation along shorelines of lakes or rivers can reduce erosion by
protecting the banks from wave action and quickly running water.
These days, with so much
discussion and concern around water quality, there is a heightened
awareness of the value of wetlands moving water between the water
table and surface water.
The movement of water from the surface down into the underlying soil
is called recharge, and the movement of water upwards from the
ground to the surface is called discharge. Some wetlands act as
recharge wetlands in the spring and discharge wetlands in the summer
and fall.
Groundwater, fed by
wetlands, provides important sources of water for aquifers, used by
many rural residents for drinking water.
Recharge areas support springs located beyond the boundary of
the wetland. Springs and
seepage areas often support rare species including plants.
It is amazing how many
different wildlife species in Muskoka use wetlands to satisfy some
or all of their life requirements.
Animals like frogs, turtles, muskrats and beavers are pretty
well dependent exclusively on wetlands.
But others, such as moose, deer and even loons use wetlands
for some parts of their life cycle.
Moose, for example, love
to feed in wetlands in the late spring and early summer.
Anyone who has traveled through Algonquin Park at this time
will have seen moose standing belly-deep in a pond happily feeding
on water lilies and submerged aquatic vegetation.
Deer are well-known to
spend time in the summer in wetlands, enjoying the lush vegetation
for food and as a relatively cool protected place to hang out.
Loons typically feed on fish which began their lives in
wetlands and they often choose to build their nests on the outer
edge of wetlands on lakes.
Even the biting insects
that plague us have an important connection to wetlands.
Many varieties of mosquitoes and deer flies breed in open
water wetlands. We
humans find them a nuisance, but their larvae are food for other
aquatic organisms and when they become flying insects, they are food
for others such as dragonflies, bats, swallows and several species
of songbirds that eat their weight in flying insects each day.
Several of the species at
risk which live in Muskoka are wetland dependent.
Two turtle species, the Spotted turtle and the Blanding’s
turtle, live most of their lives in wetlands.
An at-risk snake, the Eastern massasauga rattlesnake, is an
upland animal which spends quite a bit of its time searching for its
preferred food (mice) in wetlands and they choose certain kinds of
wetlands to hibernate in as well.
In Muskoka, several provincially and nationally rare plants
are only found in wetlands.
A discussion of wetland
benefits wouldn’t be complete without talking about the human
recreation benefits.
They are very popular places for bird-watching, hiking, hunting,
trapping and photography.
The opportunities for nature studies and just plain mucking
around abound! And can
any child resist the opportunity to get thoroughly dirty when there
is a wetland to be investigated, frogs to be caught and soakers to
be had? Probably not!
Wetland
Evaluation – How do our wetlands score?
By Kelly Eggers
Are you happy with a grade
of C? That is what the
Muskoka Watersheds Report Card gave wetland protection.
In Muskoka, where we pride ourselves on our pristine lakes
and natural areas, I think we need to take a serious look at how we
identify and protect these important areas.
Wetlands are the kidneys of the watershed and clean our water
before it reaches our lakes.
There are thousands of
acres of wetlands across Muskoka yet only 30 have been evaluated and
provided extra protection from development under the Provincial
Policy Statement.
Currently there is no program to identify any additional significant
wetlands.
The Ontario Wetland
Evaluation System, created by the Ontario Ministry of Natural
Resources (MNR), sets out what things to evaluate in a wetland, and
how many points they score.
There are two evaluation systems, one for southern
Provincially significant
wetlands receive special protection under the Provincial Policy
Statement, a statement issued under the
Planning Act, which states
that development and site alteration are not permitted in a
provincially significant wetland unless it is shown that there will
be no negative impacts on the natural features or their ecological
functions.
If all or part of a
property has been evaluated as a provincially significant wetland
there may be limits to the development that can occur on that
property, but on the other hand, the property owner may also qualify
for a tax break through the Conservation Land Tax Incentive Program
(CLTIP) if
they agree to keep the wetland in its natural state
and don’t do things that would result in the
loss of the natural values of the wetland.
Municipalities also apply
protection to wetlands through local planning.
The District Municipality of Muskoka Official Plan states
that protecting and preserving wetland areas shall be considered
when reviewing development proposals.
Limited development may be permitted in wetlands only if the
development is compatible with the wetland, the suitability of the
lot for development is confirmed with a site specific evaluation,
and the integrity of the wetland can be preserved.
So how do you evaluate a
wetland? After studying maps
and air photos, you head out to the wetland with field guides and
compasses. A hike down a trail quickly turns into a squishy
walk on a floating peat mat soaked with water like a giant sponge.
A quiet paddle in a canoe becomes a wildlife sightseeing adventure.
A friendly chat with a neighbour turns into a list of things he’s
seen out the kitchen window or through his binoculars. All of
this in search of information that can be used to assign points and
give a wetland a score.
To do a wetland
evaluation, information is gathered from maps, air photographs,
people with local knowledge, and by going out into the wetland to
observe and learn about the biology, hydrology, social values and
special features of the area.
The biology of wetlands
includes such factors as identifying the type of wetland (bog,
swamp, marsh or fen); the size, vegetation communities,
productivity, soil type, biodiversity, and whether it’s connected to
a lake or river.
The hydrology of wetlands
includes such factors as the ability of a wetland to hold back water
to reduce floods downstream, downstream water quality improvement
and recharge areas.
Social values include such
factors as harvestable resources like bait fish, timber, and
cranberries, as well as its recreational values like hunting,
research or hikes to learn about the wetland.
Special features include
such factors as endangered or rare species, and special habitat for
fish and wildlife like fish spawning grounds or moose feeding areas.
Once all the required
information is gathered it can be scored for importance.
Points are given in order to
be able to compare the value of one wetland over another and to
quantify the wetland value for both people and wildlife.
If the wetland receives
over 600 of a possible 1000 points, or more than 200 points in
either the Biology or Special Features categories, then the wetland
is considered to be provincially significant and provided special
protection under the Provincial Policy Statement.
However, all wetlands have
hydrologic, biologic, ecologic, and social value whether or not they
are determined to be provincially significant.
Protection of these small wetlands is often more difficult
but just as important on a local or regional basis.
In Muskoka, 11% of our
watershed is covered in wetlands, but very few of them have been
evaluated. Wetland
evaluations take a lot time and resources.
This creates a ‘catch 22’. While
evaluations are a good investment in the knowledge of our natural
heritage, it can be difficult to justify spending resources on
undertaking an evaluation without a specific development threat.
However, once the development is proposed, it is often too
late to undertake an evaluation and protect the wetland.
We are fortunate in Muskoka to still benefit from large wetland
areas and continue to enjoy the benefits and ecological services
they provide, free of charge.
The Muskoka Watersheds Report Card asked:
How Can we Improve our
Watershed Grades?
As we face unprecedented challenges in protecting the health
of Muskoka’s environment one action we can take to improve our
watershed grades is to encourage governments and local nature
organizations to evaluate key wetlands.
For more information on wetlands visit the Muskoka Watershed Council
website at
www.muskokaheritage.org/watershed.
Wetlands: what do we do
with them?
By Rick Wright
In our previous two wetland articles, we talked about
the significance of wetlands and how they are evaluated.
In this article we deal with what to do with a wetland if you
find yourself in possession of one.
Perhaps you now own a swamp as part of the property you
bought. Many people
would see this as wasted space that could be improved upon.
However, a ‘do nothing’
approach to wetlands is more appropriate.
If we disturb or change an existing wetland ecosystem, we are
diminishing it. First, a
few things we shouldn’t do with wetlands.
Don’t allow all-terrain vehicles or “quads” to travel
through your wetland.
Recreational vehicles are one of the prime causes of environmental
damage today. Ruts
caused by tires can lead to erosion and plant damage that may take
years to heal. ATV’s can
be great fun, and allow some users to get out into a natural
environment that might otherwise be inaccessible, but please stay on
the trails and out of wetlands.
If you are considering building anything in a wetland,
you may want to think again.
A foundation built in a wetland will likely be permanently
wet. Your site might
also be subject to seasonal flooding (consider New Orleans!), and if
the wetland is “Provincially Significant” there are limitations
under the Planning Act as to what you can build and do with a
wetland.
If you are building near a wetland, it is important to
prevent erosion from occurring on slopes and silt from entering your
wetland. Protect undisturbed areas from siltation with vertical silt
fences, straw bales or coir logs in watercourses, and proper erosion
control in filled areas.
Preserve existing vegetation and the natural contours of the land as
much as possible and disturb the earth as little as possible.
Avoid putting any invasive or non-native species into
your wetland, including leftover bait from fishing excursions.
Don’t dump goldfish, turtles or other aquarium species into
your wetland. The same
goes for your garden plants.
These non-native species can change your wetland forever,
affecting the food and habitat available for native plants and
animals. Purple loosestrife
is a prime example of an invasive species that has caused
significant changes in Ontario’s wetlands.
Often, people want to “clean up” natural areas.
One thing I like to remember is that nature never wastes
anything. Every tree,
branch, leaf, and every bit of organic or animal material will be
recycled into new plants and animals in time.
Brush piles provide cover for
reptiles and mammals, fallen trees provide cavities for nesting
birds and waterfowl, and standing snags provide food for
woodpeckers.
Another issue to consider is that wetlands are part of
larger ecosystems, so keep corridors or links to surrounding upland
wooded areas. Many wetland
dwellers require uplands to survive.
For example, deer will often have their fawns in a wetland,
but live in the adjacent forest.
If you’re looking to enjoy your wetland and “do
something” with it, but your ideas were mentioned above in the list
of things to avoid in a wetland, here are some other suggestions.
Cut views, or windows, out to your wetland and use it
as a natural, changing picture. You will see a large variety of
wildlife depending when you are watching.
Make a list of which birds and animals you’d like to see, and
peek out at your wetland at different times of the day and in the
different seasons.
You’ll probably be able to cross off all the birds and animals from
your list!
Walkways made of woodchips, or raised wooden boardwalks
on piers, will allow you into your wetland while leaving the
smallest possible footprint. Finally,
I suggest you just slow down and enjoy your wetland space.
The pace of life seems to
slow when we visit a wetland, and we realize that nature has a
different agenda. |