1. sports
2. fishing
3. freshwater fishing

Rideau
Lakes
Subwatershed Report
2014
A report on the
environmental
health of the
Rideau Lakes
Welcome to the
Rideau Lakes Subwatershed
The Rideau
Watershed
A
watershed is an area of land that drains to a
river, lake or stream. In the large watershed of
Eastern Ontario’s Rideau River, there are six
major subwatersheds (or tributaries): Jock River,
Kemptville Creek, Lower Rideau, Middle Rideau,
Rideau Lakes and Tay River.
Ottawa
River East
Ottawa River
West
(
!
Richmond
Manotick
(
!
Jock
River
Lower
Rideau
Kemptville
Burritts
Rapids
(
!
(
!
(
!
Perth
Tay River
Westport
(
!
Merrickville
Middle
Rideau
(
!
Kemptville
Creek
Rideau
Lakes
Brockville
²
(
!
0
5
10
20
This report is a snapshot of one subwatershed —
Rideau Lakes, a recreational jewel made up of a
network of over 31 lakes and connecting streams
covering 455 square kilometres in five municipalities.
30
Kilometres
This fabled subwatershed is an integral part of the
Rideau Canal National Historic Site, the Rideau Waterway Canadian Heritage River, the Rideau Canal
UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve and Rideau Heritage Route.
The population is a mix of seasonal and permanent residents. It is cottage country for thousands of
families. Permanent households are living on large rural properties (farms or forested lands), in
country estate subdivisions, very small to very large lakeside residential lots, or villages such as
Newboro, Portland, Rideau Ferry and Westport.
Previous steps to protect this highly-valued land and waterscape include the Rideau Lakes Basin
Carrying Capacity Study (1992) and associated site evaluation guideline, the Rideau Canal National
Historic Site of Canada/World Heritage Site Management Plan (2005), Rideau Lakes Watershed
Plan — Priorities and Recommendations (2009), various fisheries management plans and land-use
planning and development policies described in municipal official plans and zoing by-laws.
The major priorities documented in the 2009 Rideau Lakes Watershed Plan were:
• Water Quality — calling for more intensive and coordinated water
quality monitoring programs for all lakes; expanding shoreline
stewardship work; expanding septic re-inspection
programs on all lakes
• Planning and Regulations — maintaining
a site plan approval process for all
waterfront development
applications; increasing
compliance monitoring;
increasing RVCA
administration of
waterway alteration
and interference
regulations around
watershed lakes
and wetlands
2
What We Monitor and Why?
The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority’s (RVCA) goal is clean water,
healthy shorelines and sustainable land use. Monitoring environmental
conditions helps us see trends over time, focus our actions where they
can do the most good and evaluate the effectiveness of our watershed
policies and programs.
This report, together with the more detailed catchment reports prepared
for each of the eight catchments of the Rideau Lakes subwatershed
(available at www.rvca.ca), shows the 2013 conditions using four key
indicators of subwatershed health: water quality, forests,
shorelines and wetlands. We also look at water levels as they
can impact watershed health. Previous data is used
where applicable for comparison with
current conditions.
Rideau Lakes
Subwatershed
Drainage Area
455 square kilometres
Length of Lake
Shoreline
1,013 kilometres
Length of Tributaries
860 kilometres
Catchment Areas
• Big Rideau Lake –
Portland 107 km2
• Big Rideau Lake –
Rideau Ferry 55 km2
• Black Creek
27 km2
• Black Lake
67 km2
• Lower Rideau Lake
48 km2
• Upper Rideau Lake
61 km2
• Westport Sand Lake
17 km2
• Wolfe Lake
73 km2
RVCA and Rideau
Valley Conservation
Foundation Lands
• Bula
• Dworschak
• Foley Mountain
• Mill Pond
• Portland Bay
• Rideau Ferry
Yacht Club
• Sister Island
• Weiss
Total Hectares: 982
Cover: Big Rideau Lake
Simon Lunn
3
Water Quality
How is Water Quality Measured?
Our water quality ratings are made up of many water quality parameters blended together to allow water
quality to be represented by a single rating of Very Poor, Poor, Fair, Good or Very Good. This is based on
the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI). Ratings are
based on how often a parameter exceeds the guideline, how many of the different parameters exceed
the guideline and by how much sample results for each parameter exceed the guideline.
Lakes
The final water quality rating for lakes is based on an analysis of five of the following parameters
from many water samples taken at 19 lakes within the Rideau Lakes Subwatershed over a six to
12 year period.
• Nutrients (total phosphorus and total Kjeldahl nitrogen) as indicators of excessive nutrient loadings
which may result in abundant vegetation growth and depleted dissolved oxygen
• Dissolved oxygen as an indicator of suitable fish habitat, as fish are unable to survive in oxygen
depleted environments
• pH as an indicator of change from a waterbody’s natural state
• Sechhi depth as an indicator of water clarity
Streams
The final water quality rating for streams is based on an analysis of 22 of the following parameters from
many water samples taken at three sites within the Rideau Lakes Subwatershed over a 12 year period.
• Nutrients (total phosphorus, total Kjeldahl nitrogen and nitrate); excessive nutrients may result in
excessive vegetation and reduced dissolved oxygen available for the aquatic community
• E.coli as an indicator of the presence of bacteria from human or animal waste
• Metals (including lead, iron and copper) that may pose a health risk to aquatic life and indicate
the presence of pollution
• Additional chemical/physical characteristics such as pH, alkalinity and total suspended solids which
may indicate stresses to aquatic life and stream function
Water Quality in the Rideau Lakes Subwatershed
This section provides a general description of water quality in the subwatershed. For more detailed
water quality results, please see the eight catchment reports (available at www.rvca.ca) containing
more site-specific water quality information and analysis. Water quality at the 24 lake sites and three
stream sampling sites in the Rideau Lakes Subwatershed ranges from “Good” to “Very Poor”
depending on the specific location and adjacent land uses.
Big Rideau Lake
4
Each monitored site is unique. To understand any changes in water quality, one needs to look at
individual sampling results over time. In the majority of cases, water quality will only be improved
by reducing nutrient sources, by protecting natural shorelines and by reducing known point and
non-point sources of pollution.
The waterbodies of the Rideau Lakes subwatershed have a diversity of features which protect or
impact water quality:
• Small to mid-sized lakes surrounded by both natural settings and cottage developments
• Stream systems that wind through forests, wetlands, fields and residential landscapes
• The large Rideau Lakes with substantially developed shorelines and protected natural areas
Many of the small lakes are shallow and produce nutrient rich wetlands. As a result these lakes are
sensitive to changes like: nutrient inputs, warming of the water column, limited dissolved oxygen
and re-suspension of nutrients from wind and mixing events. Some of these lakes received a
lower water quality rating. This highlights their susceptibility to influencing factors and shows their
vulnerability to additional pressures. In several cases rather than the need for restoration these
lakes require protection of natural habitat and application of sound land use management to
safeguard water quality.
There is a difference in the water quality ratings across the three major basins of the Rideau Lakes
(Upper, Big and Lower Rideau) ranging from “Fair” to “Very Poor.” Forming part of the historic
Rideau Canal system this waterbody has been under development pressure for centuries from
land cover/use changes, recreational and commercial activities (boating, fishing, etc.) and
residential development (seasonal and permanent). All these factors have contributed to the
current state of the lake and it is important to consider the impact of past and present land-use
practices on today’s water quality. What is needed are targeted land management practices,
stewardship and shoreline restoration to protect and enhance existing water quality conditions.
The stream sites are under many of the same influences as lakes and water quality ratings range
from “Good” to “Poor” with no observed changes over the 12 year period of this report. Improved
management and stewardship is needed in most of these systems to directly improve water
quality and that of the receiving waters to which they flow.
Lakes and streams that rate “Fair” to “Very Poor” could benefit from stewardship incentive grants
offered by RVCA and other partners.
5
Water Quality
What Does the Rating Mean?
The following ratings show how susceptible a waterbody may be to additional nutrient inputs.
Very Good: (CCME WQI Value 95–100) — water quality is protected with a virtual absence of
threat or impairment with conditions being very close to natural or pristine levels. These index
values can only be obtained if all measurements are within objectives virtually all of the time.
Good: (CCME WQI Value 80–94) – water quality is protected with only a minor degree of
threat or impairment; conditions rarely depart from natural or desirable levels.
Fair: (CCME WQI Value 65–79) — water quality is usually protected but occasionally
threatened or impaired; conditions sometimes depart from natural or desirable levels.
Poor: (CCME WQI Value 45–64) — water quality is frequently threatened or impaired;
conditions often depart from natural or desirable levels.
Very Poor: (CCME WQI Value 0–44) — water quality is almost always threatened or impaired;
conditions usually depart from natural or desirable levels A departure from natural or desirable
levels may include: excessive aquatic plant growth and algae blooms along with poor
conditions for fish habitat
Lakes age naturally through a process known as eutrophication. The
aging process is caused by the deposition of nutrient rich sediment
into lakes over a long period of time. Nutrient rich lakes typically have
more aquatic plant growth and poorer water quality. Shallower and
smaller lakes, in comparison to the larger, deeper lakes are less
resilient and more susceptible to nutrient enrichment and
consequently, may be more likely to depart from natural or
desirable water quality levels.
Black Lake is the only lake
where sufficient data for
the two periods, the
water quality rating has
improved from “Poor” to
Fair” over this period.
Human activity can affect the aging process of lakes. The more intensive the land
use is surrounding a lake, the greater the likelihood that there will be an
increase in nutrient rich runoff and sedimentation, causing the
lake to age much faster than would be the case otherwise.
Existing conditions make the Rideau Lakes
more vulnerable to this aging process,
which can be minimized with good
land stewardship and the use of
shoreline best management
practices. We can act
together to slow this
aging process.
6
Why Maintain Good Water Quality?
• Healthy water is fundamental to healthy families and communities
• Reliance on a natural source of clean water for farming,
fishing, water sports, wildlife viewing and other
recreational activities
• Good water quality promotes a diverse and
healthy aquatic ecosystem
• The waterbodies in the Rideau
Lakes subwatershed are a key
tourist attraction, visual
feature and a major source
of business activity
and economic
contributor to local
municipalities
7
Water Levels
There are 31 named lakes in the Rideau Lakes subwatershed. The largest of them (Big Rideau,
Lower Rideau, Upper Rideau and Wolfe Lakes) serve as reservoirs for the Rideau Canal. Upper
Rideau Lake is the “top” of the Rideau Canal system draining in two directions via the cut that
connects it to Newboro Lake in the Cataraqui River section of the Canal and through the dam at
Narrows Locks into Big Rideau Lake. Numerours smaller unnamed water bodies also exist.
All three Rideau Lakes are controlled by dams that are operated by Parks Canada. In cooperation
with Parks Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry operates the two dams
on Westport Sand Lake and Westport Pond (between Wolfe Lake and Upper Rideau Lake). All of
the dams are operated according to what are called “rule curves.” The rule curves consist of
specific operational targets for each day of the year to maintain water levels at a minimum of 1.5
metres of draft during the navigation season throughout the Canal system.
The small graphs on the profile of the reservoir lakes show the rule curves (solid red line) within
the operating range between the Upper and Lower Conservation levels (dashed blue lines). This
Da
m
200
m
and
Da
dD
am
dL
ock
s
Po
n
or t
/Sa
n
ow
sL
or t
Na
rr
Water Level (metres)
140
We
stp
Wo
lfe
Lak
e
160
We
stp
Da
m
ak e
180
Wolfe Lake
120
Upper Rideau Lake
100
136.9
136.8
40
20
125.00
136.7
136.6
136.5
136.4
136.3
136.2
Upper Rideau Lake Rule Curve
124.75
Water Level (metres)
60
water level (metres)
80
Wolfe Lake Rule Curve
124.50
124.25
136.1
136.0
135.9
124.00
135.8
135.7
135.6
135.5
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
123.75
123.50
Jul
Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Jul
Aug Sept Oct
No
0
0.0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
metr
Legend for Rule Curves
Spill Zone
Lower Conservation Level
2002–2007 mean
8
Upper Con
2008–201
1:100 yea
depicts the lowered water level through the winter, the increased level into the spring, the spring
thaw maxima and the gradual decline through the summer to the winter level in October. The
entire seasonal range is about one metre for Wolfe and Upper Rideau and 1.4 metres for Big and
Lower. Typically, however, as shown by the solid blue line depicting the Historical Average (1984
to 2013), the annual fluctuation is actually closer to half a metre on each of the lakes. The other
lines show the more recent short term averages that vary considerably due mainly to differences
in climatic conditions from year to year. For the Canal operations, it demonstrates how difficult it is
to keep to established operational policies.
While navigation is the primary purpose of the control of water levels on the lakes, Parks Canada
staff recognize that there are seasonal and permanent residents on these three lakes who have
interests in water levels beyond boating. They want to have water levels that fluctuate as routinely
as possible to avoid shoreline erosion, damage to and functionality of structures such as docks
and boathouses and that allows for water recreational activities like swimming and fishing. The
system is also operated with consideration for fish and wildlife breeding and habitat requirements.
200
180
160
120
Lower Rideau Lake
Big Rideau Lake
100
Big Rideau Lake Rule Curve
80
124.50
124.25
124.00
Water Level (metres)
60
123.75
Water Level (metres)
140
Po
o
R
Bri ideau
dg Fe
e rr
y
nam
alie
Da
m
1:100 year flood level
rule curve (normal level)
123.50
40
123.25
123.00
20
122.75
122.50
Jan Feb Mar
ov Dec
Apr May Jun
Jul
Aug Sept Oct
Nov
Dec
0
30,000
res
nservation Level
13 mean
r flood level
35,000
40,000
45,000
50,000
Target Levels (rule curve)
Historic Average 1984–2013
9
Water Levels
As with all of the other lakes in the subwatershed, the reservoir lakes are subject to environmental
conditions. Hot, dry summers cause a lot of evaporation from waterbodies (as much as two
centimetres per day from Big Rideau) leading to lower water levels. Wet summers bring the
possibility of minor flooding. With more people taking up permanent residency around lakes,
The Narrows
Poonamalie Dam
10
there are now year-round water level issues associated with a little or a lot of precipitation along
with colder or warmer temperatures.
For further information about Rideau Canal operations, contact Parks Canada at www.pc.gc.ca.
Poonamalie Dam
11
Forest Cover
The Benefits of Forest Cover
Forests are a fundamental part of any healthy subwatershed because of their critical role in the
water cycle. Runoff from forested lands into streams after a rain or snowmelt is significantly
cleaner and lower in both volume and peak flow than runoff from an unforested area. Trees help
protect streams from storm or runoff erosion and make subwatersheds more resilient to climate
change’s expected heavy rainfall, irregular storms and unseasonal precipitation. In addition, forests:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Clean the air
Clean water seeping into the ground
Reduce erosion and encourage infiltration of stormwater
Create wildlife habitat
Buffer wind and noise
Provide wood products and recreational opportunities
Experts believe that a minimum forest cover of 30 percent is
needed to sustain the natural biodiversity and environmental
services they provide (Environment Canada 2013 — How Much
Habitat is Enough?). The goal is to convert marginal and
abandoned land into forest cover. Rideau Lakes catchments
with less than 30 percent forest cover are prime areas for tree
planting that can be improved with help from various incentive
grants offered by RVCA and other partners.
Forest cover on Upper Rideau Lake
12
Forest Cover by Catchment
Lower Rideau
24%
Westport Sand Lake
31%
Big Rideau-Portland
38%
Upper Rideau Lake
40%
Big Rideau-Rideau Ferry
41%
Wolfe Lake
55%
Black Lake
56%
Black Creek
61%
Existing Forest Cover in the Rideau Lakes Subwatershed
Forest cover in the eight catchments of the Rideau Lakes subwatershed was classified in 2014 using
2008 DRAPE imagery and compared to previous work carried out by the Ministry of Natural Resources
and Forestry (from 2004 to 2006) using data from 2000 to 2002. Forest cover ranges from a high of
61 percent in the Black Creek catchment to a low of 24 percent in the Lower Rideau Lake catchment.
For the Rideau Lakes subwatershed as a whole, forest cover was calculated to be at 198 square
kilometres (or 44 percent) across the subwatershed in 2008. This coverage was compared to the
best available data last updated in 2002 which shows forest cover to be at 194 square kilometres
(43 percent of the subwatershed). This comparison highlights a general change/increase of one
percent in forest cover.
Forest cover change across the subwatershed has been very modest through this period. The largest
change/increase in forest cover is reported in the Black Lake catchment (at three percent) followed by
the Black Creek and Upper Rideau Lake catchments (at two percent).
Declines in forest cover vary by catchment with the largest change/decrease occurring in the Wolfe Lake
catchment (at two percent) followed by Lower Rideau Lake (at one percent).
Since forests and wooded shorelines are some of the greatest protectors of water quality, any
change/decrease in forest cover is worth watching over the next monitoring period, especially in those
catchments where surface water quality is reported to be “Poor” and “Very Poor.”
Forest Cover (%)
PERTH
0 - 20
20.1 - 30
!
30.1 - 40
40.1 - 50
TAY
VALLEY
Maberly
50.1
- 60
!
60.1 - 100
Forest Change
DRUMMOND/
NORTH
ELMSLEY
Glen Tay
Lower
Rideau
Lake
De Witts
Corners
Big
Rideau
Lake
(Rideau
Ferry)
!
Stanleyville
!
Decrese
S
!
Rideau
Ferry
Increase
0
2
4
²
!
Kilometres
Bolingbroke
Black
Lake
Wolfe
Lake
Westport
Sand
Lake
Big
Rideau
Lake
(Portland)
Black
Creek
Upper
Rideau
Lake
!
Portland
WESTPORT
Crosby
!
!
Newboro
RIDEAU
LAKES
SOUTH
FRONTENAC
13
Wetlands
The Benefits of Wetlands
Wetlands are nature’s flood control and water supply reservoirs — places for the temporary storage of
runoff from rain and snowmelt. Thanks to the Rideau Valley wetlands, peak flows during floods are
lower, low flows are sustained during dry weather and groundwater supplies are replenished. RVCA
hydrologists estimate that the existing wetlands across the entire Rideau watershed are responsible
for a peak flow (and its resulting flood damage) that is about 10 percent lower than what we would
see without the wetlands! This flood control function is significant, natural and free. It doesn’t come
much better than that.
Wetlands are increasingly valued for the ecological goods and services they provide such as water
supply, water regulation, water cleansing and climate regulation. These services have been valued
at $247 per person per year in a recent Ontario study (Natural
Credit — Estimating the Value of Natural Capital in the Credit
Wetland Cover by Catchment
River Watershed). In other words, wetlands do for free what we
would otherwise have to pay millions of dollars to do through
Upper Rideau Lake
7%
technology and infrastructure. Wetlands also provide habitat
for many common and rare plants and animals as well as
Westport Sand Lake
7%
fishing, hunting and recreational opportunities like canoeing
Wolfe Lake
13%
and bird watching.
Big Rideau-Portland
15%
Wetlands are valuable green infrastructure that pay for
themselves many times over. Conserving or restoring wetlands is
right up there with tree planting and shoreline naturalization as
simple, cost-effective measures with huge watershed
management benefits.
Black Creek wetland
14
Big Rideau-Rideau Ferry
15%
Black Lake
24%
Lower Rideau
26%
Black Creek
27%
Existing Wetlands in the Rideau Lakes Subwatershed
Wetlands make up a large part of the overall area of the Rideau Lakes subwatershed as a result of the
geological setting, corresponding topography, the climate and resulting high water tables. Wetlands,
characterized by their organic soils and water-tolerant vegetation, have formed throughout the region
wherever depressions occur in both small isolated pockets and broad, extensive pockets that are such
an important and distinctive feature of the area.
Wetland cover averages 16 percent in the Rideau Lakes subwatershed ranging from a high of
27 percent in the Black Creek drainage area to a low of seven percent in the Upper Rideau Lake and
Westport Sand Lake catchments. Across the subwatershed, 68 percent of wetlands are found on the
Canadian Shield; the remaining 32 percent are off-Shield. Many of these wetlands are small to
medium in size and well connected to surrounding forests, lakes, rivers and streams.
Because of the specific geographical conditions in each of the six Rideau Lakes subwatersheds
(which may or may not be conducive to wetland formation and retention), local targets
for wetland cover focus on “no net loss of wetlands” (as is the case along the Lower Rideau River,
as described in the 2005 Lower Rideau Watershed Strategy), rather than on specific targets
(percentages) in a subwatershed.
Wetland Cover (%)
PERTH
0 to 10
10.1 to 15
!
15.1 to 20
20.1 to 25
TAY
VALLEY
Maberly
25.1
to 30
!
Glen Tay
2
4
Kilometres
²
!
S
Lower
Rideau
Lake
De Witts
Corners
Big
Rideau
Lake
(Rideau
Ferry)
!
30.1 to 100
0
DRUMMOND/
NORTH
ELMSLEY
Stanleyville
!
!
Rideau
Ferry
Bolingbroke
Black
Lake
Wolfe
Lake
Westport
Sand
Lake
Big
Rideau
Lake
(Portland)
Black
Creek
Upper
Rideau
Lake
!
Portland
WESTPORT
Crosby
!
!
Newboro
RIDEAU
LAKES
SOUTH
FRONTENAC
15
Shorelines
The Benefits of Well-Vegetated Shorelines
The shoreline (or riparian) zone is that special and vulnerable area where the land meets the
water. Keeping shorelines well vegetated with native trees and shrubs is a major goal because of
their importance in preserving water quality and supporting healthy aquatic habitats. Natural
shorelines intercept runoff that carries sediment, pesticides and fertilizers that can reduce water
quality and harm fish habitat in streams, creeks and rivers. Well established vegetative buffers also
protect streambanks from erosion, improve habitat for fish by shading and cooling the water and
provide protective cover for birds and other wildlife that feed and rear young near water.
In the Great Lakes Region, a minimum shoreline buffer of 30 metres is recommended for at least
75 percent of the length of the creek, stream, river or lake (Environment Canada 2013 — How Much
Habitat is Enough?). Rideau Lakes catchments with less than 75 percent shoreline cover are prime
areas for shoreline naturalization that can be improved with help from the various incentive grant
programs offered by the RVCA and other partners. Catchments with more than 75 percent riparian
cover could also be enhanced in areas where shoreline conditions have become degraded through
vegetation removal.
Existing Shoreline Cover in the Rideau Lakes Subwatershed
Shoreline cover percentages for lakes and streams (by catchment) are given for each of the eight
catchments of the Rideau Lakes along with a lake by lake comparison. The table shows that seven
catchments meet or exceed the 75 percent target figure with the exception of
Lower Rideau catchment.
Vegetated Shoreline Cover
by Catchment
16
Lower Rideau
68%
Westport Sand Lake
75%
Upper Rideau Lake
76%
Big Rideau-Rideau Ferry
80%
Big Rideau-Portland
84%
Black Lake
90%
Wolfe Lake
90%
Black Creek
95%
A different story unfolds when looking at shoreline cover, lake by
lake. Ten lakes have shoreline cover below the guideline target
and of those, it is worth noting that five of them
(Adams Lake, Bass Lake, Lower Rideau Lake, Upper Rideau
Lake and Westport Sand Lake) have “Poor” to “Very
Poor” water quality. This suggests a link between
a lake’s shoreline cover, adjacent land
cover and land-use practices and
water quality.
17
Actions
T
his report has identified some areas where natural conditions are not ideal. Since lakes
support our local economies and communities, now is the time for all of us to take
meaningful steps — big and small — to help improve the health of our lakes. We know that
water quality is influenced by our use of land, so we need to understand how our actions affect lake
heath and take steps that will improve water quality. Only by working together will we make gains.
Here is what each of us can do …
RVCA
• Continue monitoring surface water quality and
consider additional monitoring where required
• Provide detailed water quality reporting
through our subwatershed reports and
catchment sheets
• Identify areas with poor water quality and
recommend options for improvement
• Support the investigation of local causes of
algae and aquatic plant growth
• Maintain stream assessment monitoring
and land cover classification for use in
subwatershed reporting as well as
municipal land-use planning
• Promote our stewardship programs that
provide technical and financial support to
landowners to help them plant trees,
naturalize their shorelines and undertake
projects that improve water quality
• Acquire and protect additional lands that are
ecologically important such as shorelines,
wetlands, floodplains and significant
wildlife/woodland habitats through land
donations, conservation easements or other
land acquisitions
Municipalities
• Ensure new development, re-development
and site alterations adhere to current
development standards (as described in
municipal Official Plans, Zoning By-laws and
through septic system approvals)
• Continue to use the Rideau Lakes Basin
Carrying Capacity Study (1992) and revised
Site Evaluation Guidelines (2014) to guide
decision-making regarding development
around lakes
• Monitor implementation of conditions of
planning and development approvals
• Encourage Committees of Adjustment to take
advantage of technical and environmental
recommendations coming from planning and
environmental professionals
18
• Provide passive recreational opportunities at
our Conservation Areas which are managed
using wise resource management principles
• Continue providing planning advice to
municipalities and regulating development
on hazard lands (flood prone areas,
steep slopes, unstable soils) and in
environmentally sensitive areas (wetlands,
shorelines, valleylands)
• Monitor implementation of conditions
of regulatory approvals
• Identify flood hazard levels and produce
regulation limit mapping around
additional lakes
• Work with municipalities and agencies to
implement current land use planning and
development policies in a more consistent
manner to achieve net environmental gains
(particularly development setbacks and
vegetated shorelines)
• Support beaver management and facilitate
communication among agencies, businesses,
municipalities and lake residents to address
water level concerns
• Create a site alteration bylaw to protect natural
features and other sensitive areas such as
wetlands, woodlands, wildlife habitat and
shorelines along lakes, streams and rivers
• Use RVCA’s subwatershed reports and
catchment sheets when updating Official
Plan policies to protect surface water
resources and the natural environment
(including woodlands, wetlands and
shoreline cover)
• Support more sustainable stormwater
management practices including retrofits in
existing settlement areas
• Continue voluntary septic system
re-inspection programs and consider
mandatory programs on lakes and tributaries
Residents, Businesses, Community Groups and Lake Associations
• Ensure new development and re-development
on waterfront lots (including houses, septic
systems, auxillary buildings and decks) meets
appropriate development setbacks from the
shoreline (30 metres or more)
• Maintain a healthy, vegetated shoreline buffer and
naturalize degraded or ornamental shorelines
• Ensure septic systems are properly functioning
and well maintained
• Participate in voluntary septic system
re-inspection programs and advocate for
municipalities to adopt mandatory programs
in environmentally sensitive areas
• Promote the use of advanced septic treatment
systems where development setbacks cannot
be met
• Plant trees on retired land
• Protect and enhance wetlands and fish and
wildlife habitat
• Choose marinas with sewage pump-out facilities
certified by the Clean Marinas Program
• Respect “Watch Your Wake” areas when boating
• Take measures to help prevent the spread of
invasive species
• Restrict livestock access to lakes and streams
• Consider land conservation options including
donations of environmentally sensitive
lands to public land trusts or other interested
non-profit organizations
Help is Out There!
The Rideau Lakes Subwatershed can be improved through work by residents, municipalities,
community associations, environmental groups, families, schools, individuals and collaborations of all
kinds. One of the best ways to get involved is to join your local Lake Association. Your Lake Association
will help you support local lake projects and stay informed about lake and community issues.
There are also a number of programs that can provide technical support and grant dollars. The best
way to learn about these programs is to contact the RVCA. Staff will connect you to the best
programs available through groups such as Ducks Unlimited Canada, Leeds and Grenville
Stewardship Council, Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association, RVCA, Rideau Valley
Conservation Foundation and Watersheds Canada.
Lastly, if you are planning a project on your property, be sure to check with your municipality and the
RVCA to see if approvals are required. Checking first can save you time and money by avoiding
costly mistakes. If you are thinking of buying property, the RVCA can also let you know if and how
the property is likely to be affected by the Conservation Authority’s policies and regulations.
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
1-800-267-3504 or 613-692-3571
[email protected]
The Narrows
19
RIDEAU VALLEY
CONSERVATION AUTHORITY
How to reach us
3889 Rideau Valley Drive, P.O. Box 599
Manotick ON K4M 1A5
Tel. 613-692-3571
Fax. 613-692-0831
[email protected]
www.rvca.ca
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(RideauValleyCA)
View from Spy Rock at Foley Mountain Conservation Area
March 2015