Centennial  Park    George  Creek  Restora1on  Project  

Centennial  Park  circa  1967  

George  Creek  

Natural  area  (Above  the  Train  Tracks)  

Unnatural  Channelized  area  (Downstream  of  the  Train  Track  Culvert)  

Why? Looks like a ditch to me!

But  not  to  me!  

 Who?    

The  project  team      •  Project  Team  members  

–  North  Shore  Steelhead  Associa1on  -­‐  Terry  Kosolowski  and  Frank  Edgson  

–  Thunder  Bay  District  Stewardship  Council  -­‐  Davis  Viehbeck,  James  Williams,  Tom  Kleinboeck  

–  Engineers  Kevin  Briggs,  Bruce  Adamson,    –  Rob  Foster,  Northern  Bioscience  –  City  of  Thunder  Bay  -­‐  Werner  Schwar\  Paul  Fayrick    –  Dr.  Robert  Stewart  -­‐  LU  geography  department.      

 

Project  DescripKon  

•  Descrip1on:    The  project  aims  to  rehabilitate  a  secKon  of  damaged  creek  that  was  in-­‐filled,  straightened,  and  had  its  riparian  vegetaKon  removed  approximately  40  years  ago.      

Where

Project  advantages  

•  ExisKng  upwellings  •  Constant  flow  of  cool  groundwater  

•  Source  populaKon  of  Brook  Trout  

•  RelaKvely  Low  costs  

•  High  visibility    

Project  Goals  •  Rehabilitate  damaged  sec1ons  800m2  of  riparian  vegetaKon  will  be  re-­‐instated.    

•  Recreate  the  channel  Over  100m  of  channel  being    redesigned  and  rehabilitated  through  the  excavaKon  of  exisKng  substrate,  establishment  of  natural  meanders  and  riffle  pool  sequences,  and  the  addiKon  of  coarse  woody  debris.    

•  Public  Awareness:  The  project  will  act  as  a  living  educaKonal  classroom  and  highlight  the  need  for  protecKon  of  coldwater  tributaries  and  their  value  to  the  overall  ecosystem.  

How  did  we  get  there  •  Develop  local  support  •  Survey  and  Engineered  drawings    •  Apply  to  funding  agencies  •  Fish  isolaKon  and  relocaKon  plan  •  Worksite  management  plan  •  Erosion  and  Sediment  control  plan  •  Hire  a  contractor  •  Develop  a  planKng  guide  •  Arrange  for  volunteers  to  help  with  the  planKng  •  Monitor  results    

Funding  Opportuni1es    •  Local  organiza1ons  

–  Thunder  Bay  District  Stewardship  Council  –  Ontario  FederaKon  of  Anglers  and  Hunters  –  City  of  Thunder  Bay  

•  Provincial  funding  –  Land  Stewardship  Habitat  RestoraKon  Program  –  Canada  Ontario  Agreement    –  Great  Lakes  Guardian  Community  Fund  

•  Federal  funding  –  Great  Lakes  Sustainability  Fund  

North Shore Steelhead Association 5,000.00

Thunder Bay District Stewardship Council 5,000.00

Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Zone B 2,500.00

Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund 25,000.00

Great Lakes Sustainability Fund 20,000.00

COA respecting the Great Lakes Eco-basin 20,000.00

Land Stewardship Habitat Rehabilitation Program 15,000.00

Total secured funding 92,500.00

Funding  Partners  2013-­‐14  

Fish  recovery  and  relocaKon  

Tree  protecKon  

Passive  Water  Bypass  

Digging  of  1st  Pool  and  Riffle  

Steve  Ward  digging  2nd  Pool  

Steve  Ward  ContracKng    Cedar  log  cover  

ConstrucKon  of  Large  Pool    

CreaKng  3rd  pool  

Stewardship  Rangers    

Popsicle  Break  

Clean  up  and  erosin  control  

PlanKng  guide  

PlanKng  layout  

PlanKng  trees  and  shrubs  

Marsh  Marigolds  planted  

Before  construcKon  

Finished  project  

Thank  you  to  the  volunteers    

What  worked  and  what  didn’t  work    (or  how  I  spent  my  spring  and  summer)  

•  AnKcipated  costs  •  Survey  •  Engineers  design  (preliminary  and  final)  •  Contractor’s  fees  

•  UnanKcipated  costs  •  Baseline  informaKon  (electro-­‐shocking,  benthic)  •  Permits  required  (MNR,  LRCA,  DFO  and  MOE)    •  Worksite  IsolaKon  Plan,  and  Sediment  Control  Plan  •  Onsite  supervision  (Engineer,  and  Fisheries  Biologist)  

 

 

What  worked  and  what  didn’t  work      

•  DifficulKes  or  Learning  curve  •  Funding  applicaKons  

–  Funding  levels  -­‐  each  fund  has  a  limited  formula    –  Closing  dates  and  approval  dates  may  make  for  uncertainty  of  the  project  –  Cost  esKmates  for  funding  applicaKons  purposes  –  materials  and  contractor’s  

fees  –  Must  have  project  completed  in  the  stated  Kme  frame    –  ReporKng  -­‐  Each  funding  agency  has  different  funding  formulas,  reporKng  

expectaKons  and  paperwork  

•  Volunteers    –  Need  a  commihed  group  –  Need  a  leader  to  ensure  direcKon  –  Pick  a  appropriate  date  and  a  rain  date  if  possible    

Phase 2

George Creek 2014-15

Phase  2    George  Creek    2014-­‐15    •  Culvert  replacement  

–  The  project  will  see  the  exisKng  metal  culvert  removed  and  replaced  with  an  open  bohom  wooden  bridge  structure.    

–  Hire  a  engineering  firm  to  design  a  suitable  sized  bridge  that  does  not  increase  the  elevaKons  of  the  exisKng  roadway.  

•  Altera1ons  to  stream  bed  to  improve  access  from  the  Current  River    –  The  exisKng  stream  bed  will  be  altered  to  create  a  series  of  small  step  

pools,  and  lessen  the  grade  to  allow  easier  movement  from  the  Current  River  under  low  water  condiKons.  This  will  allow  Brook  Trout  the  opportunity  to  find  refuge  from  the  warm  water  in  the  Current  River  during  the  heat  of  the  summer.  

•  Preliminary  Plan1ng  Design    –  Riparian  vegetaKon  planKng  will  be  designed  through  the  Project  

Team  –  ordering  plants  etc.  from  nurseries  in  the  next  few  weeks.  Intent  is  to  

mimic  natural  vegetaKon  found  within  the  project  area.  

Culvert  George  Creek  

Nov  8  2013  

Closer  view  of  oujlow  

Oujlow  to  the  Current  River  in  spring  flows  

Phase  2  Preliminary  Channel  Design    

Successful  Fisherman  Son  of  NSSA  member  Randy  Beamish  

Thank  you  for  your  ahenKon