4.0 Jenkinson Drain Catchment: Stewardship and Water Resources Protection
The RVCA and its partners are working to protect and enhance environmental conditions in the Jock River Subwatershed. Figure 16 shows the location of all stewardship projects completed in the Jenkinson Drain catchment along with sites identified for potential shoreline restoration.
4.1 Rural Clean Water Projects
From 2004 to 2009, one septic system replacement, one well decommissioning, one well upgrade and one well replacement were completed and prior to 2004, one manure storage/wastewater runoff project was finished. No projects were undertaken between 2010 and 2015. Total value of all five projects is $64,530 with $16,782 of that amount funded through grant dollars from the RVCA.
Figure 16 Stewardship site locations
4.2 Private Land Forestry Projects
The location of RVCA tree planting projects is shown in Figure 16. From 2004 to 2009, 11,100 trees were planted at one site and prior to 2004, 10,090 trees were planted at 3 sites. In total, 21,190 trees were planted resulting in the reforestation of 12 hectares. No projects were undertaken between 2010 and 2015. Total value of all four projects is $84,653 with $24,319 of that amount coming from fundraising sources.
Through the RVCA Butternut Recovery Program, an additional 110 butternut trees were planted in the Jenkinson Drain catchment (Figure 16) between 2004 and 2015, as part of efforts to introduce healthy seedlings from tolerant butternuts into various locations across Eastern Ontario.
4.3 Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Projects
Figure 16 shows the location of all Ontario Drinking Water Stewardship Program (ODWSP) projects in the Jenkinson Drain catchment. Between 2010 and 2015, two septic system replacements and one well upgrade were completed. Total project value is $31,543 with $18,709 of that amount funded by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
4.4 Valley, Stream, Wetland and Hazard Lands
The Jenkinson Drain catchment covers 23 square kilometres with 1.9 square kilometres (or 8 percent) of the drainage area being within the regulation limit of Ontario Regulation 174/06 (Figure 17), giving protection to wetland areas and river or stream valleys that are affected by flooding and erosion hazards.
Wetlands occupy 3.3 sq. km. (or 14 percent) of the catchment. Of these wetlands, 1.2 sq. km (or 36 percent) are designated as provincially significant and included within the RVCA regulation limit. This leaves the remaining 2.1 sq. km (or 64 percent) of wetlands in the catchment outside the regulated area limit.
Of the 58.6 kilometres of stream in the catchment, regulation limit mapping has been plotted along 6.7 kilometers of streams (representing 11 percent of all streams in the catchment). Some of these regulated watercourses (3.9 km or 7 percent of all streams) flow through regulated wetlands; the remaining 2.9 km (or 42 percent) of regulated streams are located outside of those wetlands. Plotting of the regulation limit on the remaining 51.8 km (or 89 percent) of streams requires identification of flood and erosion hazards and valley systems.
Within those areas of the Jenkinson Drain catchment subject to the regulation (limit), efforts (have been made and) continue through RVCA planning and regulations input and review to manage the impact of development (and other land management practices) in areas where “natural hazards” are associated with rivers, streams, valley lands and wetlands. For areas beyond the regulation limit, protection of the catchment’s watercourses is only provided through the “alteration to waterways” provision of the regulation.
4.5 Vulnerable Drinking Water Areas
A portion of the Wellhead Protection Area around the Munster municipal drinking water source is located within the Jenkinson Drain drainage catchment. This area is subject to mandatory policies in the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Plan developed under the Clean Water Act. These policies specifically regulate land uses and activities that are considered drinking water threats, thereby reducing the risk of contamination of the municipal drinking water source.
The Jenkinson Drain drainage catchment is also considered to have a Highly Vulnerable Aquifer. This means that the nature of the overburden (thin soils, fractured bedrock) does not provide a high level of protection for the underlying groundwater making the aquifer more vulnerable to contaminants released on the surface. The Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Plan includes policies that focus on the protection of groundwater region-wide due to the fact that most of the region, which encompasses the Mississippi and Rideau watersheds, is considered Highly Vulnerable Aquifer.
For detailed maps and policies that have been developed to protect drinking water sources, please go to the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region website at www.mrsourcewater.ca to view the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Plan.