5.0 Jock River-Franktown 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 29 shows the location of all stewardship projects completed in the Jock River-Franktown catchment along with sites identified for potential shoreline restoration.
5.1 Rural Clean Water Projects
From 2010 to 2015, one septic system repair was completed. Between 2004 and 2009, one well upgrade and one livestock fencing project were finished and prior to 2004, one well upgrade and one fuel storage and handling facility were completed. One of these projects was completed within the 30 metre riparian zone of the Jock River. Total value of all five projects is $9,234 with $6,071 of that amount funded through grant dollars from the RVCA.
5.2 Private Land Forestry Projects
The location of RVCA tree planting projects is shown in Figure 29. From 2010 to 2015, 2,000 trees were planted at one site. Between 2004 and 2009, 2,200 trees were planted at two sites and prior to 2004, 64,710 trees were planted at 3 sites. In total, 68,910 trees were planted resulting in the reforestation of 34 hectares. Total project value of all six projects is $171,765 with $40,033 of that amount coming from fundraising sources.
5.3 Valley, Stream, Wetland and Hazard Lands
The Franktown catchment covers 79 square kilometres with 30.9 square kilometres (or 39 percent) of the drainage area being within the regulation limit of Ontario Regulation 174/06 (Figure 30), giving protection to wetland areas and river or stream valleys that are affected by flooding and erosion hazards.
Wetlands occupy 38 sq. km. (or 48 percent) of the catchment. Of these wetlands, 22.5 sq. km (or 59 percent) are designated as provincially significant and included within the RVCA regulation limit. This leaves the remaining 15.5 sq. km (or 41 percent) of wetlands in the catchment outside the regulated area limit.
Of the 88 kilometres of stream in the catchment, regulation limit mapping has been plotted along 50.2 kilometers of streams (representing 57 percent of all streams in the catchment). Some of these regulated watercourses (42.2 km or 48 percent of all streams) flow through regulated wetlands; the remaining 7.9 km (or 16 percent) of regulated streams are located outside of those wetlands. Plotting of the regulation limit on the remaining 37.8 km (or 43 percent) of streams requires identification of flood and erosion hazards and valley systems.
Within those areas of the Franktown 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.
5.4 Vulnerable Drinking Water Areas
The Jock River-Franktown drainage catchment is 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.