6.0 Rudsdale Creek Catchment: Accomplishments/Activities
Achievements noted by the Friends of the Tay Watershed Association (FoTW) are indicated by an asterisk.
In-stream/Fish Habitat
3.3 kilometres of Rudsdale Creek have been surveyed and 32 headwaters sites are sampled once every six years by the RVCA using the Ontario Stream Assessment Protocol.
The lower channel of this creek near it mouth was substantially altered many years ago by the property owner digging several deep channels into the edge of this small creek, apparently for a planned residential development. Because it is a stream that is seldom travelled, the damage was not observed until years later - which was too late for proper remedial action. It is the FoTW Association's belief that this type of damage would not be missed with the present level of testing and monitoring that is now in place for such catchment areas.*
Tree Planting
98,000 trees have been planted at six sites in the Rudsdale Creek catchment by the RVCA Private Land Forestry Program, resulting in the reforestation of 49 hectares.
Water Quality
One stream monitoring site on Rudsdale Creek is sampled yearly by the RVCA for 22 parameters, six times a year, to assess surface chemistry water quality conditions.
One Ontario Benthic Biomonitoring Network site on Rudsdale Creek is sampled by the RVCA in the spring and fall of each year with three replicates, to assess instream biological water quality conditions.
Fifteen Clean Water projects were completed by the RVCA Rural Clean Water Program.
Water Taking
OMYA corporation reports annually to the public on its water-taking over the past 12 months - a condition of their Permit to Take Water (PTTW) for the withdrawal of water from the Tay River and company-owned wells. The taking of water began in accordance with the conditions outlined in the PTTW (and other permits) obtained in September 2003. At the first public meeting held to fulfil a condition of the water taking permit - to hold one public meeting in a calendar year to present a report on the company's water taking - there was great interest in the results presented by OMYA. Subsequent meetings have kept the community well-informed about its activities and adherence to the permit conditions, thus helping to alleviate public concerns about the water taking.
The Friends of the Tay Watershed Association help promote OMYA's report to the public about its water taking activities over the previous year.*
OMYA has installed a state-of-the-art digital water meter on the Tay River (one of the PTTW conditions). The data collected provides valuable information regarding Tay River water flows and facilitates future environmental and scientific study of the river.
Waterway Planning and Management
The Tay Watershed Management Plan (2002) brought together a diverse group of watershed stakeholders to exchange information and opinions on the challenges facing the watershed. This forum focused the community on the need for managing the Tay Watershed, requiring positive cooperation amongst a range of stakeholders and helped develop a foundation of data and information on the watershed and resources against which later developments and trends are being measured and decisions are being made.
The Plan also led to the formation of the Friends of the Tay Watershed Association, who have been instrumental in implementing 20 of 24 management plan recommendations. In the opinion of the Association, one of the most significant measures of success for the water protection activities carried out in the Tay watershed is that there has never been a serious environmental pollution incident that threatened the area’s drinking water or its recreational waterbodies. To this day, the Friends of the Tay Watershed remain committed to preserving and enhancing the health of the Tay River watershed through their work.*