Thunder Bay Habitat NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR REMEDIAL ACTION PLANS Why Was Habitat Listed as an Impairment? Degradation by industrial and other development along the waterfront Delisting Criteria – Fish Habitat •  This beneficial use will no longer be impaired when the following habitat-related projects from the Thunder Bay Stage 2 RAP Report (2004) have been completed, evaluated for effectiveness, and areas support diverse self-sustaining biological communities: Delisting Criteria – Fish Habitat (cont’d) •  Alleviation of water quality barriers to fish migration in the Kaministiquia River •  Re-vegetation projects in McVicar Creek and McKellar River •  Habitat improvements associated with the creation of Sanctuary Island at the mouth of McVicar Creek •  Habitat remediation on McKellar River •  Rehabilitation of walleye spawning habitat at Current River Estuary •  Improving salmonid access to the upper reaches of the Current River •  Implement the Slate River Watershed Management Plan •  Monitoring to support lake sturgeon rehabilitation strategy •  Implement plan for shoreline naturalization within the Thunder Bay AOC Delisting Criteria – Fish Habitat (cont’d) In addition to the Stage 2 RAP projects, the following should also be completed: •  Remaining and created wetlands are protected from further degradation through existing environmental legislation, with provincial standards used to inventory and classify wetlands within the Thunder Bay AOC •  Provide unrestricted access to critical spawning habitat by providing adequate flow in the Kaministiquia River •  Ensuring that native fish populations are not negatively affected by industrial water-use practices, including water intake and discharge Delisting Criteria – Wildlife Habitat •  This beneficial use will no longer be impaired when riparian, wetland, and coastal habitat within the Thunder Bay AOC is in compliance with the guidelines set out through Environment Canada’s How Much Habitat is Enough? (2004). •  In addition, remaining and created wetlands must be protected from further degradation through existing environmental legislation. Provincial standards should be used to inventory and classify wetlands within the Thunder Bay AOC. Completed Projects Current R. Mouth . .mnnmA cmE .m E950 I $8.85 3920550 Completed Projects Sanctuary Island Completed Projects Northern Wood . . 7 - y?ql-png Malfu?nl I. II 003655; 32.33 I m33m<3m2m Completed Projects Lower Kaministiquia 2012 RAP Update: Actions to be Completed Substrate Mapping: • An assessment of the extent and quality of fish habitat in the form of a ground truthed dataset 2012 RAP Update: Actions to be Completed Northern Wood Fish Community Comparison (2004 & 2006) • compare the fish community around the NW cleanup project with the fish population prior to cleanup and also with 4 other harbour sites, including two remediation sites, McVicar Creek Mouth & McKellar embayments Actions to be Completed Results at NW showed: • moderate to high species diversity • low to moderate abundance • abundance was well within the range reported in data collected at 18 harbour sites, prior to the NW cleanup • embayments show high relative abundance when compared to historical and contemporary data 2012 RAP Update: Actions to be Completed Wildlife Habitat Change Detection • 1976, 1988, 2000, 2006, 2010 • satellite imagery, aerial photography • four areas of study – TBay AOC, McKellar/Mission Islands, TBay Harbourfront, Tributary Riparian Zones • significant change over 34 years - TBay AOC much “greener” in 2010 than in 1976, suggesting increased locations for wildlife habitat • Thunder Bay AOC meets ECCC habitat guidelines 2012 RAP Update: Actions to be Completed • these guidelines are based largely on the lower lakes and upon a single species from Southern Ontario - may not be suitable for assumptions in Northwestern Ontario 2012 RAP Update: Actions to be Completed Wildlife Habitat Assessment (2012 to 2014) • presentation to PAC in May, 2015 • AOC and non-AOC reference sites • paramaters such as water quality, marsh bird and amphibian surveys, aquatic vegetation, marcroinvertebrates • further work required • next steps – collect more data, formulate conclusions Research Suggests: Fish Habitat • harbour habitat sufficient for moderate to high species diversity • low to moderate abundance Research Suggests: Wildlife Habitat • Greener • Thunder Bay meets ECCC guidelines -data utilizes one species only under a formula focused on the lower lakes • Further data collection referencing multiple species, parameters and locations required to make strong conclusions about habitat status -water quality, amphibians, macroinvertebrates, birds, other animals, etc.