• The water quality

• The habitat

• The fish and wildlife

• Participate in the recovery

Tÿs Theijsmeijer

Cootes Paradise Marsh & Chedoke Creek

Lake Ontario

Where the Niagara Escarpment meets Lake OntarioRBG

•National Historic Site•IBA (Important Bird Area)

•IMPARA (Important Ambibian and Reptile Area)

•ANSI (Area of Natural and Scientific Interest)

•World Biosphere Reserve

International Ecosystem

1. Bird Migrations2. Fish Nursery

Royal Botanical Gardens

Ecoli Distribution

Post rainstorm – July 2013

Some Monitoring Results 2015

2015 Lower Chedoke Cr - E.coli(CFU/100mL)

Dates Wet/DryChedoke Borers Cr Spencer Ancaster1 Ancaster2 Ancaster3 Ancaster4

4/09/15 900,000 150 210 240 80 380 500 Wet4/20/15 900,000 1,800 970 1,000 410 3,700 1,280 Wet5/04/15 5,900 60 20 20 90 60 40 Dry5/19/15 420 <10 210 180 40 100 70 Dry6/01/15 620,000 1,900 10,100 3,700 1,380 5,100 650 Wet6/15/15 650,000 400 710 1,800 680 2,000 810 Wet6/30/15 490,000 430 450 760 460 540 640 Wet7/13/15 220 130 370 520 490 190 140 Dry7/27/15 110,000 190 290 360 280 220 320 Dry8/10/15 280 100 300 450 230 200 500 Dry8/24/15 4,700 80 9,500 480 760 360 680 Dry9/08/15 889,000 170 8,700 2,400 710 2,600 2,700 Wet9/22/15 1,790 100 440 230 210 130 150 Dry

10/15/15 640 10 240 570 40 90 240 Dry10/22/15 4,800 20 210 370 70 10 80 Dry11/03/15 4,800 40 40 110 40 120 80 Dry11/18/15 750 10 20 180 50 80 80 Dry

Average 270,000 349 1928 786 354 934 527

Sampling completed by Hamilton Conservation Authority – funds by City and OMOECC

Lower Chedoke Creek - Trends E.Coli(May to September biweekly monitoring = 11 samples/year)

1

10

100

1,000

10,000

100,000

(CFU

/10

0m

L)

Good water!

So-so water

Not Good water

Phosphorus Levelsthe maker of Aquatic Life

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

0.4

0.45

0.5

CP-11 CP-18 CP-7 AC-1 AC-2 AC-3 AC-4

TP

(m

g/L

)

Stations

Creek Averages - Phosphorus 2014 vs 2015

2014 Mean

2015 Mean

Aquatic Life Guideline

< 0.03 µg/l

Chedoke Borers Spencer Ancaster

Note: Harbour middle Phosphorus ~35 µg/l

Total Phosphorus Trends

Cootes Paradise – Mid Marsh

PWQO

< 30 µg/l

Dundas WWTP Flow

Equalization Tank

Main/King CSO Tank

Fishway

Kaydrage Landfill

Leachate

Containment

Stroud

CSO Tank

Ancaster

Creek CSO

Tank

2015 Synopsis of Cootes Paradise Life

ChedokeBay

Biological Life• 750+ Native Plant species

• 250+ Bird species

• 68 Fish species

• 9 Amphibian species

• 14 Reptile species

• 39 Mammals species

• 11 clam species

• ?? Insect species

• 50+ Species at Risk

Biological Life

RBG Overall Lower Chedoke750+ Native Plant species ~10 species 250+ Bird species ~50 species68 Fish species 27 Fish species (5,716 fish caught)9 Amphibian species None14 Reptile species Occasion turtle visitors39 Mammals species Beavers ,Muskrat11 clam species 3 species?? Insect species ??50+ Species at Risk 1 (clam)

Chedoke Creek Watershed - CSOs

History at Chedoke Watershed Overflows• 1995 ~ 2,000,000+m3

• 2010 ~ 550,000m3

• 2015 ~ 60,000m3

Combined Sewer Overflows

What can we do?

At Home – Surface Water• Water anything to do with infiltration on your property – support systems that

work towards watershed report cards with a good grade• Do we need a city wide home property annual Sustainability Award?

Green Infrastructure• Rain Gardens

Churchill Park Master plan

An RBG Project at the creek mouth

Princess PointPublic Accessto Cootes Paradise

Proposed berm placement

Mouth of Chedoke Creek Low Water level 74.4msl

View from Desjardin Trail Bridge

Build in the winter, plant it in the spring

Grindstone Marsh Berm

Coming Items of Help1. Earth Day April 23rd

2. Rain Gardens in Churchill Park3. Hwy 403 expansion –public review will be possible4. Kaydrage Landfill leachate system completion5. City of Hamilton waste water system improvements

Chedoke Creek Watershed