Photo Karen Graham.
Pictured is a culvert that presents a barrier to trout travelling along this Baxter Creek tributary.
It’s nice to have it confirmed by the experts, but we suspected that our local creeks were top notch. In a presentation to Council last month, experts from the Millbrook Chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada provided evidence indicating the uniqueness of our local waterways.
Trout Unlimited is a volunteer organization, dedicated to restoring and protecting the water quality and habitat in coldwater streams. Representatives Jim Slavin and Jim Bowley presented the results of their temperature and fish surveys of the local Millbrook creeks to Council last month.
Started in August 2019, the organization has conducted several projects to date, including the Yellowfish Road project last summer where they marked 74 storm drains in the area to remind residents about their impact on Baxter Creek.
Over the past few summers, they gathered temperature and fish data from three Millbrook creeks: Baxter and two of its tributaries, Little and Jail creeks. One of the most important factors affecting trout habitat is water temperature: they need cold streams for successful spawning and egg survival. Groundwater keeps streams cool in the summer, and trout prefer temperatures below 22C. The news in their report was good for the most part, but a few problem areas were identified.
Water in the Millpond raises water temperatures in lower Baxter Creek, reducing the trout habitat quality in that location. A stormwater pond beside Brookside Street was also a cause for concern. It raises water temperatures by 4C in Jail Creek through groundwater and stormwater runoff. Daily temperature graphs indicate that while stormwater runoffs present the occasional unwelcome bump in water temperatures at Little Creek, temperatures of Baxter Creek at Zion Line are well-within the ideal boundaries for trout. At Jail Creek beside the Waste Water Treatment Plan, temperatures spiked repeatedly during storms.
The team concluded that stormwater is the largest threat to trout populations in the Millbrook creeks, causing peaks in groundwater temperatures from runoff. New techniques in treating stormwater eliminates the need for these stormwater ponds by directing water directly into the ground. Council agreed to look into this option for new developments. The presenter suggested that retrofitting this type of system was impractical. He also indicated the presence of several barriers to trout movement that could be removed or mitigated.
The objective is to protect trout habitat that remains quite vibrant in local waterways, so residents will continue to have the experience described by Joe, a long-time Baxter Creek trout fisherman who told Mr. Bowley “Nowhere else in Ontario can I catch and release 3 to 8 trout on a morning’s outing”. We should all be so lucky… KG
