tangledline
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2008
- Messages
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organization called Aquatic Habitat -they work to improve the habitat for fish in the Toronto area.
web site: aquatic habitat.ca
Strategy: Executive Summary
Context
Historically, the Toronto waterfront was a rich mosaic of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, including bluffs and beaches, cobble reefs, estuaries and bays with productive marshes, wooded shorelines and meadows. Clear water streams and broad rivers meandered through densely forested watersheds to Lake Ontario. Diverse communities of fish and wildlife lived in these habitats, which provided opportunities for shelter, food, spawning, nesting, over-wintering and migration.
Over the past 200 years, the pressures of colonization, port expansion, industry, transportation and recreation have changed this waterfront almost beyond recognition. With these changes came serious environmental degradation, to the extent that in 1987, the Toronto waterfront was included on the International Joint Commission's list of 42 Areas of Concern around the Great Lakes.
In recent decades considerable work has been undertaken to begin the process of restoring natural habitats and improving water quality, with promising results as aquatic and terrestrial communities begin to show signs of recovery.
The desire to improve the waterfront has been enshrined in recent City of Toronto plans and policies, including its new Official Plan, Natural Heritage Study, and Central Waterfront Part 2 Plan. The Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation was established by the three levels of government in 2001 to oversee development of the downtown waterfront. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has a comprehensive Natural Heritage Program including both terrestrial and aquatic restoration initiatives.
In this context, this Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy is a timely initiative to ensure that waterfront revitalization incorporates improvements to aquatic habitats as an integral part of creating a more liveable and sustainable waterfront.
Goal and Objectives
The geographic scope of the Toronto Waterfront Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy is the Lake Ontario waterfront from Etobicoke Creek to the Rouge River, extending up the estuaries of the rivers and creeks. The overall goal of the strategy is "to develop and achieve consensus on an aquatic habitat restoration strategy that will maximize the potential ecological integrity of the Toronto waterfront".
To achieve this goal, the strategy has four primary objectives:
identify the potential for self-sustaining aquatic communities in open coast, sheltered embayments, coastal wetlands and estuaries.
identify limiting factors, evaluate opportunities and propose actions to protect and enhance nearshore habitats and restore ecological integrity.
develop sustainability indices to evaluate the success of the strategy, taking into account changes in land use and policy context.
develop an implementation plan to restore aquatic habitats on the Toronto waterfront, including targets, actions, roles and responsibilities, public education, regular reporting and plan review.
Principles
The strategy strives to create a more sustainable waterfront by using an ecosystem approach to increase ecological integrity, provide suitable conditions for the maintenance of self-sustaining aquatic communities and improve ecological connectivity. It emphasizes conservation design based on native and naturalized species. It takes into account human uses of the shoreline and nearshore waters and it is being developed using a consultative, consensus-based approach involving stakeholders and the general public.
Conclusions
Based on a thorough analysis of the physical processes, cultural influences and aquatic communities on the Toronto Waterfront, the Strategy concludes that most of the aquatic ecosystems suffer from poor ecological health, with a few locations, such as the Rouge River estuary and parts of Toronto Bay, exhibiting somewhat better conditions. Traditionally, urban planning, waterfront redevelopment, park development, stormwater management and shoreline management activities have not paid sufficient attention to the needs of aquatic communities. However, it is essential to recognize that aquatic ecosystems are integral to the environmental health of the waterfront, and must be given full consideration in planning, design and development processes.
This strategy provides a strong foundation including the biophysical attributes of the shoreline, an illustrated compendium of habitat restoration techniques and a habitat plan on a shoreline reach and site specific basis. It builds on and implements a number of key plans and policies, including the City of Toronto Official Plan, Central Waterfront Part 2 Plan and Natural Heritage Study; the Federal Policy for the Management of Fish Habitat; Lake Ontario Fish Community Objectives; and the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation's Development Plan and Public Space Framework.
Recommendations
The strategy is a blueprint for positive change, providing guiding principles and practical tools for implementing habitat projects across the Toronto Waterfront. The following recommendations for waterfront agencies and other landowners are intended to ensure that aquatic habitats are created and restored. The recommendations focus on endorsement of the strategy, improving ecological health, and mechanisms for implementation.
(1) ENDORSEMENT
Waterfront revitalization provides opportunities for many agencies and private landowners to incorporate aquatic habitat restoration from the outset of a wide variety of projects, ranging from new building developments and environmental infrastructure to new or renovated parks and shoreline management. The Advisory Panel recommends that:
Agencies with responsibilities for the waterfront (eg. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation, City of Toronto, Toronto Port Authority, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources) should formally endorse this Strategy as the guiding document for the creation and restoration of waterfront aquatic habitats.
Endorsement recognizes the need to achieve significant increases in aquatic habitats and restore self-sustaining aquatic communities. Agencies use this Strategy as a planning tool to ensure that all future waterfront projects incorporate aquatic habitat improvements.
(2) MANAGEMENT TO IMPROVE THE ECOLOGICAL HEALTH OF OUR SHORELINE
In order to restore healthy, self-sustaining aquatic communities, it is necessary to create the physical, chemical and biological conditions that are required for a balanced community of native and naturalized species. Most non-native species (eg. carp, goby) take advantage of degraded ecosystems, and their numbers and productivity will be reduced when ecosystem health improves. To achieve the conditions required for centres of biological organization that will support self-sustaining aquatic communities, the Advisory Panel recommends that:
Water and sediment quality should be improved as quickly as possible by implementing the City of Toronto's Wet Weather Flow Management Master Plan.
Top predators (eg walleye, muskellunge) should be re-introduced where appropriate and carp should be excluded from key habitats that are favourable for their reproduction (eg coastal wetlands).
Structural diversity should be increased across the waterfront, by implementing the habitat plan on a reach by reach basis. In most cases, there is sufficient scientific knowledge to proceed with implementation. In cases where there is less certainty, experimental management approaches should be applied, providing an opportunity to monitor, learn and adjust methods where necessary.
Emphasis should be placed on opportunities associated with:
existing centres of biological organization where a relatively modest investment will create significant benefits,
places where development that is largely focussed on land, such as new waterfront parks and urban redevelopment, can easily incorporate major improvements to aquatic habitats, and
shoreline management projects such as erosion control and harbour maintenance.
(3) IMPLEMENTATION
The success of the Toronto Waterfront Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy will be measured by the extent of project implementation, reporting of improvements in aquatic habitats, the utilization of the Strategy by waterfront agencies and private landowners, and the acceptance of projects by the public. To ensure success, the Advisory Panel recommends that:
The TRCA establish an inter-agency coordinating mechanism to:
ensure that aquatic habitat opportunities associated with existing centres of biological organization, park development and amenities, waterfront revitalization, shoreline management, lakefilling and erosion control projects are incorporated into ecological pre-planning, design, and implementation of projects.
ensure a high standard of scientific rigour, use of the best tools, techniques and appropriate design of experimental habitat management projects.
identify potential cumulative effects of projects, oversee monitoring programs, and develop sustainability indices to determine trends over time.
report regularly on the Strategy implementation, including progress reports on specific projects, aquatic community trends, and other measures, the first progress report to be provided by December 2004.
similar strategy should be developed for the TRCA's jurisdiction within the Durham waterfront.
Benefits
The establishment of self-sustaining aquatic communities will improve environmental health on the waterfront and make an important contribution to the Living City — the TRCA's vision for sustainable human communities built on a natural foundation of healthy rivers and shorelines, greenspace and biodiversity. Aquatic habitat restoration will increase aesthetic quality, recreational opportunities, public health and safety, and the desirability of waterfront spaces, acting as a catalyst for considerable social and economic benefits.
Quick links
Executive Summary
Context
Benefits
Goals and Objectives
Guiding Principles
Products
Process
Related Initiatives
Bibliography
Resources
Toronto Waterfront
Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy - 7,889k
web site: aquatic habitat.ca
Strategy: Executive Summary
Context
Historically, the Toronto waterfront was a rich mosaic of aquatic and terrestrial habitats, including bluffs and beaches, cobble reefs, estuaries and bays with productive marshes, wooded shorelines and meadows. Clear water streams and broad rivers meandered through densely forested watersheds to Lake Ontario. Diverse communities of fish and wildlife lived in these habitats, which provided opportunities for shelter, food, spawning, nesting, over-wintering and migration.
Over the past 200 years, the pressures of colonization, port expansion, industry, transportation and recreation have changed this waterfront almost beyond recognition. With these changes came serious environmental degradation, to the extent that in 1987, the Toronto waterfront was included on the International Joint Commission's list of 42 Areas of Concern around the Great Lakes.
In recent decades considerable work has been undertaken to begin the process of restoring natural habitats and improving water quality, with promising results as aquatic and terrestrial communities begin to show signs of recovery.
The desire to improve the waterfront has been enshrined in recent City of Toronto plans and policies, including its new Official Plan, Natural Heritage Study, and Central Waterfront Part 2 Plan. The Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation was established by the three levels of government in 2001 to oversee development of the downtown waterfront. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has a comprehensive Natural Heritage Program including both terrestrial and aquatic restoration initiatives.
In this context, this Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy is a timely initiative to ensure that waterfront revitalization incorporates improvements to aquatic habitats as an integral part of creating a more liveable and sustainable waterfront.
Goal and Objectives
The geographic scope of the Toronto Waterfront Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy is the Lake Ontario waterfront from Etobicoke Creek to the Rouge River, extending up the estuaries of the rivers and creeks. The overall goal of the strategy is "to develop and achieve consensus on an aquatic habitat restoration strategy that will maximize the potential ecological integrity of the Toronto waterfront".
To achieve this goal, the strategy has four primary objectives:
identify the potential for self-sustaining aquatic communities in open coast, sheltered embayments, coastal wetlands and estuaries.
identify limiting factors, evaluate opportunities and propose actions to protect and enhance nearshore habitats and restore ecological integrity.
develop sustainability indices to evaluate the success of the strategy, taking into account changes in land use and policy context.
develop an implementation plan to restore aquatic habitats on the Toronto waterfront, including targets, actions, roles and responsibilities, public education, regular reporting and plan review.
Principles
The strategy strives to create a more sustainable waterfront by using an ecosystem approach to increase ecological integrity, provide suitable conditions for the maintenance of self-sustaining aquatic communities and improve ecological connectivity. It emphasizes conservation design based on native and naturalized species. It takes into account human uses of the shoreline and nearshore waters and it is being developed using a consultative, consensus-based approach involving stakeholders and the general public.
Conclusions
Based on a thorough analysis of the physical processes, cultural influences and aquatic communities on the Toronto Waterfront, the Strategy concludes that most of the aquatic ecosystems suffer from poor ecological health, with a few locations, such as the Rouge River estuary and parts of Toronto Bay, exhibiting somewhat better conditions. Traditionally, urban planning, waterfront redevelopment, park development, stormwater management and shoreline management activities have not paid sufficient attention to the needs of aquatic communities. However, it is essential to recognize that aquatic ecosystems are integral to the environmental health of the waterfront, and must be given full consideration in planning, design and development processes.
This strategy provides a strong foundation including the biophysical attributes of the shoreline, an illustrated compendium of habitat restoration techniques and a habitat plan on a shoreline reach and site specific basis. It builds on and implements a number of key plans and policies, including the City of Toronto Official Plan, Central Waterfront Part 2 Plan and Natural Heritage Study; the Federal Policy for the Management of Fish Habitat; Lake Ontario Fish Community Objectives; and the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation's Development Plan and Public Space Framework.
Recommendations
The strategy is a blueprint for positive change, providing guiding principles and practical tools for implementing habitat projects across the Toronto Waterfront. The following recommendations for waterfront agencies and other landowners are intended to ensure that aquatic habitats are created and restored. The recommendations focus on endorsement of the strategy, improving ecological health, and mechanisms for implementation.
(1) ENDORSEMENT
Waterfront revitalization provides opportunities for many agencies and private landowners to incorporate aquatic habitat restoration from the outset of a wide variety of projects, ranging from new building developments and environmental infrastructure to new or renovated parks and shoreline management. The Advisory Panel recommends that:
Agencies with responsibilities for the waterfront (eg. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation, City of Toronto, Toronto Port Authority, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources) should formally endorse this Strategy as the guiding document for the creation and restoration of waterfront aquatic habitats.
Endorsement recognizes the need to achieve significant increases in aquatic habitats and restore self-sustaining aquatic communities. Agencies use this Strategy as a planning tool to ensure that all future waterfront projects incorporate aquatic habitat improvements.
(2) MANAGEMENT TO IMPROVE THE ECOLOGICAL HEALTH OF OUR SHORELINE
In order to restore healthy, self-sustaining aquatic communities, it is necessary to create the physical, chemical and biological conditions that are required for a balanced community of native and naturalized species. Most non-native species (eg. carp, goby) take advantage of degraded ecosystems, and their numbers and productivity will be reduced when ecosystem health improves. To achieve the conditions required for centres of biological organization that will support self-sustaining aquatic communities, the Advisory Panel recommends that:
Water and sediment quality should be improved as quickly as possible by implementing the City of Toronto's Wet Weather Flow Management Master Plan.
Top predators (eg walleye, muskellunge) should be re-introduced where appropriate and carp should be excluded from key habitats that are favourable for their reproduction (eg coastal wetlands).
Structural diversity should be increased across the waterfront, by implementing the habitat plan on a reach by reach basis. In most cases, there is sufficient scientific knowledge to proceed with implementation. In cases where there is less certainty, experimental management approaches should be applied, providing an opportunity to monitor, learn and adjust methods where necessary.
Emphasis should be placed on opportunities associated with:
existing centres of biological organization where a relatively modest investment will create significant benefits,
places where development that is largely focussed on land, such as new waterfront parks and urban redevelopment, can easily incorporate major improvements to aquatic habitats, and
shoreline management projects such as erosion control and harbour maintenance.
(3) IMPLEMENTATION
The success of the Toronto Waterfront Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy will be measured by the extent of project implementation, reporting of improvements in aquatic habitats, the utilization of the Strategy by waterfront agencies and private landowners, and the acceptance of projects by the public. To ensure success, the Advisory Panel recommends that:
The TRCA establish an inter-agency coordinating mechanism to:
ensure that aquatic habitat opportunities associated with existing centres of biological organization, park development and amenities, waterfront revitalization, shoreline management, lakefilling and erosion control projects are incorporated into ecological pre-planning, design, and implementation of projects.
ensure a high standard of scientific rigour, use of the best tools, techniques and appropriate design of experimental habitat management projects.
identify potential cumulative effects of projects, oversee monitoring programs, and develop sustainability indices to determine trends over time.
report regularly on the Strategy implementation, including progress reports on specific projects, aquatic community trends, and other measures, the first progress report to be provided by December 2004.
similar strategy should be developed for the TRCA's jurisdiction within the Durham waterfront.
Benefits
The establishment of self-sustaining aquatic communities will improve environmental health on the waterfront and make an important contribution to the Living City — the TRCA's vision for sustainable human communities built on a natural foundation of healthy rivers and shorelines, greenspace and biodiversity. Aquatic habitat restoration will increase aesthetic quality, recreational opportunities, public health and safety, and the desirability of waterfront spaces, acting as a catalyst for considerable social and economic benefits.
Quick links
Executive Summary
Context
Benefits
Goals and Objectives
Guiding Principles
Products
Process
Related Initiatives
Bibliography
Resources
Toronto Waterfront
Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy - 7,889k
