Transcription

1

2

3

4

5

6

7 Maitland Conservation Work Plan Summary Priorities Maitland Conservation has developed a three-year work plan that focusses our resources on delivering core services. Our priorities for the next three years are to: 1. Strengthen Flood and Erosion Safety Services 2. Strengthen Watershed Stewardship Services 3. Stabilize our financial base Sunflower cover crop, 2017 Harriston, June 2017 Flood and Erosion Safety Services Why do we need to strengthen these services? Several thousand people live and/or work in flood or erosion prone areas across the watershed Over $500 million dollars of assessment located in areas at risk from flooding or erosion across the watershed Focus: To help municipalities reduce the potential for loss of life, property damage and social disruption in their communities from flooding and erosion. How will we strengthen these services? 1. Help member municipalities to understand the risks and improve emergency preparedness 2. Improve flood forecasting associated with severe rainfall events 3. Update flood models and improve flood progression mapping 4. Update bluff and gully erosion risk mapping for the Lake Huron shoreline 5. Develop maintenance, management and replacement agreements relating to water and/or erosion control infrastructure in North Perth, Central Huron and the Town of Goderich maitland@mvca.on.ca

8 Watershed Stewardship Services Why Harriston, do we need June to 2017 strengthen these services? The watershed contains 470,000 acres (190,000 ha.) of prime agricultural land with an assessed value of over 5 billion dollars Focus: To help municipalities and landowners keep soil and nutrients on the land and out of watercourses. To improve streamflow and water quality in watercourses and the nearshore of Lake Huron. How will we strengthen these services? 1. Restore flood plains, river valleys and stream buffers 2. Support the development of rural stormwater management systems into municipal drainage projects 3. Support the incorporation of cover crops into farming systems 4. Complete the Garvey-Glenn Rural Stormwater Management Project 5. Complete the Scott Municipal Drain Rural Stormwater Management Project 6. Continue the Middle Maitland Headwaters Restoration Project upstream of Listowel Grassed waterway and erosion control berm operating under high flows, June 2017 Garvey-Glenn Rural Stormwater Management Project Tree planting at Lake Wawanosh C. A., 2017 Conservation Areas Maitland Conservation has 28 conservation areas with a total of 4,600 acres of land and water resources to manage. These conservation areas are used by thousands of people each year. Infrastructure is aging and major repairs are needed. Focus: Manage and develop conservation areas in a way that demonstrated good environmental conservation practices. Reduce maintenance and infrastructure costs. What we plan to do: 1. Develop a plan for the management, maintenance and financing of our water and erosion control infrastructure located in Gorrie, Bluevale, Brussels and at Lake Wawanosh Conservation Area 2. Develop a plan for the services that use the workshop building at the Admin. Centre and the Wawanosh Nature Centre building. Determine what to do with existing infrastructure 3. Complete the reforestation of marginal farm land on Maitland Conservation properties 4. Remove ash trees infested with the Emerald Ash Borer and replant with other varieties of native trees and shrubs 5. Upgrade essential infrastructure at Falls Reserve Conservation Area Corporate Services Focus: Stabilize our financial base so we can strengthen core services and maintain essential infrastructure and equipment. What we plan to do: 1. Develop and maintain a 3-year work plan and budget for operating and capital expenditures 2. Continue to reduce operating and infrastructure costs 3. Reduce our carbon footprint and operating costs by switching to more fuel efficient or electric vehicles and equipment 4. Set limits on levy increases over the next three years ($55,000-$58,000 per year) maitland@mvca.on.ca

9 Good evening, Mayor MacLellan and members of council, thank you for the opportunity to address you this evening. I would like to start by introducing Stewart Lockie, Conservation Areas Coordinator. 1

10 1. to update council on MVCA s priorities over the next three years. 2.To review the policy options that MVCA s Board is considering with respect to the water and erosion control infrastructure. 3 outline the status of Logan s Mill. 2

11 A Summary of MVCA s 3 year work plan was circulated to council in your package. MVCA s Board updates the 3 yr work plan and budget annually so that we are always planning 3 years ahead. MVCA has limited resources so the Board wants to focus on doing important things well. Third priority is to try and stabilize MVCA s financial base in order to carry out strengthen these services. 3

12 picture of flooding in Harriston: June 23 rd 2017: Flood/Erosion Safety Services: Key focus over next three years. Help municipalities reduce the potential for loss of life, property damage and social disruption from flood events. 4

13 June 23 rd severe rainfall event damage to lakeshore roads: Lake Huron. 5

14 Priority Activities: Picture of flooding in Harriston: June 23 rd 2017: Priorities: to improve flood forecasting associated with severe rainfall events. Last June s storm event was not forecast by Environment Canada. To work with municipalities with flood damage centres to assist with flood emergency planning and exercises. -Develop a Policy & Agreement with the Town of North Perth and the Town of Goderich for maintaining the Flood/Erosion Control Infrastructure in Listowel and Goderich 6

15 Picture of Belgrave Creek in the 1970 s and now: Watershed Stewardship Services: Priorities: Help municipalities/landowners put stewardship systems in place that keep soil/nutrients on the land and out of municipal drains, rivers and Lake Huron Key stewardship practices that are needed in the Maitland watershed include: Reforestation: marginal agricultural lands, flood plains, river valleys and stream buffers 7

16 picture of grassed waterway: Second Priority to support development of Rural Storm Water management systems into municipal drains where needed to reduce flooding/erosion and to keep soil/nutrients on the land and out of rivers/streams and Lake Huron. 8

17 Incorporation of Cover Crops into farming systems to prevent erosion and improve soil health 9

18 Focus: MVCA owns 28 conservation areas that encompass 4,600 acres of land. Focus is to: 1. set a good example of stewardship on these lands 2. reduce maintenance and infrastructure costs based upon the resources we have. 10

19 Picture of MVCA s Workshop in Wroxeter that is used for maintaining equipment and storing equipment and supplies: MVCA is in the process of developing a plan for replacing this structure to meet current and future needs. 11

20 Picture of the Wawanosh Nature Centre Building located at the Wawanosh Valley Conservation Area. Building is closed due to structural concerns. in the process of trying to determine what to do with the Wawanosh Nature Centre building and the services that use it. Building used for conservation education, spring tree storage and storage of some equipment. 12

21 Corporate Services Slide-picture of MVCA Board Priorities: a) Develop a three year work plan and budget and update annually so that we are always planning three years ahead b) Identify ways to reduce operating and infrastructure costs c) limit levy increases to between $55,000 and $58,000/year 13

22 MVCA s Board is also committed to Reducing our Carbon footprint: by shifting to more fuel efficient and electric vehicles/equipment(picture of Chevy Bolt and Charging Station provided by Bruce Power.) 14

23 Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure Policy: (Picture of Listowel Conduit & upstream retaining wall) MVCA s Board is in the process of developing a policy for how MVCA s water and erosion control infrastructure should be cost shared going forward given that there is limited Provincial funding for maintaining these structures. MVCA has one major flood control structure in Listowel. Replacement value is approx. $30 million. 15

24 Picture of the Goderich Bluffs Stabilization Project and Groyne that was put in place in the 1990 s. This project was put in place to protect homes located on the bluff from erosion as well as the Town s Sewage Treatment Plant. 16

25 Picture of Listowel Flood Control Retaining walls: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry:has a Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure Fund of $5million dollars which has been established for conservation authorities to apply for a 50% grant to help maintain/repair/decommission infrastructure. However there are over 900 water and erosion control structures with a replacement value of $2.7 billion dollars that the 36 conservation authorities in the Province are responsible for. The fund has more applications than funding available and the demand is increasing as infrastructure ages or is damaged by flood or erosion events. Proposed policy is that preventative maintenance/repairs be cost shared with municipality if MVCA s share is approved from the WECI Fund. 17

26 Picture of Gorrie, Bluevale and Brussels Dams: MVCA owns/operates 3 recreational water control structures. These structures have no flood control value. They are strictly recreational structures. Draft Policy proposes that the local municipality would be responsible for 50% of the costs of major/minor maintenance and repairs. Present practice is that the general levy or accumulated surplus covers maintenance/repair costs. If the structure needs to be decommissioned then MVCA would cover 100% of the costs of removal through the general levy and WECI funding, if approved. We would give the local municipality the opportunity to take over ownership of the structure if they would like to replace the structure. We look forward to council s feedback on the proposed policy. I will now turn the presentation over to Stewart to provide council with a progress report on the Logan s Mill project. 18

27 Logan s Mill: Brussels MVCA s Board has identified that the Logan s and Maitland Mills are surplus to the Authorities needs. MVCA s Board was approached by a group of interested community members from Brussels and Gorrie who are interested in trying to restore both mill buildings. They formed the Maitland Mills Project Steering committee to look at repairing and finding a use for both structures. To date the committee has been successful in obtaining an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant to complete a feasibility study. This study provided a structural conditions report, concept drawings, cost estimates, and provided the group with possible business concepts for the two buildings. The Committee is currently working on becoming an incorporated body as the Maitland Mills Association and is working with the Authority on potential agreements regarding the leasing or obtaining ownership of both buildings sometime in the future. 19

28 Thank you again for the opportunity to speak to council and we would be happy to hear any comments or questions that council may have on any of the topics that we have covered this evening. 20

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125