History & Challenges
The WCIA are the long-time custodians of Waring’ Creek. Their efforts began when a small group of concerned citizens led by Cliff Rice set a goal of bringing back Brook trout to this once thriving stream. It began in 1993 when the core group carried out the first use of a novel community-based tool called the Watershed Report Card. This exercise taught the group about the landscape and land use conditions in the watershed and its history. This exercise helped identify priorities for the group of:
- Conducting additional surveys to quantify the current state of the river and identify priority areas for restoration;
- Working on priority habitat issues to restore the stream to its historic state;
- Working with partners to develop protection for the river and its watershed
- and acting as the streams advocate.
Assessment Activities
The group facilitated a number of habitat and fisheries surveys and a whole system inventory of opportunities for restoration work. The result of these surveys continues to guide restoration and monitoring efforts and are the benchmark to which success is measured.
Restoration Work
The restoration was necessary because in the late 50s Waring’s Creek changed. It received massive loads of sediment that overwhelmed the stream and caused the Waring’s Creek fish rearing substation, that was operating about 500m downstream from Sandy Hook Road, to close. Soon afterwards, Brook trout disappeared from the stream and by 1990's much of the stream was over-wide, shallow and silt laden. Work was initially directed at deepening and narrowing the stream channel at multiple locations where excessive sediment had clogged the channel.
Of interest is that the sediment loading originated upstream of Sandy Hook Road and severe enough to close the substation. We have not yet been able to identify the land use change that occurred in the upstream area that generated these massive silt loads but, given the recent soil data on the Loyalist Heights property, it could well have been changes to this and the adjacent Cold Creek property that caused this contamination.
The restoration was extremely successful, and soon after implementation gravel substrates reemerged in the stream bed, as did our ability to see spring upwellings in proximity to potential spawning gravels.
The next phase was carried out with the assistance of Andy Margetsen and the Stewardship council along with significant funding from MNR and other sources.
It required replacing several culverts that were holding back water and the ability of the channel to flush sediment.
Again, the stream responded immediately and is now in much better shape and is approaching what is considered fully rehabilitated in the main section of river downstream of Sandy Hook to Shannon Road. Currently we believe that trout are inhabiting this section of river.
Planning Successes
The WCIA worked first with the Prince Edward and later Quinte Conservation and the Ministry of Natural Resources to successfully gain recognition of Waring’s Creek as being a cold-water stream.
These stream types get greater protection within planning decisions are eligible for restoration funding. In 2010 MNR created a fisheries management plan for the river that among other things directed varying levels of protection to the various tributaries and provided the framework for reintroduction of Brook trout.
The document remains in draft as MNR has discontinued approvals of watershed-based fisheries management plans, choosing instead to develop large zone-based fisheries plans that provide generic guidance to fisheries and do not address habitat needs. Regardless there are many draft fisheries plans around the province that continue to guide local efforts.
Acting as the Streams Advocate
This unanticipated activity emerged soon after the group was organized and beginning its journey. A proposal to develop a massive below the water table gravel pit in the central portion of the watershed threatened the groundwater of Waring’s Creek. The lifeblood of the system had to be protected. The WCIA took the proponents to the OMB and became the first eNGO (Environmental Non-governmental Organization) to defeat the aggregate industry at such a hearing. The cost was dear, but the community stepped up and after several years paid off the 200+-thousand-dollar cost of the first defense of the system.
In the early 2000’s the Municipality moved to expand the boundaries of Picton. This included the lands to the north and east of Sandy Hook Road, the underground lake that feeds Waring’s Creek and south of Hwy 33 from the roundabout to the town limits. This was zoned Agricultural and represented some of the best farmland in the county. The county moved to change these lands to future development. Depositions were made in opposition to this proposal by WCIA and the agricultural community to no avail. The boundaries were expanded.
Then in 2007, the county of Prince Edward proposed an open well sewer line across Sandy Hook Road, the headwaters of Waring’s Creek. By open, it meant that when the sewer became overloaded it would dump raw sewage into Waring’s Creek. The WCIA again stepped up again and spent many thousands more to ensure such a foolish idea failed. The WCIA petitioned the Ministry of the Environment for the county to perform a class two environmental assessment on the subject lands. To avoid another lengthy process, the MOE brokered a deal between the County and the WCIA. That legally binding agreement was signed in 2008 by the then mayor Leo Finnegan, the county clerk and the president of the WCIA, Cliff Rice. This signed legal agreement guaranteed that the county will protect Waring’s Creek and fulfill a number of outstanding needs before embarking on any additional actions in the watershed.
This agreement has since been referred to as the Minutes Of Settlement.
A core component of this agreement is that the County agreed to do extensive watershed mapping and appropriate studies to address the significant natural heritage features of the watershed. a study would quantify the groundwater pathways and identify the suitability ofvarious properties for different types of development. Then in 2020, proposals started emerging to develop these new lands, even though no watershed mapping or other studies had been done by the County. Instead, proponents would continue to follow standard practices that do not consider cumulative effects and follow their own studies that are funded by the proponents. This makes them inherently non-objective. The implications of this approach have been pointed out to the county by Quinte Conservation and local citizens with hydrology expertise. To date these concerns have been ignored. The WCIA and its friends are convinced that the current proposals for high density subdivisions on the Cold Creek and Loyalist Heights properties will have irreversible impacts on the hydrology, groundwater and ecological conditions of Waring’s Creek. The community is committed to preventing this.
To date the County has not fulfilled its obligations under the minutes of settlement, nor have they even acknowledged their existence. Therefore, the County is in breach of contract with the WCIA.
Advocacy Continues
The WCIA is prepared to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the groundwater and surface waters of Waring’s Creek remain suitable for Brook trout, and humans. WCIA is currently raising funds and exploring suitable candidates that will carry out the detailed hydrology and hydrogeology studies that should have already been done. Such studies will be necessary to appeal current decisions and to inform future decisions about appropriate development. Ideally, we would partner with PEC and/or Quinte Conservation in an agreed
upon study design and selection of consultants, or we will do it alone.
We are planning a celebration of 31 years of stewardship of Waring’s Creek. Please join us on January 15th from 7-9:30pm at the Waring Hall for for an evening of celebration, a historical slide show, an exploration of our current challenges, and camaraderie.