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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1980-05-07, Page 4One farmer' ftom Morris Township admitted to build- ' ing a dam 10 years ago On the stream cutting -through' his property. He had noticed one warm June - weekend that there were too many' dead fish in ,the' stream—and that the water was close to 80,or 90 degrees. 'He built the Oath' to, deepen the., stream and directed 'some spring' water into the 'stream. "Looking back we haven't had any dead fish and the water 'is cool and three feet deep," he said. "I' never thought of contacting the 'ministry, I just wanted to fix the stream:" • Ministry officials also pointed out there is ,a'Maxi, mum:, of 10',,000 gallons of ' water that could: be taken from a stream or river. Anyone . 'requiring more would have to apply for a licence from the Ministry of Environment. 1111•111•111••••••••••••••••••ft. Page ,4.41acknow Sentinel, Wane** MMY 1, .1980. BY RHEA HAMILTONthe land owner 'were shown before and after the work had "There are,no muskrat 'been done. end We don't ear the bUll Rock piles from the land frOgS anymore." • „ around' the banka were used' At•Tluirsday.H9ron, Fed to shore- up the strewm sides eration, of Agriculture (F,' of alotig areas of the I3elirave - A) meeting?, Tueltersmith far; , Creek. Mr. Dobell showed liner; Stan Johns, told Min; Sharp's Creek, as an example istry of Natural Resources , of a, good cold water stream. (MNR) representatives that, In the third Part of the since the Seaford' Sewage PrOgrarn, Doug Dodget'SYP- lagoon was iMplemented, the . erintendent of the Fisheries drainage from the lagoon has Branch, Toronto, outlined altered the produetivity of the federal fisheries act and the Bayfield river, , pointed Out that anYfthing concerned with water had to be looked at by the agency. Fisheries is a federal matter. but the provinces were Offer- ,ed the job of managing and . enforcing the law in 1967., Only Ontario, British Cok- Mnbia, Quebec , and. Alberta Chose to accept the juris- diction, - Art Carr, from MNR, Wingharn, covered the act from the province's point .of . view. He admitted to 'a bone of. • contention, in the act concerning the definition of the word dam. Anything that holds:back water or diverts. it including bypass ponds, diversions and. Municipal drains can he clasSed as a dam. This caus- es confusion and there is a procedure underway to' have a better definition implem- ented. There are several acts rela- ted, to activities involving lakes and rivett. They in- elude the Lakes and Rivers. Improvement Act, the Beach Protection Act, the Public Lands Act and the Fisheries Act. There:are also statutes CANFARAI In other business Don marketing representa- tive for Canfarm in Huron County,„ announced that farmers Can reach him, through the Clinton Credit Union or :contact Pete Roy,. guidon,' who will be opening an agencY for Canfarm in ;Clinton. He told the meeting Canfarm Is a tax and man- ageinent -tool andhelps prod- ucers keep a better set of records "on a Monthly. basis,, He cautioned that Citnfarit;' does 'historical data'','not` income' tax forMS. Gordon;Hill reported on a Meeting between the land use committee and the istry of Natant ResOurcei. Thegroup offered the fol-• loWing .reSOlntion that Was passed 'by the. membership Thursday evening: that OFA petition proper authori ities to ensure that where.. farmers :are prevented from It was new information to ,the ministry and the repres- entatives were as .,concerned as the farmer about changing, the situation. The discussion was part of the prograni, "Cold water streams: an endangered hab-, itat", which the ministry held at the Huron Federa- tion's monthly meeting. Johns farms along the Bayfield river in Tuckersmith Township, and has lived his whole life, near the river. The ligOon was first built in'1971 and he says treated effluent is dumped into the' river twice yearly. Johns pointed out • the treatment procedure delays the dumping so late in the spring that the river is low and the trout :have already started to spawn. when the lageon is emptied. The efflu- ent smothers the eggs and, they don't hatch and the trout that escape travel back downstream. . The Ministry of the Envir- onment has been notified every spring by Johns. Bruce Bowland at the London office told. Johns in a,conversation in four other federal and earlierThursday, that the provincial acts. study the ministry did in The Fisheries Act says "no ' _ 1978 on the Seaforthlagoon, person shall carry on any will be released later this work or undertaking that re- spring. cults in the harmful altera- "In this part of the country dim, disruption or destruc- it is cold six months Of the den of ffilihal5itat":THabitat here not , only includes the water but the surroundings in which plants and other life forms interact to make fish life possible. • QUESTIONS Questions from the floor were answered by the three speakers and Norm • Rich- ards, district manager for the Winghain office of the MNR. A primary concern of farmers was the cost of making changes to the streams to a the farmers polluting the accommodate the ministry. streams. This Massive dis- At present an agreement is charge twice a year is the last negotiated with the land- Straw to break the camel's owner where in some cases back as far as the ecology of land can be leased by the the river is concerned," ministry to allow for fences Johns pointed out. along the stream banks. Physically the river looks Dobell pointed out that in the same and the farming some of the cleanup projects practices have not changed along the Belgrave Creek all said Johns but the productiv- the work and money was on ity of the river has declined the part of the ministry. and he would like to see more After upgrading the action taken. streams and creating suit- A short film ,.illustrated able habitat for fish, one what unrestricted cattle ac- farmer contended he and a cess to streams and bulldoz- lot of others would be faced ing and stripping of creeks • with tresspassers who would and streams can do to the cut their fences, scare, live- land around the streams and stock' and make a general to the •natural life in the nuisance of themselves. creeks. Richards offered assurances BIOLOGYST that the land is still private John Dobell, district biol- property and that the minist- .ogist for the MNR, Wing- ry is not keen on having ham, followed with °slides or people fishing in the breed- thearea,showing where corn- ing areas of the streams. mon 'sense and better water "The ministry can be management prevent erosion called to lay charges but I and improve the quality of would recommend that signs water, • be posted requiring pertnis Areas that have been. spot sion from the land owner," cleaned in co-operation with Richards said. draining land or put to in- by exemption ,from.property creased costs, to provide ftsh tax or government sharing habitat, or wet ' lands, or ' • project costs or a combina- lands for public benefit, that tion of both. year and, the lagoons cannot properly operate," said Johns. ' "The lagoon is iced over-in the winter and there is no aeration or evaporation es- sential for lagoons." "It irritates me that both government agencies (Minis. tries of Natural Resources and Environment) leave each other alone in a situation like this," said Johns. "They know it's not just Ashton's Fashions & Fabrics offer Fantastic 711-otiters Day it Savings' Slacks, Skirts, Blouses, Tank Tops, Blazers in Terry Velour, Polyester and Cotton Just:• to suit your mom Free Gift Wrapping Gift Certificates Beautiful Paris Star and Elan Co-ordinating Sportswear lucknow FOSISOOS FabriC* Phone 528.2126