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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-11-03, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1999. Farmers hear how drains, fish habitats co-exist By Janice Becker Citizen staff Local drainage superintendents, councillors and fanners attended a farm drainage workshop in Seaforth last Thursday to learn how farm drains and fish habitats can co-exist. Huron Stewardship Council repre­ sentative Steve Bowers introduced the session by outlining the purpose of the gathering. Noting that waterways are impor­ tant tp farm productivity, wildlife and fish habitats, he said, “Sometimes one viewpoint is focused on more than another. However, drainage can be managed for more than one function.” The workshop was intended to give agencies an opportunity to work with farmers, landowners and con­ cerned parties to initiate and promote ideas on how the two concepts of Award-winning writers Gayle McArter, left, and Joyce Jacklin, second from right, of the CIBC in Brussels, along with Bev Palmer, Brussels Fair homecraft president, made a stop at Grey Central Public School last week to present students with prizes earned in the Brussels Fair essay contest. Writing about “Social Issues of Today”, winners were, from left, in back: Amanda Stevenson, Amanda Brodrecht, Scott Armstrong and Rob Semple. In front: Paula Bowles and Steven Crawford. waterway management can work together. Sid Vanderveen briefly detailed the Drainage Act, a piece of legisla­ tion which has been in place for more than 100 years. “It is a tool for landowners to use to resolve problems,” he said. Though there are mutual agree­ ment drains and requisition drains, Vanderveen dealt mainly with peti­ tion drains, the most common type in municipal settings. A petition for a drain may be filed with a municipality to deal with flooding or poor drainage, he said. The Ministry of Natural Resources, conservation authority and a drainage engineer then become involved to look at all aspects of the land. “The site meeting is a very impor­ tant part of the process,” he added. Everyone involved has the opportu­ nity to express concerns which the engineer takes into consideration when developing a plan. A meeting is then held with coun­ cil to address the engineer’s report and assessment. Once council has provisionally accepted the report, there is an appeal process in place for any disagreements. “Municipal drains are a result of a municipal bylaw and a community process,” said Vanderveen. “ It has to be accepted by the community.” When discussing the repair and maintenance procedures, Vanderveen said superintendents are governed by standards set in the bylaw and engineer’s report. “They cannot arbitrarily make changes.” Vanderveen stressed that the drainage act is a “tool to resolve problems. The end result depends on who is using it.” He said it is important to remem­ ber that any drain is a community project with fixed standards. The user pay system results in all landowners on the drain becoming “partners” in the project. It is impor­ tant to get the partners on board with any plans. Mike Malhiot, a biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources, spoke on behalf of fish habitats. The Fisheries Act says that a fish habitat cannot be harmfully altered disrupted or destroyed unless author­ ized by the ministry. The key in this statement is “harm­ fully”, said Malhiot. It does not say alterations cannot occur, but they cannot be harmful, unless special compensation agreement is reached. These agreements often include rehabilitating the habitat, contribut­ ing equally to another section of the waterway or one in the local area. Malhiot said some problems between the Drainage Act and fish habitats arise due to time constraints on projects. To help alleviate the problem, a class authorization system was developed to classify streams. The classifications detail flow, tempera­ ture, species and last clean-out, in one case. Each classification has guidelines to follow. The classification system also streamlined the drainage work request process as the ministry no longer needed to review each appli­ cation. Only waterways designated as D (cold/cool temperature with trout and/or salmon) and E (warm with top predators) needed project specific approval. Norm Smith of the Ministry of Natural Resources Science and Technology Transfer Unit gave an overview of drainage options and alternative approaches. Participants were given time to review several pictures of various natural and man-made drains to determine the effectiveness both as drains and fish habitats. Though views came from very dif­ ferent perspectives, there was good agreement on which waterways were good for both purposes. In detailing alternatives to straight, dug trenches, which may work well for drainage, Smith outlined features which could be included to also encourage fish populations. Some aspects to consider included mean­ dering patterns for the waterway, rough bottoms created with rocks and woody debris, connections to a floodplain, instream vegetation, width and depth ratio, buffer zone and overhang vegetation. Not only do these features create a good habitat, but the width to depth ratio can alleviate sedimentation problems and the buffer zone can fil­ ter sediment falling into the drain. Drains often fail due to cropping too close to the stream edge, inten­ sive livestock management and trampling of the banks or sheet ero­ sion from neighbouring fields, said Smith. He noted that not all alternatives will work in all situations. “The key in any waterway is diversity.” A discussion was also held on some local examples of drainage works and fish habitats working together. The workshop was co-sponsored by the Huron Stewardship Council, Perth Stewardship Network, Environment Canada Department of Fisheries, Maitland Valley, Ausable Bayfield and Upper Thames Conservation Authorities and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Wedding Announcement D \ November, Diabetes month Diabetes is the leading cause bf death by disease in North America. Its complications kill more people each year than AIDS, breast cancer and lupus combined. More than 1.5 million Canadians are already affected by the disease and an additional 750,000 have not yet been diagnosed. November is Diabetes Month and its purpose is to create awareness about the seriousness of the disease and the need to find a cure. “Many people think that insulin is a cure. It’s not. It’s simply a control,” said Ron Forbes, president, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. “Juvenile Diabetes Foundation is determined to find a cure for this disease by rais­ ing much needed funds for vital dia- HELPING THE WORLD WRITE NOW CODE Self-sufficiency through literacy in the developing world For information, call 1-800-661-2633 betes research. A cure must be found.” Call 1-877-CURE-JDF or visit the website at www.jdfc.ca to make a donation. Osteoporosis strikes 1 in 4 women over 50 years old. Osteoporosis Society of Canada Call 1-800-463-6842 for more information. In search of the past The Citizen is searching for old photos of our com­ munities for a special Millennium issue to be pub­ lished at the end of the year. If you have pictures that would help us tell the story of our area towns, from the turn of the centu­ ry until now, and are interested in sharing them with us for this collector’s issue, drop them into the office or call 519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114. CARTER-HYND Sandy Carter and Todd Hynd were married on July 10, 1999 at Parkview United Church, Stratford, Ontario. Sandy is the daughter of Jim and Dorothy Carter of Londesboro and Todd is the son of Dave and Jane Hynd of Stratford. Maid of Honour was Barb Carter, sister of the bride and bridesmaids were Judy Carter and Christine Carter, sisters of the bride, and Allison Hiller, sister of the groom. Best man was Dan Cooper, friend of the groom, and groomsmen were Matt Dobson, and Gary Tidey, friends of the groom, and Brent Hiller, brother-in-law of the groom. The reception followed at the Stratford Golf and Country Club. Master of Ceremonies was Chris MacDonald, friend of the bride and groom. The couple currently reside in Stratford. A special thank you | to our family and friends for making our day so memorable.