HAMILTON HARBOUR, ONTARIO
(This section includes Stage of RAP development, Beneficial Use Impairments and
their delisting targets,
and information on whether the AOC has been accurately mapped.)
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Stage of RAP Development:
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2
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Are electronic maps available that include the AOC's geographic boundaries
and associated sources of pollution?
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Yes
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Beneficial Use Impairments (BUI):
(The BUI will appear underlined if a delisting target has
been determined.
If underlined,
click on the BUI
to display the delisting target.)
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Restriction on Fish & Wildlife Consumption
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There will be no restrictions on consumption of fish and wildlife from the
Harbour attributable to local sources.
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Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Population
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The fish community has the following structure:
* Shift from a fish community indicative of eutrophic environments,
such as white
perch, alewife, bullheads, and carp to a self sustaining community more
representative of a mesotrophic environment, containing pike, bass, yellow
perch, and sunfish.
* Attain a littoral fish biomass of 200-250 kg/ha.
* Increase the species richness from 4 species to 6-7 species per
transect.
* Increase the native species biomass from 37% to 80-90% of the
total biomass.
* Reduce the spatial variability in fish biomass within the harbour.
* Proposed nearshore fish community includes biomass of 40-60 kg/ha
for
pike/bass, 70-100 kg/ha for insectivores such as pumpkinheads, yellow perch,
and 30-90 kg/ha for omnivores such as carp and brown bullheads.
Self sustaining mixed community of colonial waterbirds, with an increase of the
rarer species and a reduction in the number of ringbilled gulls, including:
* 5,000 pairs of ring-billed gulls
* > 600 pairs of common terns
* 350 pairs of herring gulls
* > 200 pairs of caspian terns
* 200 pairs of double-crested cormorants
* 200 pairs of black-crowned night herons
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Fish Tumors or Other Deformities
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When incidence rates of fish tumors or other deformities do not exceed rates
at unimpacted control sites that are locally relevant and when survey data
confirm the absence of neoplastic or preneoplastic liver tumors in bullheads or
suckers.
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Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems
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When the incidence rates of deformities or reproductive problems in sentinel
wildlife species do not exceed background levels in control populations.
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Degradation of Benthos
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* Biomass estimates for mesotrophic conditions to range from 25 to 50 g/m2 wet
weight of benthos.
* Shift in oligochaete assemblages (benthic sludge worms) from indicators of
eutrophic environments, to mesotrophic indicators.
* An increase in the contribution of other species in Hamilton Harbour sediment
indicative of mesotrophic conditions such as midges, fingernail clams,
mayflies, and the amphipod Pontoporeia hoyi.
* Reduction in oligochaete (sludge worm) density from an average 10,000 animals
per m2 found in 1984 to between 2,000 and 3,000 per m2 in profundal sediments.
* Appearance of crustaceans, such as freshwater shrimp in the deep water basin
and the amphipod Pontoporeia hoyi in the surficial sediments throughout the
hypolimnion.
* Absence of acute and chronic toxic effects attributable to trace metals or
organics in benthic macroinvertebrates throughout the Harbour and Cootes
Paradise.
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Restrictions on Dredging Activities
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When contaminants in sediments do not exceed biological and chemical standards,
criteria, or guidelines such that there are restrictions on dredging or
disposal activities.
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Eutrophication or Undesirable Algae
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Eutrophication goals and anticipated environmental conditions in Hamilton
Harbour, Cootes Paradise, and the Grindstone Creek area include:
* Net loading targets for phosphorus, ammonia, suspended solids at
the Hamilton
and Burlington STPs, Stelco, Dofasco, other industry, streams and CSOs.
* Receiving water chemistry goals for P, NH3, chlorophyll a, secchi
disc, D.O.,
aquatic plant area, seston conc.
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Beach Closings
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* That Hamilton Harbour effluent to Lake Ontario not give rise to conditions
which would cause restrictions on open Lake water contact sports.
* That water quality conditions in the west end and in the north half of the
Harbour, be such as to permit opening of beaches and which would cause no
significant restriction on water contact sports.
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Degradation of Aesthetics
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When the waters are free of any substance which produces a persistent
objectionable deposit, unnatural colour or turbidity, or unnatural odour (e.g.
oil slick, surface scum).
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Degradation of Phytoplankton & Zooplankton Populations
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When phytoplankton and zooplankton community structure does not significantly
diverge from unimpacted control sites of comparable physical and chemical
characteristics. Further in the absence of community structure data, this use
will be considered restored when phytoplankton and zooplankton bioassays
confirm no significant toxicity in ambient waters.
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Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat
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* Increase quantity of emergent and submergent aquatic plants in Hamilton
Harbour, Cootes Paradise, Grindstone Creek delta, and Grindstone Creek marshes
to approximately 500 hectares in accordance with the Fish and Wildlife Habitat
Restoration Project.
* Provide an additional 10 km of littoral shore by creating 5 km of narrow
islands.
* Create an additional 344 ha of lagoon habitat for waterfowl.
* Create 270 ha of colonial nesting habitat.
* Water clarity targets for the summer season (June to September) as measured by
Secchi Disc: Harbour 3.0 m; Cootes Paradise & Grindstone Creek 1.0 m.
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CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT
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Estimated remaining volume of contaminated sediment within the AOC:
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no information
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Remediation to Date
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Project Name:
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Amount Remediated:
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Remediation Cost:
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Demonstration Project
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216 m
3
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no information
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Windemere Bay
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unknown
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$5,000,000
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Planned Action Regarding Sediment Remediation
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Project Name:
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Amt. to be Remediated:
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Estimated Cost:
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Randle Reef
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20,000 m
3
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$15,000,000
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WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE
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Improvements to Wastewater Infrastructure - Dollars Spent:
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Cleanup Fund (CUF) / Great Lakes Sustainability Fund (GLSF)
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$5,000,000
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Ontario
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$7,000,000
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Hamilton-Wentworth
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$53,000,000
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4 COS tanks completed
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no information
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Identified Future Costs for Wastewater Infra. - Dollars Needed:
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City of Hamilton Sewage Treatment Plant and CSOs
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$600,000,000
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1 CSO tank to be completed
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no information
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HABITAT
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Projects / Proposals / Costs:
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$25,600,000 on 14 projects - CUF/GLSF
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340 ha. of new habitat established
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170 ha. of aquatic vegetation naturally restored in the harbour
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6500 ha. protected, including 120 km. of riparian habitat and 2900 ha. of
wetlands
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Fish habitat management strategy implemented
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OTHER SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
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Issues:
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1 non-point source control project: $300,000
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People can safely swim in the harbour for the first time in 50 years
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Parks Canada committed $10,000,000 for a Canada Marina Discovery Centre - to be
opened 2003
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MANAGEMENT
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Federal:
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Rimi Kalinauskas
Environment Canada
4905 Dufferin Street
Downsview, ON M3H 5T4
(416) 739-5836
John D. Hall, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
RAP Coordinator
P.O.Box 5050, 867 Lakeshore Rd.
Burlington, ON L7R 4A6
(905) 336-6465
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Provincial:
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Mary Ellen Scanlon
Great Lakes Advisor
Ontario MOE
Ellen Fairclough Building
12th floor, 119 King Street West
Hamilton, ON L8P 4Y7
(905) 521-7715
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Local / PAC:
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Marilyn Baxter
c/o BARC
McMaster University
Room B130F, Life Sciences
Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1
(905) 525-7111
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Please Note:
Values provided are intended as indicators only, and may not
capture all expenditures or work done. Summary is based on best available
Information. "No Information" indicates relevant information was not
available at time of publication.
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