Bank Stabilization (2015)
Goals of the Project
- Restoration of 400m2 of in-stream habitat including restoring both natural channel widths and stable banks as well as the addition of natural substrate and cover materials
- Restore previously damaged riparian zones that have been lost through poor land use practices and erosion
- Plant trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants to create a living streambank example as a demonstration project in this extremely visible area (beside golf course, university, college, and highly used recreational fishery)
- The project will build local capacity by having expertise from community groups, contractors, agencies, university staff and engineering firms learn restoration concepts from a highly reputable engineering/biological firm that has undertaken many similar projects as part of the award winning Manitoulin Stream Projects
- Address vehicular access issues south of Central Avenue where vehicles at time drive into the creek leading to issues such as erosion and loss of riparian habitat. The intent is to establish a natural buffer area and downstream impacted zones. (see map)
- Install signage as an education tool and to continue on with the NSSA/TBDSC concept of a living classroom involving local school groups and teaching them about the importance of urban streams, coldwater fisheries and habitat to support recreational fisheries and a productive aquatic ecosystem
- The project team will work closely with the City of Thunder Bay Parks Division and the Thunder Bay Country Club to use in kind support (labour, equipment, materials) to restore these shorelands as per agreed-upon outcomes
- Address erosion risks on private land which cause risk to the adjacent public lands (Central Ave Culvert) and the park lands to the south
Community Partners and Funding Agencies
The North Shore Steelhead Association with the support of the following local organizations; the Thunder Bay District Stewardship Council, Lakehead University Remedial Action Plan, and the City of Thunder Bay partnered with the Recreational Fisheries Community Partnership Program of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in this habitat restoration project. This project was aimed at restoring and protecting the integrity of the riverbank, thereby reducing the amount of fine granular material being deposited into the McIntyre River.
Additional funding for this project was received from the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes water quality and ecosystem health, the Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund and the Land Stewardship & Habitat Restoration Program.
The design provided by Kevin Briggs Peng of True Grit Engineering of Thunder Bay Ontario. The contract was awarded to LHnorth of Thunder Bay.
The project started on August 17th with the creation of a diversion channel to allow for the bank work to be done in the "dry". Permits were obtained from the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority and a Permit to Take Water was secured from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change prior to undertaking this project.
Other community partners include: Brock White Construction products, TBT Engineering and Rutter Urban Forestry.
LHNorth has finished the bank stabilization and has placed boulders in the stream to slow the force of the current and to offer some in-stream habitat.
