Niagara River Remedial Action Plan
Niagara River Remedial Action Plan Stage 2 Update – September 2011
Please send comments after reviewing document to:
Valerie Cromie, Coordinator
Niagara River Remedial Action Plan
Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
(905) 634-0503
vcromie@npca.ca
Featuring one of the major natural attractions in the world, the Niagara River is viewed by millions each year, making tourism a major industry in the Niagara Peninsula. Not only is it a source of water for residents, municipalities, industry and agriculture, the Niagara River is a valuable resource for a variety of recreational activities such as fishing, boating, swimming and bird-watching.
In 1987 the Niagara River was designated as one of 43 Areas of Concern (AOCs) around the Great Lakes Basin by the International Joint Commission (IJC). This designation is due to degraded water quality which impairs complete use of the river’s resources. A Remedial Action Plan (RAP) has been developed for each of these severely degraded areas. The purpose of RAPs is to identify major water quality concerns and take actions to resolve them. When the issues have been addressed, the AOC will be considered remediated of “delisted”. Although the Niagara River AOC encompasses the Niagara watershed on both sides of the border, RAPs are being developed independently in Ontario and New York State and in partnership with the respective local communities. Achieving a healthy environment and restoring degraded water quality in the Niagara (and Welland River) watershed have been, and continue to be, important issues to all communities in the AOC.
Since the RAP Stage 2 (or action plan) Report was completed in 1995, many implementation activities have been undertaken in the AOC. In 2004 the lead government agencies for the Niagara River RAP initiated a ten-year review of the water quality issues and progress in taking action. What emerged from the review is a current and more detailed picture of the state of the aquatic environment in the Ontario portion of the Niagara River AOC, as well as further actions required to delist the AOC. Details of the review are included in the Niagara River Remedial Action Plan Stage 2 Report 
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Status of the AOC
The 14 possible beneficial use impairments as outlined in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement are evaluated against the delisting criteria. This analysis of the most current data against performance measures is as follows:
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NO LONGER “IMPAIRED” Bird or animal deformities or reproduction problems Fish tumours & deformities Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption (just the wildlife component – the fish component continues to be impaired)
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CONTINUES TO BE “IMPAIRED” Degradation of benthos (worms and insects that live at the bottom of the river) Beach closings Loss of fish and wildlife habitat
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“REQUIRES FURTHER ASSESSMENT” TO “IMPAIRED” Degradation of fish and wildlife populations (just the degradation of wildlife populations component – resulting in the entire beneficial use impairment now being listed as impaired) Eutrophication (excessive input of nutrient) or undesirable algae (just the undesirable algae component – resulting in the entire beneficial use impairment now being listed as impaired)
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CONTINUES TO “REQUIRE FURTHER ASSESSMENT” Ø Degradation of phytoplankton and zooplankton populations |
What Remains to be Done?
It was clear from this review that while a lot of positive work has been completed there is still work to be done. Some of the remaining key actions include:
- Assessing and addressing sources of nutrients leading to eutrophication of the Welland River and its tributaries.
- Restoring and protecting fish and wildlife habitat, including unique habitats found rarely in other parts of the Great Lakes basin, and reducing the impacts of hydroelectric operations at the Sir Adam Beck Generating Station on the river upstream of the Chippawa Power Canal.
- Implementing the monitored natural recovery strategy and the administrative controls for PCB-contaminated sediment at Lyon’s Creek East.
- Completing assessments for the beneficial use impairment status for “degradation of phytoplankton and zooplankton populations” and implementing appropriate actions for any other beneficial uses deemed impaired.
- Completing assessment of Queens Royal Beach and implementing required actions.
- Developing and implementing an updated monitoring plan which will help track progress of the Beneficial Use Impairments and ensure that they don’t backslide.
This review also demonstrated how key stakeholders are important to the Remedial Action Process. For example, in 2003 the Niagara Water Strategy was developed through the partnership of the Niagara Region, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, the Ministry of the Environment and a wide variety of other stakeholders. The Niagara Region, in coordination with the local municipalities through the Niagara Water Strategy, is considered to be a major implementation partner in the Area of Concern. The Niagara Water Strategy has also provided a complementary strategy to the Remedial Action Plan on water quality and quantity issues.
Another key example is the successful work that the Niagara River Restoration Council (in partnership with the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and Environment Canada) has achieved in restoring fish access to many of the tributaries in the Niagara River Area of Concern.
A final key example is the work that the community and the technical committee (the Niagara River Contaminated Sediment Technical Advisory Group) completed on Lyon’s Creek East. Their efforts produced numerous assessments of the chemicals of concern in this area which indicated that no more actions are required at this time and that we can proceed with monitoring the natural recovery of Lyon’s Creek East.. The next step consists of implementing an Administrative Controls Protocol to ensure that the contaminated sediment remains undisturbed in the future.
These successes, and many more like them, illustrate how this Remedial Action Plan depends on ownership and leadership by its various partners and stakeholders to make progress towards removing the Niagara River from the list of Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes.
Progress Highlights
International Liason
The twentieth anniversary of the signing of the “Niagara River Declaration of Intent” to reduce the concentrations of toxic pollutants in the Niagara River was marked by the U.S. and Canadian environmental agencies at a public meeting in October 2007 at Grand Island, N.Y.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is the lead agency for the U.S. Niagara River RAP. This has enhanced liaison and collaboration between the two Niagara River RAPs.
Niagara River Repository
A collection of reports and documents about pollution in the Niagara River and the Niagara River Remedial Action Plan was established at the Niagara Falls (Ontario) Public Library in 1991, and is available to the public as reference material.
Quick Facts
- The Niagara River corridor received the global designation as an Important Bird Area (IBA) in 1996.
- The Niagara River AOC falls within the Carolinian life zone and contains, or is in proximity to, unique habitats for wildlife, most notably Wainfleet Bog, Niagara Gorge, and the Niagara Escarpment.
- Over 100 wetlands within the AOC are recognized as provincially significant wetlands
- Niagara River wetlands provide important nesting habitat for the provincially significant Black-crowned Night-Heron.
Approved Niagara RAP Reports
The following reports are provided in PDF format.
Other Studies of Interest
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Niagara River Remedial Action Plan Coordinating Committee. The following documents are provided in PDF format unless otherwise noted.
Presentations from the RAP Implementation Committee Workshop, Nov. 10, 2010
The following documents are provided in PDF format unless otherwise noted.
