Summer 2013 RAPort Quarterly Newsletter from the North Shore Remedial Action Plan Events! Lake Superior Day July 21 st 2013 @ 10am Pool 6 ship dock at Marina Park Oct. 9 th 2013 @ 7pm To be announced Thunder Bay PAC Meeting Sept. 11 th 2013 @ 6pm Current River Park at Fishermens Rd. For more details check out: Issue 2 www.infosuperior.com Assuring environmental health on the North Shore of Lake Superior Thunder Bay and Nipigon Bay How to Celebrate Lake Superior By Ashley Preim Lake Superior day is a special day that encourages people to celebrate the largest freshwater lake in the world. Lake Superior Day is a FREE, fun, family event that includes something for everyone. This year the celebration takes place at the Pool 6 Cruise Ship Dock in Marina Park. This summer, the romance of the high seas comes to Lake Superior Day with a visit from the tall ship Sorlandet. Entry to Lake Superior Day is free and tickets for the Sorlandet tours will be sold on site for just $3 per person, under 3 years of age free. Guaranteed to bring out the Jack Sparrow in all of us, a deck tour aboard the Sorlandet is an experience not to be missed. The 57metre (210 ft) fully rigged sailing ship is the oldest and largest fully rigged ship in operation today. She was built in 1927 in Norway and served as a training vessel for the Norwegian navy. Continued on page 4 Kayak Tour August 15 th 2013 @6pm Marina Park A picture of the Sorlandet provided by Class Afloat
Transcript
Summer 2013
RAPort Quarterly Newsletter from the
North Shore Remedial Action Plan
Events!
Lake Superior
Day
July 21st 2013 @ 10am Pool 6 ship dock at Marina Park
Oct. 9th 2013 @ 7pm To be announced
Thunder Bay PAC Meeting
Sept. 11th 2013 @ 6pm Current River Park at Fishermens Rd.
For more details
check out:
Issue 2
www.infosuperior.com
Assuring environmental health on the North Shore of Lake Superior
Thunder Bay and Nipigon Bay
How to Celebrate Lake Superior By Ashley Preim
Lake Superior day is a special day that encourages people to celebrate the largest freshwater lake in the world. Lake Superior Day is a FREE, fun, family event that includes something for everyone. This year the celebration takes place at the Pool 6 Cruise Ship Dock in Marina Park. This summer, the romance of the high seas comes to Lake Superior Day with a visit from the tall ship Sorlandet. Entry to Lake Superior Day is free and tickets for the Sorlandet tours will be sold on site for just $3 per person, under 3 years of age free. Guaranteed to bring out the Jack Sparrow in all of us, a deck tour aboard the Sorlandet is an experience not to be missed. The 57-‐metre (210 ft) fully rigged sailing ship is the oldest and largest fully rigged ship in operation today. She was built in 1927 in Norway and served as a training vessel for the Norwegian navy.
Continued on page 4
Kayak Tour
August 15th 2013 @6pm Marina Park
A picture of the
Sorlandet provided by Class Afloat
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Issue 2 www.infosuperior.com
Summer 2013
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September 11th PAC Meeting “Walk the Talk” By Matt Quick
The remediation of impairments in the Thunder Bay Harbour is assisted by a Public Advisory Committee (PAC). See the complete list of PAC members in a separate article in this newsletter. The Public Advisory Committee (PAC) usually meets at Lakehead University but on September 11th, 6 p.m., the group will be trying something a little different when they meet in the picnic shelter near the commercial fishing dock near the mouth of the Current River beside Fishermens Rd. To access this site, turn off Cumberland St. North towards L. Superior onto Shipyard Drive, proceed a few hundred meters then turn right onto Shipyard Rd., proceed a couple of hundred meters then turn left onto Fisherman’s Rd. beside the Current R. You’ll see the picnic shelter on your right beside the Current R. After a bite to eat (provided) the “meeting” will begin. The general public is welcome to attend and there is no charge. The term “meeting” is used rather loosely when it comes to Sept. 11th. Actually, the PAC will tour three areas of interest, all within walking distance of the picnic shelter: Current River Mouth – Work has been completed to rehabilitate degraded walleye spawning habitat at the Current River mouth. PAC members will visit this location in person; rehabilitation work and subsequent monitoring will be described and information provided as to potential future remedial actions for this site.
Thunder Bay PAC meeting
Geotechnical and environmental sampling is being completed to further assess the characteristics of mercury impacted enriched organic sediment in Thunder Bay North Harour. This picture shows the barge and drill rig used for the work.
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Current River Fish Ladder – The Current R. has approximately 50 km. of potential spawning and nursery habitat available to rainbow trout. Passage is altered by the dam situated approximately 600 m. upstream from the mouth. PAC members will visit the fish ladder at the dam and information will be provided as to potential future remedial actions. North Harbour Mercury Contamination – Sediment in the northern portion of Thunder Bay Harbour has total mercury levels that exceed the Provincial Sediment Quality Guidelines severe effect level in an area covering approximately three hectares. This is in an area adjacent to the former Cascades Fine Papers mill. PAC members will view this area from the shoreline. The geographic extent of the contamination will be described, and information provided about research completed over the summer. If you are interested in environmental matters, especially as they relate to Thunder Bay Harbour and Lake Superior, please feel free to attend the Sept. 11th meeting. PAC members want to see effective solutions put in place to address the above issues and are always glad to see broader public interest. Feel free to attend, learn, ask questions and provide comment. The complete information package for the meeting will be accessible in August at www.infosuperior.com. This includes the agenda, overall meeting format and all documents associated with the meeting. Contact Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan Coordinator Jim Bailey for more information – 343-‐8514 or [email protected].
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Summer 2013
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Thunder Bay Yacht Club has close ties to the Harbour By Jim Bailey
The Public Advisory Committee to the Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan is always seeking perspective on cleanup plans for Thunder Bay Harbour. Current members include a broad range of members including a science teacher, representatives from industries such as Resolute Forest Products, Erco Worldwide (chemicals), Richardson International (grain elevator), the North Shore Steelhead Association, EcoSuperior and Lakehead University.
To date however, the PAC has not included representation from the largest recreational group using the harbour, the Thunder Bay Yacht Club. The Thunder Bay Yacht Club has approximately 400 members with sailboats and powerboats both large and small. Members utilize the harbour and lower Kaministiquia River on a regular basis, some almost daily. In fact, some members of the club are involved in harbour sailboat races several nights per week. Many members know all areas of the harbour and lower Kam River intimately.
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On May 21st, the Public Advisory Committee tried to change this situation. Lakehead University Remedial Action Plan representatives Jim Bailey and Matt Quick, accompanied by Public Advisory Committee Outreach Chair Bruce Pritchard, presented an overview of the Remedial Action Plan to the Yacht Club board. The presentation included past success stories like cleanup of creosote at the former Northern Wood site and outstanding challenges like how to address the problem of mercury contamination in the north portion of Thunder Bay Harbour. Bruce Pritchard pointed out that the Red Rock Marina, which many Thunder Bay Yacht Club members have visited, was actually a Nipigon Bay Remedial Action Plan project incorporating fish habitat features.
Subsequent to the May 21st meeting, the Public Advisory Committee received notice that Yacht Club board member Denette Maslach would represent the club as a Public Advisory Committee member. The Committee is very pleased to have representation from a group with such strong ties to the harbour and Lake Superior.
The Public Advisory Committee has also given presentations to other groups, like the March 28th presentation to the local chapter of the International Grain Elevator and Processing Society. At this meeting, 30 people who depend on the harbour to make a living learned about Remedial Action Plan progress and challenges.
This photo features
"AirAura" sailed by Thunder
Bay Yacht Club
members Chris and
Susan Bailey.
Want to get more involved with upcoming Outreach activities? Meetings will occur every 1-2 months.
She was later used for accommodations for German submariners in World War II. Currently, the ship hosts Class Afloat, an exclusive floating school offering a unique way to finish a high school diploma while visiting ports around the world. The Sorlandet’s first trip across the Atlantic was in 1933 when she was a highlight of the Chicago World Fair and served as the Norwegian pavilion. This year, the ship is re-‐enacting that historic voyage with a visit to Chicago and many other Great Lakes ports as part of the Tall Ships Challenge 2013.
The Lakehead University Remedial Action Plan office will also be attending Lake superior Day. Be sure to check out our booth featuring information about cleanup of the Thunder Bay Harbour including the lower Kaministiquia River. This year’s festivities also include: educational displays, the Science North Cool Science Caravan, a Canadian Coast Guard Search & Rescue boat, a Tug Boat, a nearshore clean up by Thunder Bay’s EcoDivers, and food vendors.
*Be advised that while transportation to the site is accessible, the ship itself is not wheelchair accessible.
Lake Superior Day starts at 10:00 am on Sunday July 21st and ends at 5:00 pm. The Sorlandet is also open for public tours on Monday July 22nd from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm with no other associated activities. This year’s event takes place at Marina Park, Pool 6 Cruise Ship Dock. Although Pool 6 can be accessed from
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the Pearl Street Marina Park entrance, the public is encouraged to park off-‐site and walk, bike or take the free shuttle bus to the Cruise Ship Dock. There is no public parking available at the Pool 6 site Sunday, July 21 or Monday, July 22, 2013. Limited spaces available on site for handicap parking. The City Shuttle Bus will pick up and drop off at the following locations: Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, Heart of the Harbour Parkade (parking fees applies) and Water Street Terminal. Something to keep in mind as you attend Lake Superior Day is the very large Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan project completed just across from the Pool 6 Cruise Ship Dock. About 500 meters south of the Pool 6 Dock and just north of the former ore dock, cleanup of a portion of the harbour contaminated with creosote took place. Cleanup centered around the former Northern Wood Preservers site and was completed in 2003. Contributions from the former owners of the site, as well as from the federal and provincial governments, made the project possible. Looking across from the Pool 6 dock you should be able to easily see the “habitat buffer” which surrounds the Northern Wood cleanup project. The buffer is comprised of small islets, bays and coastal indentations and is designed to increase aquatic habitat for fish and wildlife.
A picture of the Sorlandet provided by Class Afloat
Dave Crawford, current chair of the Public Advisory Committee (PAC) to the Nipigon Bay Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is a long-‐serving member. Betty Brill and Bruce Pritchard have also been involved from the late eighties inception of this cleanup plan for Nipigon Bay.
Dave says his interest in the outdoors forms the basis for his involvement in the RAP, “As kids we were always in the outdoors, whether fishing, hunting, biking or hiking. I really learned to love the area around Nipigon; the lake, the river, the inland lakes, bush roads and trails. As I grew older I really wanted to ensure the natural environment was protected.”
The RAP has dealt with issues such as loss of fish and wildlife habitat, the health of fish populations like the Nipigon Bay walleye population and excess nutrients and undesirable algae in the lower Nipigon River. The PAC offers local input to RAP government agencies like the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Canada.
“I think our first really big success was putting in place an agreement with Ontario Hydro (now Ontario Power Generation) to limit water level fluctuations in the Nipigon River. There was a real problem with spawning areas being left high and dry due to big water level swings from hydroelectric
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generation. The agreement really helped the trout fishery. I’m not saying things are perfect but it is much better than it was before this agreement was put in place.
Another big success was putting in place secondary municipal wastewater treatment for Nipigon. The RAP played a large role in bringing in funds. I’m proud of this. We know Red Rock will be putting in place secondary treatment in the near future.
I also have to mention the marina in Red Rock. It’s great to see the new marina building. What a beautiful facility. The RAP program assisted in putting in place the large-‐scale funds necessary to construct the marina in the first place. The marina is unique in that it was designed to incorporate fish habitat. The RAP program has been beneficial to both Nipigon and Red Rock, primarily in an environmental sense but also in an economic sense.”
RAP work on the environment has gone hand-‐in-‐hand with other community efforts like construction of the Nipigon River trail. “We’ve had as many as 240 people out on the Hike for Health. People connect with nature on the trail. They are happy and healthy. The trail passes the lower river wetlands. These are an important fish habitat component and should be protected,” says Dave.
In closing Dave adds, “The Nipigon is the largest river entering the Great Lakes. When you consider all of the water coming down through the Ogoki diversion, we really are the Great Lakes headwaters. I think this needs to be kept in mind, even when considering issues like potential nuclear waste storage.”
Nipigon Chair Outlines Successes
Nipigon Mayor Richard Harvey, Public Advisory
Committee members Dave
Crawford, Betty Brill and MPP
Michael Gravelle
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Kaministiqua to understanding the fish community across the whole AOC. The AOC includes the entire Thunder Bay Harbour area.
Some of the projects the RAP is working on to better understand and improve the fish community include: a fish community index netting program, a multi-‐year radio telemetry program to document the seasonal distribution and movement of adult walleye, a study of lake sturgeon spawning sites just below Kakabeka Falls, and an assessment of spawning walleye near the mouth of the Current River. There is some indication that fish populations are slowly improving; however, continued monitoring needs to be conducted to ensure this trend continues.
The Lakehead University Remedial Action Plan office coordinates efforts aimed at improved environmental quality in the Thunder Bay AOC. The lead agency working to improve the dynamics of fish populations is the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. MNR is assisted by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Environment Canada.
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Improving Fish Populations By Samuel Pegg
In 1987, the governments of Canada and United States identified 43 locations around the Great Lakes where the quality of the environment had declined to the point that it hindered enjoyable and sustainable use of the area. Thunder Bay was listed amongst the 43 Areas of Concern (AOCs) largely because of historic industrial discharges and increasing urbanization of the waterfront, leading to loss of fish and wildlife habitat.
To deal with environmental issues in these areas, Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) were established to guide restoration efforts. The Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan Stage I Report identified fourteen beneficial use impairments (BUIs), which would require action before the area could be deemed remediated.
Dynamics of fish populations is one such impairment. At the time the Stage I report was prepared, there were low levels of dissolved oxygen coupled with high water temperatures in the Kaministiqua River. This resulted in periodic fish kills and a difference in fish community structure above and below the Bowater outfall. Since then, very substantial investment to upgrade mill effluent treatment has taken place resulting in improved water quality. Strict environmental regulations, a cessation of river log drives and an overall reduction in shipping traffic have also assisted in improving environmental conditions in the lower Kaministiquia. The current focus of the RAP has now expanded from specific impairments on the
Information Bulletin Board
If you have an interest in environmental matters, the harbour, Lake Superior in general or if you represent a group which does, the Public Advisory Committee would be glad to have you as a member. Also, if your group would like a presentation about the Remedial Action Plan for either Thunder Bay or Nipigon Bay, please get in touch. Contact Jim Bailey, 343-‐8514 or [email protected]
Rainbow Trout during spring
migration on a north
shore stream.
Fisheries biologist holding a walleye.
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Summer 2013
SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Environmental Issue 1991 Status(Stage 1)
2004 Status(Stage 2)
2011 Status(Update)
Impairments to Fish Health
Dynamics of Fish Populations I I I
Loss of Fish Habitat I I I
Fish Consumption Restrictions I I RFA
Fish Tumours & Other Deformities I I RFA
Impairments to Sediment Quality
Degradation of Benthos I I I
Restrictions on Navigational Dredging I I *NI
Impairments to Water Quality
Restrictions on Drinking Water Consumption or taste and odour problems
NI NI NI
Excess nutrients and/or undesirable algae NI NI NI
Added cost to agriculture and industry NI NI NI
Beach Advisories I I I
Degradation of Zooplankton & Phytoplank-ton
I I RFA
Degradation of Aesthetics I I I
Impairments to Wildlife
Wildlife Consumption Restrictions NI NI NI
Bird and Animal Deformities or Reproductive problems
RFA NI RFA
Loss of Wildlife Habitat I I I
Dynamics of Wildife Populations I I I
I = Impaired, NI = Not Impaired/No Longer Impaired, RFA = Requires Further Assessment, Asterisk* = Proposed Designiation
The Remedial Action Plan is undertaken with the financial support of:
Environment Canada
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
North Shore Remedial Action Plan Office Thunder Bay and Nipigon Bay Lakehead University RC 3000 955 Oliver Road Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1 [email protected]
