Case Study

Laurel Creek Watershed

Ontario, Canada

Nancy Goucher
Fourth-year undergraduate student
School of Planning
University of Waterloo, Waterloo Ontario
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2L 3G1
Phone: (519) 888-4567 Ext. 6044
Fax: (519) 725-2827
E-mail: npgouche@fes.uwaterloo.ca
http://www.resourceknowledge.org
CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction 5

2.0 Physical Description of the Laurel Creek Watershed in Premodified

State 6
2.1 Basic Information 6
2.2 Geology 9
2.3 Vegetation 10

3.0 Relationship of Laurel Creek to the Founding and Growth of Southern

Ontario 11

4.0 Physical Modifications of Watershed to Address Flooding, Water Quality,

and Other Concerns 13
4.1 Laurel Creek in Early Years 13
4.2 Present-Day Laurel Creek 13
4.3 Modifications to Laurel Creek 14

5.0 Present Land Use and Management 15

5.1 Land Use 15
5.2 Management 16

6.0 Role of Nongovernment Organizations in the Management

of the Watershed 25

7.0 Institutional Arrangements and New Long-Range Plans 27

7.1 Institutional Arrangements 27

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 7.2 Institutional Arrangements and New Long-Range Plans 27
7.3 Waterloo’s Environmental Strategic Plan 27
7.4 Current Financial Arrangements 30

8.0 Conclusion 32

Acknowledgments 32
Works Cited 33
Appendix A: Useful Links 35

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List of Figures
1. Map of the Grand River Watershed 6
2. Map of the Laurel Creek Watershed 8
3. Creation of Waterloo Moraine 9
4. West Side Map of the City of Waterloo 24
5. Laurel Creek Citizens Committee Taking Part in Aquatic Planting
in Silver Lake 26
6. GRCA’s Revenue by Source 31

List of Tables
1. Land Use in the Laurel Creek Watershed, 1993 15
2. Selected Entities with Responsibilities Relevant to Watershed
Management 17
3. Issues, Goals, and Conclusions in the Laurel Creek Watershed
Study 19
4. Accomplishments Since the Laurel Creek Watershed Study 21
5. Land Use Constraint Areas 22
6. Recommendations from the Environmental Strategic Plan, 2002 28

List of Abbreviations
BMP Best Management Practice
ESPA Environmentally Sensitive Protection Area
GRCA Grand River Conservation Authority
GROUP Get Rid of Urban Pesticides
GRW Grand River watershed
LCCC Laurel Creek Citizens Committee
LCW Laurel Creek watershed
LCWS Laurel Creek Watershed Study
LCWMP Laurel Creek Watershed Monitoring Program
NGO Nongovernmental organization

4
1.0 INTRODUCTION

Laurel Creek is a tributary of the Grand River, one of the largest rivers in
southern Ontario. The Laurel Creek watershed (LCW) is a fertile, diverse area
rich with aquifers supporting the storage of groundwater, interesting terrestrial
resources, and diverse species habitat. Most of the LCW is located within the city
of Waterloo; watershed planning, however, is conducted by the Grand River
Conservation Authority (GRCA) at the Grand River watershed scale.

The creek has influenced the development of the city of Waterloo through the
shape of the roads, the location of the downtown, and the type of industry. As the
city developed, the quality of the creek and its watershed was degraded through
the clearing of land and draining of wetlands. In the first half of the twentieth
century, Laurel Creek underwent a number of structural-related changes for the
purpose of flood and erosion control to protect life and property. As a result of the
landmark 1993 Laurel Creek Watershed Study (Grand River Conservation
Authority [GRCA], 1993), a watershed planning approach has been adopted.
Local land use policies and planning are the most direct form of control over
development. This report describes some examples of this control, including the
special zoning for the sensitive West Side moraine lands.

The role of nongovernmental organizations in the management of the watershed

is also discussed. Specific attention is paid to a committee involved in the
rehabilitation of Laurel Creek. Finally, the last section discusses institutional
arrangements, new long-range plans, and current financial arrangements in the
LCW. These plans have been derived from a number of studies and are focused
around improving the control of flooding, streambank erosion, surface erosion,
and sedimentation; water quality; groundwater quality; and natural resources.

5
2.0 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE LAUREL CREEK WATERSHED IN ITS
PREMODIFIED STATE

2.1 Basic Information

The Laurel Creek watershed is located in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The
creek drains an area of 74.4 km2 (28.7 mile2) into the Grand River, which
continues to Lake Erie. See Figure 1. LCW is located at the northwestern end of
the regional municipality of Waterloo. In 1990, there were 78,905 people living in
the watershed, with more than 98 percent living within the urban area of the city
of Waterloo (GRCA, 1993).

Figure 1: Map of the Grand River Watershed

Source: Ivey, 2002.

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The largest municipality in the watershed is the city of Waterloo. See Figure 2.
Eighty percent of the city is drained by Laurel Creek (Grand River Watershed
Data, 2003). In 2003, the city of Waterloo had a permanent population, excluding
students, of 87,874 (City of Waterloo, 2003c). Between 2001 and 2002, the city’s
population increased by 3.4 percent (Region of Waterloo, 2003).

Laurel Creek’s headwaters begin in rural landscapes of the township of Woolwich

and Wellesley and drain into the Grand River in the city of Kitchener at
Bridgeport Road. Laurel Creek’s main tributaries include Clair Creek, Forwell
Creek, Beaver Creek, and Monastery Creek, all of which have major sections
running through the city of Waterloo (GRCA, 1993).

The watershed is characterized by well-drained soils and moraines that enable

groundwater recharge and the sustainability of relatively large aquifer systems. In
its original state, the groundwater would contribute to the base flow of Laurel
Creek and its tributaries to provide for productive coldwater fisheries. The
moraine system also supports a wide range of plant, animal, and bird species.

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 Laurel Creek Watershed
Ontario, Canada

Legend
Township of Woolwich
Water Bodies
Township of Wellesley
Creeks
City of Waterloo
Watershed
Be
Municipal Boundaries av e
rC
r ee
k
Forw
ell C ree
k

Laurel Creek Reservoir

reek
L au rel C
Laurel Creek Columbia Lake
N Laurel Creek

k
Laurel Creek Watershed

C ree
Sunfish Lake Silver Lake

stery
Clair Creek

Mo na
Grand River Watershed
City of Kitchener
Township of Wilmot

Grand River Watershed Data, 2003

Regional Municipality of Waterloo Property Parcels : Teranet Incorporated, 2003

3 0 3 6 Miles

Figure 2: Map of the Laurel Creek Watershed

Source: Assembled from Grand River Watershed Data, 2003.
2.2 Geology
The long-term geologic history, including past glacial activity, has affected the
current LCW landscape. Waterloo’s underlying bedrock was created during the
Silurian Period 430 to 395 million years ago when sediments were deposited in
the ancient Silurian and Devonian seas that once covered much of southern
Ontario (Nelson et al., 2003). These compressed sediments created a Salina
Formation consisting of interbedded gray to green shale, mudstone, dolomite,
salt, and gypsum. In the past two million to 11,000 years ago, a number of glacial
advances and retreats of the Erie-Ontario and Huron–Georgian Bay ice lobes
resulted in between 45 and 100 meters of glacial deposits left on top of the
bedrock. See Figure 3. The quaternary geology of the watershed is mostly kame
and till. Kames are glacial stream deposits of mostly sand and gravel. In the
LCW, kames formed a “hummocky” topography in the west end with numerous
small hills and depressions. Till plains are relatively flat with mixed sand, clay,
and gravel resulting from glacial advances carrying forward a mix of debris. The
LCW also has small areas of outwash, or material deposited by glacial meltwater
streams, and “alluvium,” or unconsolidated materials recently deposited by rivers
and streams (GRCA, 1993).

Figure 3: Creation of Waterloo Moraine

Source: City of Waterloo, 2003a.
The kame deposits have created the most significant landscape in the
watershed, which is generally called the Waterloo Moraine or Sandhills. This
moraine provides opportunity for large aquifers and groundwater recharge and is
not only important as a groundwater recharge zone to the LCW, but also to the
entire Grand River watershed (GRW). The Waterloo Moraine provides drinking
water for at least 300,000 people in the Waterloo region (City of Waterloo,
2003a). Furthermore, numerous spring-fed wetlands and small ponds dot the
area.

2.3 Vegetation
The most common surface soils in the LCW are sandy loams, and the
topography varies from long, gently rolling (0–3%) to short and steep slopes (>
12%) (GRCA, 1993). In pre-European times, dense forest and extensive marsh
wetland dominated the watershed. In fact, 91.3 percent of Waterloo county
consisted of nonwetland woodland around 1800 (Larson, 1999). The LCW lies
within the Mixed Deciduous and Coniferous Forest Zone. Original vegetation
included a mix of upland and lowland species and coniferous and deciduous
forests. Common native trees include aspen, beech, Manitoba maple, oak, and
white pine (Nelson et al., 2003).

Originally, the area was also rich with wildlife. Mammals there would have
included black bears, bobcats, cougars, gray foxes, lynx, raccoons, white-tailed
deer, wolves, and woodland caribou. Birds would have included bald eagles,
Canada geese, great blue herons, hooded warblers, least bitterns, Louisiana
waterthrushes, northern cardinal, short-eared owls, and redheaded
woodpeckers. When the streams were cool and high in oxygen, fish such as
bluegill, brown trout, perch, redside dace, salmon, and walleye were common
(Nelson et al., 2003).

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3.0 RELATIONSHIP OF LAUREL CREEK TO FOUNDING AND GROWTH OF
SOUTHERN ONTARIO

The history of the watershed is important in understanding changes that have

resulted in today’s conditions. The following describes how social and cultural
changes related to the biological and physical changes.

In 1784, 675,000 acres of land, including the LCW, were given to the Iroquois
alliance that made up the League of Six Nations. The Six Nations began to sell
the land, and between 1796 and 1798, 93,000 acres had been sold through a
Crown Grant to Richard Beasley. The first settlers, Mennonites from
Pennsylvania who were running away from the threat of war, came about 1804.
They bought land from Beasley and began to clear the area for agricultural uses,
and the loss of habitat in addition to hunting and trapping significantly reduced
wildlife in the area. In 1808, Albert Erb, sometimes referred to as the founder of
Waterloo, built a dam along Laurel Creek for his sawmill and created Silver Lake,
later to become a center point of community in Waterloo (GRCA, 1993; Will,
2003).

By the 1820s, there was strong German migration to North America and
especially to the Laurel Creek area. More mills were built (a maximum of forty-
eight along Laurel Creek in the 1880s), three breweries were established, and
the Grand Trunk Railway going through Waterloo, Kitchener, and Cambridge was
built in 1856. These developments had a great effect on the physical
environment, and some of the mills had to either move to different locations or
shut down due to stream flow changes. In 1835, Waterloo township claimed to
have the highest level of cleared land in the province of Ontario, and by 1855,
half of the watershed was in agricultural production. In 1910, 80 percent of the
land in the Laurel Creek watershed was cleared, and loss of habitat has changed
the dynamics of wildlife populations (GRCA, 1993).

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The city of Waterloo’s identity as a service town began with the establishment of
insurance companies in 1863 and two universities. The first college, built in 1864,
was St. Jerome’s, which later became associated with the University of Waterloo,
officially established in 1960 (GRCA, 1993). Wilfrid Laurier University began as
the Evangelical Lutheran Seminary of Canada in 1911 (Wilfrid Laurier University,
2003). Both universities have contributed to Waterloo’s reputation as an
important center for higher education and together have a student population of
32,988, which is 27 percent of the municipal population (City of Waterloo, 2003c).

Overall, Laurel Creek affected the development of Waterloo in three main ways.
First, the creek influenced the road pattern. Pathways were developed originally
to service the mills along the creek; therefore, initial roads were not based on a
straight grid. Roads were later paved and formed the foundation of the road
system in Waterloo, which was not preplanned, unlike the systems of other
adjacent towns. Second, Silver Lake became a focus in the community. Third,
the creek influenced industry in the area. The developments of mills and the
breweries were based on the flow of the creek. Today, although there is not
much left of the historic mills, two of the breweries are still functioning and the
buildings from Seagram’s Distillery are restored as residential lofts as an
important part of the city’s heritage (GRCA, 1993).

Although Laurel Creek was relatively important to the development of Waterloo, it

had little impact on the development of the Grand River watershed and the rest
of southern Ontario. It is a relatively small stream in comparison to most
waterways in the area. Furthermore, watershed planning was organized in the
1930s for the Grand River watershed because flooding of that river was causing
significant damage to property in the towns through which it flowed (Boyd, Smith,
and Veale, 1999). Laurel Creek received attention because it is a tributary of the
Grand River and it runs through the core of Waterloo.

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4.0 PHYSICAL MODIFICATIONS OF THE LAUREL CREEK WATERSHED TO
ADDRESS FLOODING, WATER QUALITY, AND OTHER CONCERNS

4.1 Laurel Creek in Early Years

More than 200 years ago, Laurel Creek was deep enough with sufficient current
to power numerous mills. It was cool, it was surrounded by forest, and it carried
clean water for pioneering settlers to drink. As the city of Waterloo grew and fairly
rapid development proceeded, more and more land was cleared and wetlands
were drained. As a result, in the early 1900s, Laurel Creek was described as
vengeful in the spring during snowmelts and heavy rainfall and sewerlike in the
dry summer months (GRCA, 1993). These conditions led to activities to enhance
human safety and to protect real estate.

4.2 Present-Day Laurel Creek

Laurel Creek begins in a rural landscape and flows through a few woodlands
(i.e., Schaffer Woods) and wetlands (i.e., Optimistic Bog). Agricultural land uses
contribute to the degradation of the stream as fields’ edges abut the course
allowing for livestock grazing around and in the water. In addition to the resulting
soil erosion, runoff of pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals is a concern.
The creek then flows into Laurel Creek Reservoir, which was specifically built in
1966 to contain heavy stream flows. Here, the water slows, the silt and
contaminants are dropped, and the temperature of the water increases because
of lack of shade and the shallowness of the lake. Challenges here include water
weeds and hundreds of ducks and geese and their waste products. Laurel Creek
then cools a little as it leaves the reservoir and some groundwater infiltrates the
stream, but it warms again when it travels through Columbia Lake and the ponds
on the University of Waterloo campus. Laurel Creek then continues to Silver
Lake in UpTown Waterloo. Here too warming water, ducks and geese, and
nutrient and silt accumulation prove problematic. A 500-meter (1640-foot) culvert
then takes the creek underground, where it emerges beside the Waterloo City
Centre. The final stretch includes some shade and attractive components, where

13
the water cools slightly. Because some buildings are quite close to the waterway,
however, erosion is a problem. In addition, people have used the creek as a
dumping ground for yard waste and hazardous household products (GRCA,
1993).

4.3 Modification of Laurel Creek

Between 1948 and 1982, a number of structural flood/erosion controls, including
diking, channel improvements, and bank stabilization, were used throughout the
entire Grand River watershed. From an engineering perspective, building dikes
and channelizing creeks increased a river’s capacity to handle peak flows.
Channel improvements, meant to remove obstructions and straighten, deepen,
widen, and line the channel with materials such as concrete, were thought to
increase hydraulic efficiency and to provide erosion control. Laurel Creek is one
of the waterways within the Grand River watershed to undergo such changes to
its structure (GRCA, 1983).

In 1966, Laurel Creek Reservoir was built by the GRCA as a floodwater storage
structure. Built to control flood flows with the intent of reducing flood risk
downstream, today it is the centerpiece of the Laurel Creek Conservation Area
managed by the GRCA. Lands for the conservation area were bought mainly for
flood control purposes, but the area has come to be valued as open space in the
midst of rapid urban development. Columbia Lake and Laurel Lake were also
built around this time, more so for aesthetic reasons than for flood control
(GRCA, 1993). Although structural approaches are somewhat effective, a lot of
credit for reducing flood damage and increasing water quality has been attributed
to watershed planning and floodplain management (discussed in the next
section) (City of Waterloo, 2003a).

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5.0 PRESENT LAND USE AND MANAGEMENT

5.1 Land Use

In 1993, approximately 50 percent of the LCW was urban and 50 percent was
agricultural land. The amount of urban land has since increased as a
consequence of growth rates in the area. The city of Waterloo is one of the
fastest-growing municipalities in Ontario partially because of its location in
Ontario’s Technology Triangle (City of Waterloo, 2002b). Table 1 gives a
breakdown of the 1993 land use in the LCW. The land north of Laurel Creek
Reservoir still has a large percentage of green space characterized by first-order
streams, wetland and marsh complexes, and forested areas. The southern
portion of the watershed is mostly urbanized and includes established
developments as well as vacant land scheduled for new development (City of
Waterloo, 2002a).

Table 1: Land Use in the Laurel Creek Watershed, 1993

Land Use Percent of Land Use
URBAN 51.0
2
Lower Watershed (37.8 km )
Residential 12.1
Open space 11.2
Vacant 8.2
Commercial 8.2
Institutional 7.2
Water 0.6
Not assigned 1.1
Rural 2.2
TOTAL 100.0
GREENFIELD 49.0
2
Upper Watershed (36.6 km )
Residential 1.8

15
 Institutional 0
Water 1.7
Rural 96.2
Vacant 0.3
TOTAL 100.0
Source: GRCA, 1993, pp. 3–5.

5.2 Management
5.2.1 Approach to Management in the Laurel Creek Watershed
The city of Waterloo takes a comprehensive approach to watershed planning as
recommended in the LCWS. To address creek flooding and streambank erosion,
land use management strategies in addition to structural approaches are used. In
fact, the city and the GRCA recognize that adequate management of land use is
a more effective method of flood and erosion control than structural solutions
(GRCA, 1993). The LCWS laid the basis for the city of Waterloo developing
watershed management–based land use policies. As indicated in Table 2, the
city of Waterloo is not the only jurisdiction to have responsibilities relevant to
watershed management.

5.2.3 Laurel Creek Watershed Study, 1993

The LCWS represents a change in thinking toward using an ecological
watershed approach to managing creek flows and water quality. The LCWS
addressed six concerns: flooding, water quality, streambank erosion, surface
erosion and sedimentation, groundwater, and natural resources. These issues
reflect public concerns, challenges facing a rapidly growing city, and the impacts
of development on the ecological integrity of the natural system. Public comment,
scientific data, and past studies were important inputs into the LCWS. A systems
approach was used to develop indicators to measure the overall health of the
ecosystem and the effect of ecological stresses (GRCA, 1993). The goals,
objectives, and conclusions of the LCWS are summarized in Table 3, and the
main accomplishments since the LCWS are summarized in Table 4.

16
Table 2: Selected Entities with Responsibilities Relevant to Watershed Management
Government Most Active Jurisdiction/ Roles Sample of
Level Players in LCW Responsibilities Legislation/Control
Federal agencies • Water-related issues: • Water-related regulation and guidelines • Canada Water Act
• Environment Canada navigation, fish habitat, • Monitoring and research • Oceans Act
• Fisheries and federal and aboriginal • Coordination, public information, and • Canada Shipping
Oceans Canada lands, and international education Act
• Transport Canada waters • Providing funding for provincial and local • International
initiatives Boundary Waters
Foreign Affairs and Treaty Act
International Trade
Provincial ministries • Nonrenewable • Regulation, standard setting • Ontario Water
• Environment resources • Monitor, data management Resources Act
• Natural Resources • Hydroelectric power • Training and education • Lakes and Rivers
• Agriculture and Food • Municipal institutions • Coordination Improvement Act
Municipal Affairs and • Local works and • Funding water quality and quantity tasks • Nutrient
Housing undertakings Management Act
• Property and civil rights
Conservation • Grand River • Flood management • Drinking water in parks • Fill, Construction,
Authorities Conservation • Forestry management • Manage surface water and Alteration to
Authority • Watershed planning • Monitoring Waterways
• Environmental Specific to GRCA: regulation
education and outreach • Implement local rural water quality • Advise on
• Recreation programs development
 • Ecosystem restoration • Aid drought management applications
• Water quality and • Engage in modeling, planning, and
quantity management research
Local government • City of • Nutrient management • Local drought management initiatives • Official Plan
(most direct authority Waterloo and sewer use bylaws • Encouraging water conservation Policies
to undertake • Region of • Official plan policies • Financial incentives • Zoning bylaws
watershed planning) Waterloo • Incentive-based rural • Public information programs • Sewer use bylaws
and business water Specific to Grand River watershed: • Nutrient
quality programs • Monitor drinking water management
• Encourage best • Planning and research bylaws
management practices • Share information in water managers
working group

Source: Ivey, 2002.

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Table 3: Issues, Goals, and Conclusions in Laurel Creek Watershed Study
Issue Questions to Be Addressed Goals Conclusions
Flooding Will further development Minimize risk to life, Identified ten areas in watershed as “high risk”
result in further flooding? property, and natural Reservoirs play a role in controlling floods
resources Natural storage areas (i.e., bogs) help reduce floods
Preserve natural Natural floodplains control floods and should be maintained
floodplains and hydraulic Major cause of flooding in UpTown results from urban runoff
functions New development in Waterloo will increase flows unless
volumes, timing, and flows are controlled
Streambank Will further development Preserve and protect Rehabilitate streambanks and channels
erosion lead to further erosion? aquatic resources and
water supply
Surface erosion Are existing agricultural and Preserve and protect land, Some areas have high sediment loads and suspended solids
and urban practices causing water, forest, and wildlife from erosion
sedimentation erosion of open areas,
leading to sediment
deposits?
Water quality Can urban growth continue Restore, protect, and Bacteria in reservoir and Columbia Lake prevents
without more degradation? enhance water quality and recreational use
What is the impact of associated aquatic Reservoirs warm water, add nutrients, and degrade
reservoirs on water quality? resources and water aesthetics
supplies Hard for fish to survive because of low dissolved oxygen,
high water temperatures, and high stream vegetation
Phosphorus causes algae blooms and degraded aesthetics
Groundwater How will groundwater use Protect and restore both Maintain inside and outside of the Laurel Creek watershed:
affect wells in the area and quality and quantity of infiltration with greatest potential in upper watershed

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 groundwater-fed streams? groundwater Deeper aquifers to provide water supply
Shallow aquifers sustain river flows
Natural Can urban growth continue Restore, protect, develop, Terrestrial resources are extensive and relatively well
resources and not degrade natural and enhance ecological, connected but are experiencing intense pressure
areas further? How can we historical, cultural, Remaining areas have important natural resource functions
protect these resources? recreational, and visual Remaining areas should be divided into three constraint
amenities of both rural and areas with different management strategies
urban origin, particularly
around streams
Source: GRCA, 1993.

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Table 4: Accomplishments Since the Laurel Creek Watershed Study

Accomplishment Highlights
Official plan policies • LCWS principles are formally recognized
• Constraint levels designated to areas in the city, based on
LCWS recommendations
Laurel Creek Watershed • The program monitors water quality and quantity, aquatic
Monitoring Program (LCWMP) habitat, and terrestrial features
• Monitoring now expanded to areas outside watershed
Parkland naturalization and • Areas are allowed to naturalize, and volunteers assist in
rehabilitation planting efforts
• Designation of 15- to 30-meter (49- to 98-foot) buffer areas
along all streams
Road salt • Implementation of GIS in snowplows and salt distribution
vehicles to facilitate reduced salt use
• Covered salt shed storage
• Salt mixed with sand
Stormwater management and • Subwatershed study encompassing stormwater facilities
creek practices and water quality targets required prior to development
• Dry stormwater facilities are being retrofitted into wet
facilities for water quality control
• Creek rehabilitation to improve water quality and increase
fish habitat
• Ongoing monitoring of stormwater management ponds and
creeks
Source: Adapted from City of Waterloo, 2002a.

5.2.4 Constraint Levels

One of the most influential components of the LCWS on land use has been the
identification of constraints areas, which appear as part of the official plan
policies implemented in 1994. Constraint areas define the level of development
permitted. The LCWS recommends that all the lands in the Laurel Creek
watershed be designated one of three constraint levels. Table 5 describes each
level.

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Table 5: Land Use Constraint Areas
Constraint Level Description Examples
Constraint Level I Lands that protect and enhance Environmentally sensitive
natural environmental functions and policy areas
processes Floodplain
Green space core areas
Riparian buffers on
perennial streams
Wetlands
Constraint Level II Lands that could provide valuable Existing and potential
ecological functions but are degraded groundwater recharge
and would require management and areas
rehabilitation to improve functioning Secondary linkages
(these lands need further research) Rehabilitation areas
Urban green areas
Riparian buffers on
intermittent streams
Constraint Level III Lands not serving specialized All lands outside
ecological functions; development can constraint levels I and II
proceed with appropriate measures
for environmental protection
Sources: GRCA, 1993, and City of Waterloo, 2002a.

5.2.5 Managing New Development: Waterloo’s Moraine

The LCWS emphasized the importance of the west side of the city of Waterloo to
both groundwater and vegetation. The city, however, had already made
commitments to develop the land mostly for residential purposes. The solution
was to create education programs and impose strict guidelines on development
to promote water infiltration. Educational outreach initiatives include interpretive
signage along neighborhood trails and brochures distributed to all area residents
explaining the sensitivity of the lands. Furthermore, the city of Waterloo’s Web
site includes descriptions of the history, geology, and rare species found in the
area and explains the importance of the moraine for groundwater.

22
When planning for the development on the moraine, the city of Waterloo
attempted to create policies sensitive to the landscape. In addition to the
requirements for 15- to 30-meter (49- to 98-foot) vegetative buffers surrounding
woodlots, waterways, and wetlands, the city also required extensive pieces of the
landscape to be preserved. See Figure 4 for a map of green space on the west
side of Waterloo (City of Waterloo, 2003a). Furthermore, the residential zoning in
the area was developed specifically for this part of the city. Called “Flexible
Residential,” it requires that at least 50 percent of each lot must allow water to
infiltrate. Hence, there are regulations with respect to expanding driveways and
building sheds or extensions and decks. Overall, the city of Waterloo took a
unique approach to development to preserve the integrity of the Waterloo
Moraine (City of Waterloo, 2002a).

23
Figure 4: West Side Map of the City of Waterloo
Source: City of Waterloo, 2003d.

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6.0 ROLE OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN MODIFICATION AND
MANAGEMENT OF THE LAUREL CREEK WATERSHED

A number of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are involved in the management

of Laurel Creek. Some of these groups are action-oriented and others are lobbying the
government take action to better protect the integrity of the watershed.

The Laurel Creek Citizens Committee (LCCC) was initiated by concerned citizens in
1990 to protect, rehabilitate, and enhance Laurel Creek. Today, the city of Waterloo, the
Grand Creek Conservation Authority, and local environmental consulting firms support
the LCCC with advice, funding, and administrative support, but the work is conducted by
approximately eighty members. Every year, the LCCC works on a number of projects.
The following represents a sample of activities undertaken to date (City of Waterloo,
2003b):

Planting native species along Laurel Creek and its tributaries

Pollandering (debris and obstruction removal) along Laurel Creek and its tributaries
Stream rehabilitation and activities at Silver Lake
Stream rehabilitation, erosion control, and building of structures such as log
deflectors along Laurel Creek and its tributaries
Stream assessment

Furthermore, the city of Waterloo invites the LCCC as well as other NGOs such as the
Waterloo Citizen’s Environmental Committee to participate in steering committees for
studies done in the subwatershed studies for the LCW and the rest of the city.

25
Figure 5: Laurel Creek Citizens Committee Members Taking Part in Aquatic Planting at
Silver Lake
Source: City of Waterloo, 2003b.

Other NGOs are involved in lobbying city council to protect, enhance, and rehabilitate
the watershed. For example, Get Rid of Urban Pesticides (GROUP), a volunteer
organization, initiated a campaign in 2001 to help homeowners wean themselves off of
pesticides. The campaign was a response to the increasing concerns people had about
the use of pesticides on urban lawns. GROUP conducts workshops on natural lawn
care and distributes educational material to assist in its mandate of creating a healthier
and safer pesticide-free community (Koswan, 2003).

Other NGOs in the area are concerned with stewardship of the watershed. For example,
the Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists oppose the sale of conservation lands for
development (Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists, 2003).

26
7.0 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND NEW LONG-RANGE PLANS

7.1 Institutional Arrangements

As illustrated in Table 2, the federal, provincial, and municipal governments are

responsible for different aspects of water management. Although the province of
Ontario has primary responsibility for water management, it has delegated locating,
storing, and distributing water for municipal use as well as maintaining water distribution
systems to local-level governments (Ivey, 2002).

To undertake natural resources management on a watershed basis, the province of

Ontario created conservation authorities in the 1940s. These community-based
environmental agencies represent groups of municipalities within a watershed. A
distinctive feature of conservation authorities is the extent to which they broker
partnerships to deliver programs and services relevant to managing and protecting
watersheds (Mitchell and Shrubsole, 2001).

7.2 Changes to Legislation in Ontario as a Result of Walkerton

In Ontario, source water protection and watershed management have recently gained
more attention, partially because of the May 2002 Walkerton tragedy. The water
supplies of Walkerton, a small town in southern Ontario, were contaminated with E. coli,
resulting in seven deaths and more than 2,300 illnesses. A judicial inquiry held on the
matter ended with a series of recommendations. The outcome was a number of recent,
and ongoing, changes to the management of drinking water in Ontario. Included are
new legislation, regulations, and standards to protect water quality and funding for local-
level infrastructure and groundwater-related studies (Newswire, 2003).

7.3 Waterloo’s Environmental Strategic Plan

The Environmental Strategic Plan guides the city of Waterloo’s long-term planning. The
guiding tenets of the plan were derived from citizen input. The Environmental Strategic
Plan, which takes a systems-based, comprehensive approach to solving problem, is
based on several key principles guiding management (City of Waterloo, 2002a):

27
 High-level vision and goals with implementation responsibilities shared between
various stakeholders
Emphasis on strategies to promote continuous improvement in environmental
compliance and accountability
Watershed-scale environmental management that facilitates a cumulative approach
that addresses all environmental media

The goals of the Environmental Strategic Plan can be found in Table 6.

Table 6: Recommendations from Environmental Strategic Plan, 2002

Area Action Outcome
Planning and Enhance existing policy Make policies technically defendable
growth Support with scientific rationale
Greater protection of significant features
New official plan policies Consider emerging issues such as climate change
Encourage infill and development of brownfields
Policies to conserve and create sustainable
natural systems and quality of life
Establish Environment- Increase stakeholder communication
Development Forum Informed and efficient decision making
Better understanding of needs for different forms
of development
Recognize divergent views of business and the
environment
Enhance technical Establish realistic watershed targets for
considerations in planning development controls
Water Improve degraded aquatic Enhance quality of aquatic ecosystems
resources ecosystems Improve water quality
Increase habitat and native species diversity
Improve reservoir management
Remove on-line ponds
Efficient response to spills
Watershed stewardship Increase awareness of watershed issues
and community Widespread application of best management

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 involvement practices
Greater capacity to improve and protect water
resources
Informed stewardship of privately owned riparian
areas
Water resources Increased availability of data and information on
monitoring aquatic resources for decision making
Prioritize list of challenges for water quality
improvement
Accessible information for environmental
education and stewardship development
Better knowledge of sensitive areas
Feedback and adaptive management of
stormwater practices
Water conservation Enhanced protection of groundwater
Preservation of baseflow water levels in the Grand
River watershed
Reduced per capita usage
Green space Create healthy green Improved natural aesthetics and tree-lined streets
health spaces Ecologically healthy buffers along all waterways,
wetlands, and forests
Increase total green space area
Protect existing green Protect green space and create natural linkages
space between these spaces
Monitor terrestrial Expanded dataset of baseline data for terrestrial
resources bio-indicators
Greater understanding of point and nonpoint
pollution sources
Accurate knowledge of resources and healthy of
natural areas
Source: Adapted from City of Waterloo, 2002a.

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7.4 Current Financial Arrangements
As mentioned previously, watershed planning for the LCW is organized at the Grand
River watershed scale by the GRCA. Conservation Authorities were created by the
1946 Conservation Authorities Act, which was based on three fundamental concepts
(Conservation Ontario, 2003):

1. Local initiative. Local political and citizen support is required prior to consent to
create a conservation authority. Watershed-based control allows local issues to be
handled at the local level.

2. Cost sharing. Costs of projects are shared by the province and municipalities.
Projects will only go ahead if local citizens were willing to pay for them.

3. Watershed jurisdiction. Conservation Authorities are given power to set

regulations within the watershed jurisdiction to allow them to adequately manage
issues like flood control.

In the 1990s, the Ontario provincial government drastically reduced its financial support
of conservation authorities. The combined funding from the Ministry of Environment and
Ministry of Natural Resources was reduced by 80 percent from 1993/1994 to
1997/1998. To compensate for loss of funding, municipal levies increased, federal
funding increased slightly, user fees either increased or were created for previously free
services, and more effort was put into fund-raising and acquiring private corporation
support. To reduce expenditures, conservation authorities restructured, reduced
staffing, and reduced or eliminated programming such as environmental education
(Sustainable Toronto, 2003). Ontario’s conservation authorities spend $158 million on
watershed management (Conservation Ontario, 2003), with the GRCA’s expenditures at
$21.76 million for 2003 (GRCA, 2003). Figure 6 shows GRCA’s sources of revenues for
2003.

30
 2003 GRCA Sources of Revenue

Municipal
Levies
30%
Self
Generated
Funds
Provincial
56%
Grants
14%

Figure 6: GRCA’s 2003 Revenue by Source

Source: GRCA, 2003.

31
8.0 CONCLUSION

The Laurel Creek watershed, a subwatershed of the Grand River in southern Ontario,
has been modified by residents past and present. Present land use and management
and the contribution of nongovernment organizations as well as institutional
arrangements and long-range planning were briefly described in this paper.

What is noteworthy is the influence of one document—the 1993 Laurel Creek

Watershed Study—in defining environmental stewardship in the watershed. Not only did
the LCWS provide a baseline of the health of the watershed, it has delineated
subsequent environmental monitoring and has influenced the nature of development in
the watershed. The recommendations from this study, a model of a collaborative
exercise between the Grand River Conservation Authority and the city of Waterloo,
were incorporated into the city’s Official Plan. Reference to this document is widespread
both because of its landmark contribution and because there has not been a wide-
sweeping update of the basic survey of information it provided.

The case study site is typical of many parts of urban North America: a community within
a rapidly urbanizing region that is encroaching on its most sensitive environmental
attributes. The city of Waterloo is committed to development, as are the surrounding
communities and the region of Waterloo. The challenge faced here is whether the area
can undertake that development while achieving rudimentary safeguards for the
physical environment essential to life.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks go to Ron Ormson of the city of Waterloo for his assistance in providing
materials and his knowledge on this subject matter. His contribution to this project is
greatly appreciated. Thanks are due also to Rutherford Platt at the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst for enabling a Canadian contribution to the Ecological Cities
Project by providing guidance and financial support through a National Science
Foundation subgrant.

32
WORKS CITED
Boyd, D., Smith, A. and Veale, B. 1999. Flood management on the Grand River,
Ontario, Canada: A watershed conservation perspective. Environments 27(1): 23–47.

City of Waterloo. 2002a. Environmental Strategic Plan. Waterloo, Ontario: City of

Waterloo.

City of Waterloo. 2002b. Height and Density Policy Study Discussion Paper. Waterloo,
Ontario: City of Waterloo.
City of Waterloo. 2003a. Environment lands.
http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/PWS/Environment/Lands/protect2.html Accessed
November 26, 2003.

City of Waterloo. 2003b. Laurel Creek Citizens Committee.

http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/CS/Clerks/Committees/LCCC/ Accessed
November 28, 2003.

City of Waterloo. 2003c. Ongoing research on student housing.

http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/CS/Clerks/Committees/SAS/Research.html Accessed
November 28, 2003.

City of Waterloo. 2003d. Street index map.

http://www.city.waterloo.on.ca/Maps/downloads/StreetIndex.pdf
Accessed November 28, 2003.

Conservation Ontario. 2003. Corporate profile. http://www.conservation-

ontario.on.ca/profile/profile.htm Accessed December 16, 2003.

Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA). 1983. Interim Resource Management Plan
for the Grand River Watershed. Cambridge, Ontario: GRCA.

Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA). 1993. Laurel Creek Watershed Study.
Waterloo, Ontario: City of Waterloo.

Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA). 2003. About the Grand River
Conservation Authority.
http://www.grandriver.ca/index/document.cfm?Sec=12&Sub1=52&Sub2=0 Accessed
December 16, 2003.

Grand River Watershed Data [computer file]. 2003. Cambridge, Ontario: Grand River
Conservation Authority.

Ivey, Janet. 2002. Grand River Watershed characterization report, Guelph Water

33
Management Group, University of Guelph.
http://www.uoguelph.ca/gwmg/wcp_home/Pages/G_home.htm Accessed November 28,
2003.

Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists. 2003. Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists.

http://www.sentex.net/~tntcomm/kwfn/ Accessed December 23, 2003.

Koswan, Susan. 2003. Getting rid of urban pesticides.

http://home.golden.net/~lgoerzen/Group%20Web%20Page.html Accessed November
28, 2003.

Larson, B. 1999. The Woodland Heritage of Southern Ontario: A Study of Ecological

Change, Disruption, and Significance. Don Mills, Ontario: Federation of Ontario
Naturalists.

Mitchell, B., and Shrubsole, D. 2001. Ontario’s conservation authorities. Water News,
December 16–21.

Nelson, J. G., J. Porter, C. Farassoglou, S. Gardiner, C. Guthrie, C. Beck, and C.

Lemieux. 2003. The Grand River Watershed: A Heritage Landscape Guide. Heritage
Landscape Guide Series No. 2. Waterloo, Ontario: Heritage Resources Centre,
University of Waterloo.

Newswire. 2003. Eves moves to protect Ontario's drinking water.

http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2002/10/29/c5952.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html
Accessed November 26, 2003.

O'Connor, D. R. 2002. Report of the Walkerton Inquiry: The events of May

2000 and related issues, Part One. Toronto: Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General
Region of Waterloo. 2003. Region of Waterloo. http://www.region.waterloo.on.ca
Accessed November 24, 2003.

Statistics Canada. 2003. 2001 Community Profiles.

http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/PlaceSearchForm1.cfm Accessed December
16, 2003Sustainable Toronto. 2003. The impact of provincial policies changes on
conservation authorities. www.sustainabletoronto.ca Accessed December 16, 2003.

Wilfrid Laurier University. 2003. Laurier history.

http://www.wlu.ca/wlu-hp/about/history.shtml Accessed December 16, 2003.

Will, Gary. 2003. A history of Waterloo.

http://www.garywill.com/waterloo/history.htm Accessed December 16, 2003.

Appendix A: Useful Links

34
Below are a number of links that may be useful to understanding selected aspects of
the context of the Laurel Creek Watershed.

Ontario sites

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Surface Water Level Reporting

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Land Information Ontario

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Water

Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Oak Ridges Moraine Site

Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Municipal Performance Measurement

Program

Conservation Ontario

The Walkerton Inquiry—Reports

Watershed Science Centre

Ontario Municipal Home Pages

Canadian sites

Municipal Water Use Database

Environment Canada, Freshwater Website

Environment Canada, State of the Environment Infobase

Environment Canada, National Climate Archive

Statistics Canada 2001 Census Community Profiles

C-CIARN Water Resources and Climate Change

35
North Battleford Water Inquiry

Source to Tap, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment

Environmental Law in Canada—North American Commission for Environmental

Cooperation

Nova Scotia's Water Allocation System

Water Efficiency Experiences Database—Canadian Water and Wastewater Association

Great Lakes Information Network

Legislation sites, North America

Full Text Statutes and Legislation Links, United States (Prairienet Community Network)

Ontario Legislation

Federal and Provincial Legislation, Canada

International water sites

The World's Water

The Water Page

The School of Oriental and African Studies, Water Issues Study Group

UNESCO Water Portal

FAO Water Resources, Development and Management Service

International Water Management Institute

UNEP Freshwater Site

The World Water Council

36
International Water Law Project

Universities Water Information Network

United States Environmental Protection Agency, Water Site

Know Your Watershed, United States

Pacific Institute Water and Climate Bibliography—Pacific Institute for Studies in

Development, Environment, and Security

Capacity Building Resources - United Nations Development Programme

Centre of International Relations—UBC: links for media, NGOs, research institutes,

North American government

International Water Law Research Institute—University of Dundee

Water Policy and Law Group—University of South Australia

37