Spring comes to the Hamilton Harbour Watersheds

By March, the worst of the winter would be over. The snow would thaw, the rivers begin to run and the world would wake into itself again.
Not that year.
Winter hung in there, like an invalid refusing to die. Day after grey day the ice stayed hard; the world remained unfriendly and cold.”
― Neil Gaiman, Odd and the Frost Giants

The above quote pretty well sums up our situation here in the Hamilton Harbour watersheds. Following a very cold and snowy winter, spring has arrived. The presence of a polar vortex this winter has kept us in its frigid grip. In a changing climate we fully expect that extreme weather events will be the new norm. The question remains are we ready to deal with these events? 

This winter saw snow and ice accumulations in excess of the 30 year average for the month of February. Temperatures for January and February were 4 to 5 degrees colder. The ice storm in December kicked off winter and was very quickly followed by a number of significant snow storms. Snow has been on the ground since December and accumulation has risen to some of the highest we’ve seen in the Hamilton area. Lower winter temperatures have allowed for thicker ice formation in creeks and ponds, making the potential for ice jams and associated flooding a real concern.

With no January thaw this year, a spring melt will generate higher than normal flows in local streams and creeks. Also of concern this year is the remnant impact of the ice storm in December as trees and other vegetation that were broken and damaged during the ice storm are now washed into creeks and carried downstream. The potential for debris jams is high which in turn elevates the potential for flooding. 

This spring, temperatures have remained below normal and this has allowed for our runoff to local creeks to be more gradual. However there has been strong daytime melting and the power of water can be daunting and should never be underestimated.

Spring is the time of year when rivers and creeks are hard at work moving sediment and

water from the headwaters of their watersheds to the confluence with a larger river or lake. As water and sediment are transported along a stream corridor important work is being done to shape the bed and banks and this allows the creek to armour itself against erosion. Higher flows now mean that a creek can access its floodplain and create new life by providing excellent conditions (nutrients, moisture etc.) for various floodplain species to grow and thrive. There is a natural balance as creeks carry on this work.

 

As creeks empty into Cootes Paradise there is a calming effect as the water flow slows down and water levels rise and empty into Hamilton Harbour.

The contribution of surrounding watersheds via their creeks to Hamilton Harbour is enormous. Contributions include water, sediment, ice and debris. The Harbour reflects these contributions and the resulting conditions are what you see which starts with the spring freshet.

Happy Spring!

Hazel Breton

Manager of Water Resource Engineering

Hamilton Conservation Authority 

Snow please!

Winters like these are few and far between and I can’t quite remember having as much snow in a winter since I was a kid.  I have to say, it’s awesome! I love living in Southern Ontario and experiencing the great outdoors in all four seasons.

If given the choice, I’d much rather have a winter with snow than without – maybe  because apartment living means no shoveling, but maybe it’s because there’s nothing quite like seeing the trees with a fresh coating of snow and feeling as if someone has just shaken up the snow globe. A winter with snow allows for some pretty awesome winter sport opportunities.

Working within the heart of the Dundas Valley, lunchtime hikes are a regular occurrence (I know –I’m lucky!). It’s amazing how a quick 15 or 20 minute hike can clear your head and not to mention, burn a few calories! I love hiking in the winter, seeing all the fresh tracks and figuring out what wildlife has recently trekked through the same spot - sweating less is a bonus too!

I even tried cross country skiing this year for the first time after a little (or a lot) of convincing. Having only downhill skied in the past, I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to just glide around but hitting the trails at Christie Lake helped me realize what all the hype was about. I fell over a few times, had some good laughs and a ton of fun.

I’m looking forward to having my first ice fishing experience at Valens Lake next month for the Ice Fishing Derby. Maybe I’ll even catch a big one and you can look forward to reading my next blog on that time I caught a fish that was thiiiiiiis big!

Having so many winter sports waiting at your doorstep, there’s no need to bundle up and hibernate all winter (well ok maybe just on those -40C…or even -30C days). Whether it’s a hike, skiing, snowshoeing or even fishing, you better hurry up and get outside before all that white stuff melts away…

Brittany Berlinghoff

Hamilton Conservation Authority

Christie Lake From Above

Over sixteen thousand people know Christie Lake as the Christie Antique Show place. Over seven thousand more know Christie Lake as the Greenbelt Harvest Picnic venue and even thousands more know and enjoy Christie Lake for the swimming, boating and picnic facilities. Few people see Christie Lake when it is waiting for winter to arrive, and even fewer get the chance to see it from above.

On a sunny calm day in late November, I had the unique opportunity to fly over Christie Lake and get a wonderful birds-eye view. The lake had just reached its winter elevation (six feet lower than what it is in the summer swimming season).

Looking from the southwest, the beach and Beach House Pavilions are in the center of the photo, Lakeside Pavilion is in the bottom left and the Marina and McCoy Pavilions are just visible on the right side as the Spencer Creek winds out of the frame.

Directly over the beach, the fields await the next Antique Show, vendors filling the grass around the beach pavilion and spectators parking on the other open green fields.

The Christie Lake Dam located at the south east end of the park was completed in 1971 and is the largest flood control structure in the Hamilton watershed. Built to reduce flooding in Dundas, it also provides low flow augmentation in dry summers and creates a vibrant habitat for recreation and wildlife. The McCoy Pavilion and soccer field can be seen below the parking lot at the top of the photo. As the Spencer Creek passes through the dam, white water of the Darnley Cascade are visible before the creek reaches the Darnley Mill ruins.

The opportunity to view  Christie Lake from above is an experience that very few get to have and is one that I will never forget.

Bruce Harschnitz

Park Superintendent

Christie Lake Conservation Area

Photos by Bruce Harschnitz and HCA

An unexpected start to the winter of 2014

 When it comes to Canadian weather, what a difference a year can make – let alone a

 decade…it has been a long time that staff have charted the entire Valens Lake reservoir as ice covered inside the month of November.  Plus – the extended weather forecast is also showing good ice holding and making conditions well into December of this year.  2014 is off to a great start for the ice fishing season.

For the ice angling community, this early return of winter and our old friend – Jack Frost, is a welcomed sight here in the banana belt of southern Ontario.  Traditionally, Valens Lake is one of the first water bodies to freeze and one of the first to reach safe ice conditions.

While the current ice conditions are clearly noted as Unsafe – it is a signal of seasonal transformations that generates tremendous interest and excitement for anglers bitten with the ice fishing passion.  Ice fishing today has outgrown its male dominance and stereotypes.  More and more women and children are taking up the sport and tagging along with Dad – spending the day in the Great Outdoors.

 

The staff at Valens Lake will be undertaking safe ice inspections and reporting their findings over the coming weeks.  Public access will be permitted for all on-ice activities once the reports confirm a safe consistent level of clear ice 6 inches across the reservoir.  Stay tuned to our website for regular updates and announcements.

Ice Fishing at Valens Lake is a “walk on” experience that is close to home for many anglers in southern Ontario,  A “catch and release” policy has been put into effect by the Hamilton Conservation Authority to protect the pan fish stocks from over harvest and to ensure the fishery at Valens Lake remains strong for generations to come.

Gordon R. Costie

Superintendent

Valens Lake Conservation Area