Port Perry Bay dredging and improving
Over the years, Port Perry bay has received much silt and sediment from urban stormwater runoff and from natural factors such as decomposition of plant material and dirt from the air. Along with that silt and sediment comes not only the regular contaminants from roads, parking lots and roof tops, but also nutrients. These nutrients, phosphorus and nitrogen, spur on overgrowth of aquatic plants and stimulate algae as well. In fact, greater than 18% of phosphorus input per year into the lake comes from urban areas comprising only 3.56% of the land area of our watershed. A good deal of this has lodged in the accumulated muck of Port Perry bay.
The working Group for a Healthy Lake Scugog, of which the Lake Stewards are mem
bers, has made it a priority to organize the dredging of a large section of Port Perry bay and to try to use intelligent environmental means to prevent — or at least reduce — such stormwater contaminants from entering the lake in the future. This work can be started no earlier than the fall of 2016 because of the need to do the necessary engineering for the plan and to obtain the money to cover the costs.
GENERAL
This project is just in the early stages of organization and collection of data and funds. The Stewards and John Mackey, representing the marine industry have polled the important users of the Bay — boaters, Dragon Boat and Rowing Club organizers, and many others for their ideas. Kawartha Conservation (KCA) has overseen bathymetric (depth) analysis of the planned dredge area and much beyond. They also took muck samples and had them analysed them to determine if the planned dredged material might be contaminated.
KCA also obtained funds to cover the early management and engineering for the project from Durham Region in the amount of $60,000. They then submitted their early analysis of the project to the Trent-Severn Waterway (TSW) for their guidance. TSW indicated that they would approve the project as stated with certain restrictions. They needed further information to determine the quality of the dredgeate to the depth to be removed to assess how it needed to be handled. Based on satisfactory results, they will then indicate their beginning approval or indicate that the project will require an “Environmental Impact Analysis”. Should all go well, TSW will need to approve of our final plans to ensure they meet not only their standards, but the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of the Environment and federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans standards as well. We also need to involve the Ministry of Transport because of the additional fill/wetland area that is planned next to the causeway. So far, the muck in the areas to be dredged is not deemed to be a problem.
WHAT WILL HOPEFULLY BE ACCOMPLISHED
The plan is to remove muck to provide a water depth 
that is 6 ft. below the upper level of the Trent-Severn Waterway’s set ‘navigation level’. (See Trent-Severn waterway water levels in Google). Years of nutrient and contaminant laden silt will be removed. It will also remove the plants, roots and seeds of invasive species that jam that area of the lake. This will make the area better environmental habitat. It will also make the area excellent for recreation, aesthetics, the tourist economy of the town of Port Perry and much more.
Over the years, the Township has worked hard in back lot areas to improve stormwater management; insisting on stormwater pond installations in new subdivisions and commercial areas, promoting rain gardens, installing stormceptors and filter bags in storm drains. They have also helped pay for the necessary science provided by the Lake Scugog Environmental Management Plan and the Port Perry Stormwater Management plan that spurred on this work. The closer it is to the lake in Port Perry the more difficult it for them to do anything because of built infrastructure and no free space for treatment areas. This new work will give the Bay a fighting chance to have those measures work for the future.
PLANNED “ENGINEERED WETLAND”
In the area from Vos’ Independent to the Queen Street dock there are five stormwater outlets that drain the southern area of Port Perry. It is hoped that most of these can in the future be filtered through a new stormwater improvement area. On this, KCA has involved the Toronto Region Conservation Authority in the initial organization as they have much experience using constructed wetlands to treat stormwater. They have to conduct a number of additional depth tests as well as taking the required muck samples for the TSW. Their suggested plan of action should be in by the end of the summer and then it is hoped we can put the whole plan design out for tender.
FUNDING
At this point the final design, the cost of this project and the timeline have not been set. However, because of our goals, the work will be commensurately expensive. A preliminary fundraising group has been struck and plans are under way to cover the cost of this project.
POSSIBLE GLITCHES
Nothing goes a smoothly and as quickly as planned. However, one large glitch may come up and that is the possible need to do an “Environmental Impact Study.” The dredged material would be used to help create the constructed stormwater improvement area and perhaps new park area. It would also be used to extend the wetland area at the north side of the causeway in order to use it to help treat the contaminated runoff from that causeway before it runs into the lake.
However, the work will be done. Stay tuned for up-dates.