Author Archives: Lori_James_Derry

FRIENDS OF TOD CREEK WATERSHED

AGENDA

20 MARCH, 2013

Mission: To protect and enhance the integrity and biodiversity of the Tod Creek Watershed.

Regrets: Rick and Donna Todd, Lin Callow, Sherron MacPherson, Janet Williams

Present: Bernie Bowker, Woody Thomson, Pat Carfra, Frances Hunter, Winona Pugh, Audrey Barnes, Joanne Delage, Mary Haig-Brown

1. Adoption of Agenda
2. Adoption of Meeting notes of 2 January, 2013 as posted
3. Treasurer’s Report: Joanne Delage – As of 1^st March, 2013 our bank balance was $3,312.89.  Outstanding invoice is $52.64 for two small mattocks.  The TD FEF funds will be used for the Killarney Lake Fan Project.
4. Announcements:

1. Dist of Saanich Public Participation Survey – Sherron sent in our response.
2. DFO Salmon Enhancement Program – Lin sent in our application.  This ensures that we are eligible to apply for funding over the next 3 years when a project arises.
3. PolisProject Water Survey – Mary completed questionnaire to do with decisions around regulation of water.
4. Peninsula Streams Society memberships are due now.  See their web site if you have not renewed or joined.  They help us a great deal and membership numbers help them in reporting to grantors.  PSS is holding a dinner and silent auction at Seahorses Café in Brentwood on 11^th April.  Tickets are going fast for this fun event.
5. Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary Native Plant Sale April 20^th and 21^st from 9:00 – 3:00. 841 Ralph Street.  This is a great place to get native plants for your garden and wild places. Plant lists are available. Pre-orders over $300 are available, prepaid, by calling 250.727.0653.
6. Saanich Environmental Awards nominations are being accepted until April 19^th. See Saanich web site for details.  There are 7 categories and all nominations are most welcome.
7. Restoration Walks in Victoria is a publication by Val Schaffer of UVic Restoration of Natural Systems.  It may be viewed at http://www.urbanecology.ca/documents/Books/RestorationWalks.pdf
8. Bio-engineering Workshop with Dave Polster – Mary attended this and learned lots about how to stabilize a disturbed site, e.g. an eroding stream bank using live staking.  The text book will be available in our library.  Check our web site for other titles.
9. Web site: Check this as Lori and Winona are posting new stuff including Meeting Notes and a timeline with pictures of our work in Whitehead Park.
10. Development on Meadowbrook Road may involve in stream work.  This is a concern as it involves cutthroat spawning area.  We are monitoring it.

1. Projects:

1. B.C Lake Stewardship course – Winona reports we are on their list for a course at Prospect Lake.  They offer two courses per year, one in the interior and one on the coast.  We will announce when we are chosen.
2. Whitehead Park – started on last third of east side with black berry removal in progress.  Students from St Michaels will come in May to help us.  We are eagerly watching our plantings of last spring and fall starting to bud up.  Stop by and check it out.  Lori is keeping track of the volunteer hours we put in.  We use this data as leverage in grant applications.
3. Killarney Creek Fan – we will use TD money to remove Yellow Flag Iris and other invasives from this site as they can reinvade Whitehead Park if not removed.   Note: fan refers to the area where a stream enters a fresh water body.  An estuary is where a stream enters a saltwater body.  Work will be done in the Fisheries Window.
4. Water quality monitoring (DO) – continues at several sites along Tod Creek in order to determine suitability for Coho.  Next date will be Saturday, 23^rd March at 11:00 starting at Prospect Lake and Lohr Road.  Come out and join us if you like.
5. PL weir – If we can bring more water into the system then the weir controllers will let enough water downstream to permit coho smolts to migrate.  Meadowbrook Reservoir could be the source of this flow and is being tracked for flow volume.  Restoration of riparian vegetation below the weir is needed.
6. Maltby Lake – Woody reports that he and TLC Pres Alistair Craighead and Board member Fran Pugh met with Bruce Hacking of Saanich Planning to try to resolve the issue of limited access to this pristine lake.  There may be a need for letters of support for the idea of preserving the purity of the water by limiting the number of access points when the property is subdivided.  35% of the land will go to TLC.  In the meantime TLC holds a 35% share of the entire property meaning they are responsible for that amount of property tax and maintenance of buildings and property.

1. Heritage Society Report – Winona reports they are working on a Heritage tour of the Observatory on Saturday 25^th May at 2:00.  More details to follow.  Congratulations are due to the Heritage Society as they have received Honourable Mention from the Hallmark Heritage Society for their book, Prospect Lake Reflections.  See the attached letter.  Saanich Pioneers Heritage Society has asked for help with their school tours.
2. Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 1^st at 7:30

Location: Haig-Brown/Bowker house, 237 Meadowbrook Road.

FRIENDS OF TOD CREEK WATERSHED

MEETING NOTES

2 JANUARY, 2013

Mission: To protect and enhance the integrity and biodiversity of the Tod Creek Watershed.

Present: Woody Thomson, Frances Hunter, Lori James-Derry, Lin Callow, Bernie Bowker, Pat Carfra, Sherron MacPherson, Winona Pugh, Audrey Barnes, Mary Haig-Brown

Regrets: Joanne Delage, Rick and Donna Todd

1. Adoption to Agenda with addition of 5d. BC Lake Stewardship Soc. and 5e. HAT monitoring of Hunter covenenanted land.
2.  Adoption of 7th November Meeting Notes
3. Treasurer’s Report: Current balance $3,342.59.  Invoice from Saanich for plants still outstanding.
4. Announcements:
   1. a.     Dist of Saanich Public Participation questionnaire.  Sherron will draft FTCW response to this.  Overall we are pleased with Saanich’s accessibility.
   2. DFO Salmon Enhancement Program granting process.  We may be interested in applying for funding to continue water quality monitoring.  Lin will study the application and advise us.
   3. Montessori Children’s Spring Fair May 25th.  Fund raiser for the school and to increase awareness of their focus on special needs children.  They have a strong environmental theme.  There is interest in having a display at this event and also learning more about the school.
   4. Peninsula Streams Society AGM.  Saturday, February 16th 1-3 pm at a venue to be announced.  Peninsula Streams supports us in much of our work.  Memberships are due at the AGM and cost $5.00.  Mary will collect memberships at our next meeting.

1. Projects:
   1. Whitehead Park – Planting and mulch spreading continue.  Deer fence enclosures on east side are well planted.  Stream is flowing mostly within its new course.  We are waiting for spring.   West side planted and flooded.  Coco mat with plastic webbing will be lifted in the spring.  Need to pull sprouting blackberry, Golden Willow and Yellow Flag Iris as they show.  Work parties will start again on Monday, January 7th at 9:30.

1. Tod Creek Dissolved Oxygen monitoring is continuing throughout the winter.  DO levels at some sites are slow to rise.  Margaret Wright of DFO will be down on Wednesday, 23rd January to gather samples to be tested for biological oxygen demand.  We are meeting her at the Red Barn at 10:00.  Lin suggests low DO may also be due to chemical oxygen demand.   The purpose of the work is to demonstrate that Tod Creek above Butchart’s dam is fish friendly and that a fish ladder needs to be built to allow passage around the dam.

1. Weir visit and water sources.  Mary, Ian Bruce of PSS and Fred Haynes met at the weir before Christmas to discuss the repairs and to talk about restoration of Tod Creek between the weir and Prospect Lake Road.  Ian and Fred will meet on 11th January to discuss this further.

BC Lake Stewardship Society runs a very informative 2 day workshop to train lake stewards.  We would be interested in helping with a workshop based at Prospect Lake if we had a partner.  Winona will see if Saanich is interested.

1. HAT assessment of Hunter Covenanted Land.  There is a die off of Grand Fir on the low lying area of Hunter’s property.  Two Royal Roads students under the direction of Richard Hebda did a study of this die off including a discussion of the lake shore soil conditions.  There seems to be more water in this low lying area that there was formerly.  There is also an underground growth which may be contributing to the problem for the trees.  The study has interesting findings.  Frances will see if we can put a copy of this report on our web site.

1. Maltby Lake:  Woody reports that 40 years ago a road was built through a low lying area near the lake’s outlet.  This road is no longer used and beaver have blocked the old culverts.  Consequently the lake level is rising slightly.  Woody is watching the changes with interest.
2. TLC owns 35% of the Maltby property and is consequently responsible for 35% of the property tax.  Until the subdivision goes through TLC is unable to realize any income from the property which is a hardship for them.  Woody may need letters of support for the subdivision to precede without the multi lake accesses which Saanich is asking for.

1. Heritage Society:

• There are only 10 copies of Prospect Lake Reflections left.
• Saanich is producing a brochure of the walking tour the Society worked out.  This brochure will be similar to the Gordon Head and Craigflower ones Saanich already has.
• Heritage Society participated in the School Community Day for grades 2 & 3 organized by school librarian Pat Miller and Sherron MacPherson.  Several members hosted stations demonstrating early days in this community.  A further event for older students based on the walking tour is being planned.
• Heritage Week is in February and an event will be planned.

1. Next meeting: 6 March, 2013 at 7:30pm. Location: Pat Carfra, 181 Goward Road

Inaugural Meeting Draft Minutes

Wednesday, November 1,2000

PRESENT:
Rick Appleby Ken House
Bernie Bowker Frances Hunter
Greg Carmichael Shelagh Levey
Art Dimock Woody Thomson
Leslie Glover Rick Todd
Mary Haig-Brown Dave Wallace
Nairn Hollott Judy Wallace
Regrets: Pat Carfra, Poul Hansen, John Levey, Don Sanford, John and Lois Steeves, and Nicola Wade.

PURPOSE OF MEETING
The above residents met at the home of Bernie Bowker and Mary Haig-Brown to discuss the formation of a stewardship group for the Tod Creek/Prospect Lake Watershed, Mary Haig-Brown chaired the meeting and Shelagh Levey recorded the minutes.

SUMMARY NOTES OF MEETING:

1. Announcements
a) State of Tod Creek/Prospect Lake Action Plan. Mary Haig-Brown reported that the plan will be circulated to Municipal Staff, Council Committees and the Community Association next week. The deadline for comments is Dec.1, 2000. The plan will go to Council for approval in Jan, 2001.
b) Changes in Saanich Municipal Planning Department
Environmental Planner, Adrianne Pollard is taking maternity leave Nov. 30,2000. She will be replaced by Angela Evans who works a three day week. Angela’s position will be filled by another part time person and so the environmental planning department will see a reduction in staff time allocation.
c) Coho Fry Release into Tod Creek at Heal’s Rifle Range.
Meet at Red Barn at 10:00, Friday, Nov.3. Kevin Jancowski of CERCA is in charge.

2. Tasks We Are Interested In Pursuing
a) Water Quality In Prospect Lake
Ken House wondered how many lake residents are concerned by the eutrophication of the lake.
Questions from Rick Appleby led into a discussion about the need for information on the eutrophication of
Prospect Lake.
Art Dimock rates information regarding water quality as the top priority. We need to acquire funding, possibly
through Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT) to analyze data already gathered by Art, and held by Rick Nordin
who does not have the time to deal with it. Following this report we will know the direction we need to take
and will also ask Saanich Planning Dept. to research alternate septic systems for lake side dwellings.
Rick Todd thinks it is time to revisit the issue of motor boats on the lake – water, air, and noise pollution as
well as disturbing migratory ducks.
Woody Thomson pointed out that the pollution is particularly bad because of the complex chemicals added
to oil.
b) Walking and hiking trails
Frances Hunter brought up the importance of asking Saanich to designate historical trails as legal rights of way. It was suggested that Saanich offer tax incentives to property owners willing to allow rights of way through their land. Greg Carmichael mentioned the new Occupiers Liability Act that exempts owners from being sued by people using their land.
Shelagh Levey suggested a work party to clear the right of way leading down to the lake on Stevens Rd. There is an need to identify trails
c) Education
Shelagh is going to offer local schools a program about birds in the watershed.
The Friends of Tod Creek Watershed could assist elementary school children to build and erect wooden nest
boxes for birds and maternity roosting boxes for bats.
The Saanich News and The Prospector could be useful for promoting education, and raising awareness for
actions and issues in the watershed.
d) Riparian Zones
Judy Wallace suggested planting alder along riparian zones beside the creeks. Shelagh suggested that we hire a summer co-op student to help raise the awareness of residents living beside riparian zones. The student would take information to the residents and encourage them to restore and/or improve riparian areas. The Friends could assist stream owners with planting and provide information about riparian zones.
e) Tod Creek
Art Dimock wants to know what can be done to improve the quality of the Tod Creek and how to get more
water into it. He suggested water storage during the winter months for slow release in the summer.
Woody described the history of a previous plan for a dam on Maltby Lake.
Mary Haig-Brown mentioned that dams are no longer popular as they hold less water than the original
wetlands, and increase air pollution due to the methane gas given off from the surface of large bodies of
water.
Art suggested we find out how much water is pumped from the lake and streams. Prospect Lake Golf
Course has a water licence for 500 gallons of water a day, but it is likely much more is pumped from the lake
in the summer. Maybe they could be encouraged to follow the example of Ardmore Golf Course that doesn’t
irrigate or use fertilizer.
f) Ground Water
Leslie Glover said many people do not understand the importance of proper maintenance of wells and yet
Saanich has no plans to protect catchment areas around wells. Leslie is willing to conduct a survey to find
out what people know about wells. Following this, an information package could be written and distributed.
She will bring a draft questionnaire to the next meeting.
Rick Todd thinks it is important for Saanich Engineering Department to monitor septic systems after
installation. He is going to check the draft document of the Water Quality Action Plan to see if this is
planned.

3. Name and structure for the group
A variety of names were suggested but it was unanimously agreed that the name should avoid focusing on Prospect Lake and instead encompass a larger area by using the watershed concept. In order to avoid confusion with the Watershed Stewards as organized by HAT, the word ‘stewardship’ could not be used. It was decided to call the group The Friends of Tod Creek Watershed.

4. Relationship to Community Association, Habitat Acquisition Trust, and other groups.
It was agreed to maintain a loose affiliation with the Community Association. Lacking non profit status at this time, it is important to remain unofficially associated with HAT in order to obtain funding, as well as support.

FUTURE MEETINGS
Future meetings will probably be held on the first Wednesday of each month. The next meeting will be Wednesday, December 6, 2000, in the meeting room of the Prospect Lake Community Hall at 7:30 pm.

Purpose of the next meeting:
– report back on actions taken since the first meeting and plan future actions
– think about wording for a mission statement