Mill Creek, Puslinch
Mill Creek is a groundwater-fed stream located in the Township of Puslinch, in southwestern Ontario. Mill Creek is part of the Grand River watershed.[1]
The Friends of Mill Creek (FoMC) community group organizes ecological restoration activities on Mill Creek, including a youth stewardship rangers program.[2]
Geographical location
[edit]Mill Creek is located in the centre of the Grand River Watershed in south-central Ontario. Extending into the City of Cambridge and Township of North Dumfries, the City of Guelph, the Township of Puslinch, and the Town of Milton, the subwatershed drains around 104 square kilometres of land. [1] The headwaters begin in Puslinch Township and travel southwest through Aberfoyle, then through Class I wetlands just south of Highway 401. [1] After reaching the Shade’s Mills Reservoir and Dam, Mill Creek outlets into the Grand River in downtown Cambridge near the Grand River Pedestrian Bridge.
A map of the Mill Creek subwatershed is available on the Friends of Mill Creek website.
History
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Biodiversity
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Valued ecosystem components
[edit]Invasive species
[edit]
Within the Grand River watershed, there are several invasive species of concern that may be currently present in Mill Creek or invade the region in the future.
Aquatic invasive species of concern include Neogobius melanostomus (round goby), Petromyzon marinus (sea lamprey), Faxonius rusticus (rusty crayfish), and Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussels). Round gobies are invading inland water from the Great Lakes, where they negatively impact ecosystems by eating the eggs of native fish.[3] The GRCA reports that round goby is present as far north in the watershed as Belwood Lake,[4] and the species has been detected in most of the systems surrounding Mill Creek.[5] Parasitic sea lamprey have been detected as far north as the Caledonia Dam in the Grand River watershed,[4] so are not present near Mill Creek yet[6] - although they are likely moving north.[7] Rusty crayfish are spreading through southern Ontario (including the Grand River watershed[4]), and have been detected by the Ministry of Natural Resources near Mill Creek.[8] These crayfish outcompete native crayfish and juvenile fish.[4] Zebra mussels have been detected within the Grand River watershed up to the Dunnville Dam, as well as in Guelph Lake - in the vicinity of Mill Creek.[4]
Invasive plants present in the Mill Creek subwatershed include Rhamnus cathartica (European/common buckthorn), Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard), Phragmites australis (common reed grass), and Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife), which threaten native plant species as well as the integrity and functioning of wetland and riparian habitats.[9][10]
Invasive pathogens that may affect species in the Mill Creek ecosystem include viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), ophidiomycosis (snake fungal disease), Ranavirus spp., and chytridiomycosis. The pathogen VHS (affecting fish) is present in Lake Erie and parts of its tributaries;[11] Mill Creek is located next to a VHS management zone.[12] The fungal pathogen Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola affects native snake species that are present in the Mill Creek subwatershed, including Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis (eastern garter snake), and has been detected in this region.[13][14] Viruses in the genus Ranavirus infect reptiles and amphibians, and are distributed across most of Canada.[15] The strain Frog virus 3 (FV3) is prevalent in eastern North America and threatens the frogs, salamanders, and turtles present in the Mill Creek subwatershed.[15][16][17][18] The fungal species Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans cause chytridiomycosis in amphibian species, leading to detrimental levels of mortality.[19] These pathogens are widespread in wild amphibian populations in Ontario, and have been detected in the vicinity of Mill Creek.[19] Invasive pathogens affecting trees in this region include Dutch elm disease and white pine blister rust - among others.[20]
Species at risk
[edit]Physical attributes
[edit]Aggregate pits
[edit]CBM McNally Pit
[edit]The CBM (Canada Building Materials) McNally Pit is located on Lots 25 and 26, Concession 2, in the Township of Puslinch. The CBM McNally East Pit is located adjacent to and southeast of the McNally Pit, on Part Lot 27. Both pits are licensed for extraction of aggregates from below the water table, and the McNally Pit possesses a Permit to Take Water.[21]Aggregates from both sites as well as other local CBM sites are washed and processed at the McNally Pit.[21] While extraction below the water table is occurring, monitoring wells around the perimeter of the pit and a staff gauge measuring surface water elevation are maintained.[21] As per the site’s 2020-2021 Groundwater Monitoring Program, the McNally Pit appears to have no adverse effects on the local groundwater system, but pond levels were above the Early Warning Threshold in 2020 and 2021.[21]
CBM McMillan Pit
[edit]The McMillan Gravel Pit is located at Concession 2, Township of Puslinch. It is no longer operational, with extraction stopping in 2004.[22] Tributary 3 of Mill Creek is the closest groundwater discharge to this site and accurately represents the groundwater discharge quality passing through the McMillan Gravel Pit.[22] Benthic macroinvertebrate sampling of Tributary 3 of Mill Creek and calculation of the water quality index based on BioMAP (Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program) methods are used to qualitatively evaluate and monitor the site’s water quality.[22] Analysis started in 1997 before extraction stopped.[22] The 2023 benthic macroinvertebrate sampling did not observe any negative impacts to water quality due to extraction on the site.[22]
CBM Lanci Pit
[edit]The CBM Lanci Gravel Pit is located on Part Lot 25, Concession 1, in the Township of Puslinch. Weekly water level monitoring is conducted on the site, and it is licensed for Category 1 Class “A” below-water extraction.[23] Above-water extraction operations began in April 2012 and below water extraction began in July 2013, with no extraction on the site between 2019 and 2022.[23] According to the 2022 Groundwater Monitoring Data, groundwater beneath the pit flows in a generally southwest direction, and site operations did not impact water levels.[23]
CBM Neubauer Pit
[edit]The CBM Neubauer Lit is located on Part Lot 27, Concession 1, in the Township of Puslinch. The site’s 2023 Groundwater Monitoring Data noted that overall groundwater levels remained within historical ranges for that year, and that no change occurred to water table gradients nor groundwater flow patterns.[24]
Dufferin Aggregates
[edit]LaFarge Pit
[edit]PQA Mast Pit
[edit]BlueTriton Brands
[edit]Development
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Land use and agriculture
[edit]Overpass on the Hanlon Expressway
[edit]Conservation
[edit] | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (September 2024) |
Shade's Mills Conservation Area
[edit]Major studies
[edit]1996 Mill Creek Subwatershed Plan
[edit]Friends of Mill Creek
[edit]Friends of Mill Creek is a volunteer group composed of environmentalists, local industrialists, politicians, landowners and residents focusing on the rehabilitation of the creek. The members meet on the third Wednesday of every month at the Puslinch Community Centre. The community-based organization was founded to implement some of the recommendations of the Mill Creek Subwatershed Study, but its overall goal is to maintain Mill Creek’s status as a cold-water stream. The group began with an assessment of water temperatures in the Aberfoyle area. Friends of Mill Creek have been a part of a variety of projects, including fish biomass sampling, in-stream rehabilitation and trail maintenance, dam removals, reforestation and naturalization, and continued temperature monitoring and water sampling.[25] Please visit for a map of projects.
Don McKay
[edit]Don McKay is a former politician who was a councillor for both Puslinch and Wellington County. After his retirement, he continued to stay active in the Puslinch community and was named Puslinch Senior of the Year in 2023.[26] Besides his involvement with the Friends of Mill Creek, he is a member of the Aberfoyle Agricultural Society and the Puslinch Optimist Club.[26]
Mill Creek Student Rangers
[edit]Each summer, four high school students are hired as the Mill Creek Ranger Crew members. Guided by a university student Crew Leader, they aid in restoration efforts. For example, the 2005 Crew removed log jams as part of their in-stream habitat enhancement, and the 2015 Crew built stream deflectors for sediment deposition in the Creek. Every cohort summarizes their work in a Ranger’s Report.[25] Please visit here for an example of the Ranger Report.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Mill Creek Subwatershed Plan" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ "Friends of Mill Creek". Archived from the original on 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ "Round Goby | Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program". Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Aquatic invasives". Grand River Conservation Authority. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ "round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) - EDDMapS State Distribution - EDDMapS". EDDMapS.org. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ "Maps and data". Grand River Conservation Authority. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (May 4, 2018). "Sea Lamprey: The Battle Continues to Protect Our Great Lakes Fishery". www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ "Invasive Crayfish Products". Invasive Crayfish Collaborative. Archived from the original on July 6, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ "Invasive plants". Grand River Conservation Authority. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ Ontario Invasive Plant Council. "Purple Loosestrife - Best Management Practices in Ontario" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-01-30. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ "Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) | ontario.ca". www.ontario.ca. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ Government of Ontario. "VHS Management Zone" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-10-01. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative. "Snake Fungal Disease in Canada - Rapid Threat Assessment" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-10-02. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
- ^ "Eastern Gartersnake". Ontario Nature. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Bartlett, Patricia; Ward, Tiffany; Brue, Dana; Carey, Annastacya; Duffus, Amanda (December 11, 2021). "Ranaviruses in North America: A Brief Review in Wild Herpetofauna". Journal of North American Herpetology. 2021 (2). doi:10.17161/jnah.v2021i2.15747. ISSN 2333-0694. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ Bushnell, Ross (May 29, 2018). "Incurable Ranavirus Discovered in Ontario Turtles". Ontario Nature. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ Carstairs, Sue Jacqueline; Kyle, Christopher J.; Vilaça, Sibelle Torres (April 1, 2020). "High prevalence of subclinical frog virus 3 infection in freshwater turtles of Ontario, Canada". Virology. 543: 76–83. doi:10.1016/j.virol.2020.01.016. hdl:11392/2502190. ISSN 0042-6822. PMID 32174301. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ Carstairs, Sue J. (May 20, 2019). "Evidence for low prevalence of ranaviruses in Ontario, Canada's freshwater turtle population". PeerJ. 7: e6987. doi:10.7717/peerj.6987. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 6532614. PMID 31149410.
- ^ a b Crawshaw, Lauren; Buchanan, Tore; Shirose, Leonard; Palahnuk, Amanda; Cai, Hugh Y.; Bennett, Amanda M.; Jardine, Claire M.; Davy, Christina M. (2022). "Widespread occurrence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Ontario, Canada, and predicted habitat suitability for the emerging Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans". Ecology and Evolution. 12 (4): e8798. Bibcode:2022EcoEv..12E8798C. doi:10.1002/ece3.8798. ISSN 2045-7758. PMC 9020443. PMID 35475183.
- ^ "Invasive Pathogens". Invasive Species Centre. Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Wong, Patty (March 14, 2022). McNally McNally East - 2020-2021 Groundwater Monitoring Report. AECOM.
- ^ a b c d e Yagi, Anne (January 10, 2024). McMillan Pit Water Quality Analysis Report 2023. 8 Trees Inc.
- ^ a b c Holden, Bryan (February 7, 2022). 2022 Groundwater Monitoring Results, CBM Lanci Pit, Aberfoyle Ontario. AECOM.
- ^ Pentney, Andrew (January 18, 2024). 2023 Groundwater Monitoring Summary, CBM Neubauer Pit. Groundwater Science Corp.
- ^ a b "Friends of Mill Creek". Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Shuttleworth, Joanne (July 18, 2023). "Don McKay named Puslinch Senior of the Year". Wellington Advertiser. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
43°21′22.6″N 80°18′56.9″W / 43.356278°N 80.315806°W