Re: PCBA Petition For Action, Proposed “Amberley Groynes” Removals, and West Nile Virus Threat caused by Algae in Illegally Plugged-up Jardine Creek

Further to my September15, 2006 and December 29, 2006 letters to the PCBA, related to the Petition For Action regarding beach quality and lake conditions, and two Township Council Meeting Agenda Items regarding “Groynes” (Item1.2 on February 2, 2009 and Item 10.5 on March 2, 2009), I would like to record additional comments and opinions. I understand these three letters are being posted on the PCBA website (www.pcba.ca).

Because these two subjects involve the quality of the environment of the lake water and the beach and Jardine Creek, I am also copying the parties listed below for their information, consideration, comments and appropriate action:

In the lake bed, there are no true “groynes”; there are narrow “island structures” which are relatively small in area, improve wild life habitats, and provide protection against erosion during high lake water levels. They are original lake-bed materials and should not be removed, because more water area means more algae and more phragmites, and they should not be regraded back onto the lakebed because this would reinstate serious hazard problems for bathers and small boaters. I am requesting that these island structures (“groynes”) remain; removing or regrading them would be a wasted expense. Due to the current unusually prolonged period (nine years) of near-record low water levels, some of the gaps at the beach waterline have silted up somewhat and could use nominal maintenance cleaning, but rising water levels are starting to clean the beach gaps.
In the creek bed, stagnation in the illegally “plugged-up” section of Jardine Creek will continue to be a serious West Nile Virus Threat until the creek mouth is reinstated to its original natural location, instead of the current “overflow” location over 200 feet upstream as explained below. The current rehabilitation project will not solve this stagnation problem; it is just a matter of time until someone near the creek suffers the West Nile Virus. Has any other creek mouth emptying into Lake Huron been plugged up? I am requesting that the creek channel be reinstated from its current ‘Overflow” location to its original natural location as suggested below.

Regarding the lake bed:

The Point Clark Marina and Lighthouse are on the top of the Huron Ridge, which is a narrow shallow land bridge running north-west from Point Clark to Alpena, Michigan, and divides Lake Huron in two, with the north part much deeper than the south part (www.lfpress.com May 12, 2007 article by Debora Van Brenk of Sun Media). Before reading that article, we spent over 60 summers not knowing why the lakebed in front of our lot was uniquely stony – our stony lakebed is actually the top of Huron Ridge! We did know that the huge boulders had been deposited by the actions of the very thick glaciers, and that the lakebed was still rebounding from the weight of the glaciers, by four inches per hundred years faster at Goderich than the mouth of the St Clair River. We also knew that, at all of the natural points on the east shore of the lakebed, the prevailing northwesterly winds, combined with the clockwise undercurrents, deposit sand on the north sides of the points, but scour sand from the south sides of the points, especially in the first kilometer south of the lighthouse marina, sporadically leaving only a few small shallow sand or clay bars on the stony lakebed (south of the marina).

There are no groynes south or north of the lighthouse marina in Huron-Kinloss Township, except possibly at the mouth of the Pine River, as described in extensive detailed information on groynes (design, construction, length, spacing, etc) available at:

http//www.channelcoast.org/programme_design/defense_type/?link

http//www.snh.uk/publications/on-line/heritagemanagement/eros

South of the lighthouse marina, there are at least a half-dozen original natural “points”. Several have been altered to reduce trapping algae during very low water levels. Opposite the “Atawandaron” public access walkway, which was originally 30 feet wide for vehicles, a channel has been cut westward through the original “natural point” that shielded the original natural location of the mouth of Jardine Creek. Subsequently, the natural creek bed was plugged up by illegally relocating its mouth northwards over 200 feet, as summarized later in this letter. The original natural creek bed location was recorded in Wilkinson’s 1847 Provincial Survey, and in Bolton’s 1934 Provincial detailed retracement survey, and in AGM’s 1951 shoreline survey, and on AGM’s 1951 Sheet 3 of 4.

Also south of the lighthouse marina, there are a half-dozen or so “island structures” which, after the record low 1964 lake water level, were constructed from stones and boulders from the lakebed (no imported material), for the comfort and safety of bathers and small boaters (canoes, kayaks, outboards), and to trap sand on the lakebed. A gap was left at the beach “low lake level” waterline, to allow algae and silt to migrate by wave and wind action; there is no algae problems during average and high lake water levels. These “island structures” are relatively small in area, improve wild life habitats, and provide protection against erosion during high lake water levels; so they should not be removed (more water area means more algae and phragmites), and they should not be regraded back onto the lakebed (this would reinstate serious problems for bathers and small boaters). On the part of the Huron Ridge land bridge south of the marina we simply must acknowledge that we do not have the luxury of the sandy lakebeds that Amberley Beach and Point Clark Beach and most of the Huron-Kinloss beaches enjoy.

In the short term, the lake water level (23/03/2009) has risen to 176.12m (0.52m above record low and only o.37m from record average), and “Mother Nature” has already taken care of a significant amount of the “sludge/scum” problem, due to the higher water levels, and more winds in 2008, as predicted in detail in my December 29, 2006 letter to you. We are now only 0.37m (15 inches) below the recorded average lake water level, which occurs one-third of the time. Everyone is happy during average lake levels, as recorded in the photos in your Anniversary calendar, including the two photos mentioned in my September 15^th and December 29th 2006 letters. The last nine year period has been by far the longest recorded period of near-record low water levels, but it will be much easier on our wallets if we have a little more patience with “Mother Nature”, because modest increases in the lake level plus average summer temperatures & storms will continue to reduce the “sludge” problem. Higher water levels will eradicate the problem.

In the long term, the lake water level is higher than average about one third of the time, significant erosion occurs along the lakefront, as outlined in my December 29^th 2006 letter, especially in the first kilometer south of the lighthouse marina, where “lakefront” Owners have been forced to install Armour Walls (breakwaters), a huge initial investment, plus subsequent maintenance costs during high water levels, without any compensation, another reason for leaving the “island” structures in place..

Regarding the Jardine Creek bed:

Stagnation in the illegally “plugged-up” southern section of Jardine Creek will continue to contribute to compounding the West Nile Virus Problem until the illegally plugged-up section of Jardine Creek is reinstated to its original natural creek mouth location, over 200 feet downstream from its current “overflow” location. That southerly part of the creek was plugged up by illegally bulldozing the creek’s westerly bank & the remainder of the Original Shore Road Allowance & the beach & some of the lakebed into the natural creek channel, and artificially sloping all that material up to the mature trees on the top of the east bank of the creek (see photo January photo of beach & dunes 1971 location in January 2007 calendar (three copies were handed to Councillor Anne Eadie). This reinstatement is necessary to resolve the stagnation in Jardine Creek, allowing the lake waters to resume flushing the creek naturally regardless of changing lake levels or storms, which now plug the current artificial “overflow” location. A few thousand dollars of Backhoe & bulldozer time will:

1. Reinstate the illegally plugged 200 feet or so section of creek channel, reconnecting it to the lakebed at the public walkway opposite Atawandaron Street. Since the natural original slow flowing volume of water of water has been reduced by the diversion of Jardine Creek headwaters into Clark Creek, a creek bottom bed of approximately ten feet is probably all that is now necessary to accommodate the projected modern creek flow volumes including spring run-off;

2. Relocate all the excavated material to substantially replace the illegally bulldozed original creek bank and remainder of Original Shore Road Allowance and beach;

3. Eliminate the currently plugged creek bed’s stagnation and algae problem;

4. Substantially reduce the serious threat to the health of everyone in the vicinity;

5. Bury a significant area of the unnatural invasive Phragmites;

6. Significantly improve and restore the original lake fish habitat. Fisheries and Oceans funds are available for such rehabilitations, and Jardine Creek Mouth is a prime candidate for creek restoration and beach management and lake water management because the lake water originally flushed the creek naturally – spawning grounds for smelt etc.

Restoration of the illegally “plugged-up” southern section of the Jardine Creek Bed is necessary and urgent, and is supplementary to the Class EA Reconstruction of Storm Sewer Outlets in progress. The stagnation north of the “plugged up” section will continue to contribute augment the mosquito population. Why wait until the rapidly increasing West Nile Virus compromises someone’s health?

Sincerely,

Don MacNay

RR1 Kincardine, ON N2Z 2X3

Copies also sent by E-mail to:

Council of the Township of Huron-Kinloss (Anne Eadie has 3 copies of calendar)

Matt Pearson //Kelly Vader, B.M.Ross & Associates

Geoff Peach, Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation

Gary Senior, Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority

Stewart Andrew, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Dana Boyter, Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Ted Briggs, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Southwest Region

Todd Howell, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Environmental Monitoring

Tony Steer

Neil McLean, Conestoga Rovers Associates

Gordon MacNay