Carp River & Flood Plain

River realignment began at Richardson Side Road & Terry Fox - January 2016

The upper Carp River drains an extensive riverine wetland complex extending from Stittsville to Ottawa's urban boundary on the Richardson Side Road. The wetland has been highly engineered to accommodate a rapidly developing residential community. The Carp River is a narrow slow flowing river meandering through a wetland consisting of:

• a confluence with Poole and Feedmill creeks and several other smaller streams,

• an extensive flood plain,

• a network of storm water management ponds,

• 9 wet meadows,

• a habitat pond

• mainly a plant and shrub oriented ecosystem and

• a network of recreational pathways.

The purpose of the restoration project was to narrow the flood plain to increase developable land which necessitated increasing the flow of the river and the storage capacity of the wetland while at the same time accommodating the impact of climate change . This has resulted in re-channeling the river and modifying the water storage capacity of the flood plain resulting in a significant impact on the existing aquatic and wildlife ecosystems. Consideration for fish habitat has resulted in:

• some fish friendly riffles and pools being added to the re-channeled river,

• the creation of a new habitat pond,

• the planting of a variety of trees, shrubs and plants to provide shade to help cool the water as well as providing for fish spawning and nursing areas,

• an extensive variety of flora being added to the engineered area to create a more diverse ecology

• an on-going habitat monitoring program by MVCA - experience has shown it can take up to a decade to evaluate success,

• it is anticipated that fish and benthos from Poole and Feedmill creeks and the rural part of the river downstream from Richardson Sideroad will repopulate the new channel and habitat pond.

The recreational pathways running through the wetlands and the wetland's connection with adjacent parks and neighbourhoods should make for a unique wetland park from which to enjoy, view and study nature.

Features

Realigned Carp River channel

The realigned channel will be located within a 100m corridor with blast rock used to stabilize the realigned meanders in locations where soils are not sufficiently stable to maintain the new design. It is estimated that 20% of the realigned channel will need to be stabilized with blast rock. The Carp River, Poole and Feedmill Creeks will have deeper channels constructed using the principles of natural channel design.. For the Carp it will be a channel of 5160m from Fernbank to Richardson Sideroad with a width of 2.75m and for Poole 180m up-stream from the Carp with a width of 3.5m and for Feedmill 240in upstream with a width of 3m. The channel will contain pool riffle sequences and the banks will be stabilized by riparian plantings and brush mattresses. (refer to Fisheries Act authorization page 41)

The flood plain was reduced in size by 16ha to create more developable land which was done by increasing the water storage capacity of what remained by creating 9 wet meadows and a habitat pond. Other parts of the flood plain remained in its original condition capable of handling overbank flooding when flow events exceed the bankfull capacity of the channel and riparian zone. This flooding can be beneficial for the flora and fauna ecosystems in the “near bank” zone. This area is seeded with: 24% Fox Sedge, 20% Virginia Wild Rye, 10% Big Bluestem, 10% Indiangrass, 5% Blunt Broom Sedge, 5% Switchgrass, 5% Blue Vervain, 4% Fringed Nodding Sedge, 4% Common Sneezeweed, 3% Grass Leaved Goldenrod, 2% Awl Sedge, 2% Showy Tick, 2% Joe Pye Weed, 2% Boneset, 2% Ox Eye Sunflower, 1% Swamp Milkweed, 1% Purple Stemmed Aster, 1% Seedbox, 1% Wild Begramot

Seeding

Seeding plan

Poole Creek confluence

Reference

Monitoring

Monitoring to gather baseline information on the water and natural habitat of the restoration area began in 2010. Guidelines for protecting the habitat and water when implementing the restoration features stated:

• No vegetative clearing during turtle nesting period (typically June)

• Any in-stream work, diversions or any operation impacting any watercourse or its tributary receiving waters in any way shall be prohibited from March 15th to June 30th.

When restoration has been completed the below table outlines some of the monitoring procedures that will be followed as described in the 2010 - Delcan Implementation Plan .

Monitoring also needs to consider the overall functioning of the wetland related to critical ecosystem goods and services, such as carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, fish production, water purification, and erosion control. How well have the changes to the river channel and floodplain integrated into the remaining part of the original ecosystem which is assumed to have been offering the ecosystem goods and services expected from a well functioning wetland? Volunteers working with the City's WEPP program and the MVCA are expected to play an important role in gathering field information related to the below table.

To maintain an active flow channel that will ensure safe conveyance and volume of flows at all times.RE: Minister’s Order Response – Kanata West. August 2009t, (page 7)