HomeMy WebLinkAboutVictoria Park Lake Class Environmental Assessment Study & Preliminary Design for Improvement1
KiTCHY,ER
INTERNAL MEMO
City Kitchener
Develo P ment&
Technical Services
City Hall, 200 King St. West
P.O. Box 1118
Kitchener, ON N2G 4G7
Date: September 23, 2008
To: Members of Heritage Kitchener Committee
From: Leon Bensason, Coordinator, Cultural Heritage Planning
cc:
Subject: Victoria Park Lake EA
The City is overseeing a Class Environmental Assessment (EA) to identify a preferred option to
address the water quality in Victoria Park Lake. Heritage Planning staff have been appointed to
the Steering Committee to address cultural heritage interests. Please find enclosed background
material regarding this project. A Public Information Meeting was held on Thursday evening,
September 25th at the Victoria Park Pavilion. Previous notice of this meeting was forwarded to
Heritage Kitchener members by e -mail. Staff will provide the Committee with an update
regarding this EA at the October 7th meeting.
TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM CH2MHILL
Project Objectives & Alternatives for Evaluation
PREPARED FOR: Victoria Park Lake Public Advisory Committee (PAC)
PREPARED BY: CH2M HILL & Stantec
DATE: July 17, 2008
Problem Statement
The Lake in Victoria Park was created over 100 years ago and has become an important
recreational resource for the City of Kitchener. Stormwater collected from neighbourhoods
upstream is conveyed through the lake. Sediments conveyed by the stormwater accumulate
in the lake and have been removed every 12 to 15 years. Water quality in the lake continues
to be a concern, and has restricted the enjoyment of the lake and surrounding park area
particularly during the summer period. The City now wishes to explore alternatives to
address both the accumulation of sediment and the quality of water in Victoria Park Lake
through a Class Environmental Assessment study. The study will follow the requirements
for a Schedule B project under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (October
2000, as amended in 2007).
Project Objectives
The City of Kitchener recognizes the importance of Victoria Park and in recent years
developed the Victoria Park Strategic Plan. This plan calls for a detailed watershed study
and environmental assessment to help with deciding on the best solution to the lake's water
quality and sedimentation problems. The objectives of this project are:
• To determine a preferred option for Victoria Park Lake and its watershed with respect to
water quality and sediment accumulation, while taking into account:
— Hydrology and hydraulic capacity
— Flood control
— Aquatic habitat
— Operations and maintenance
— Aesthetics
— Safety
— Social and recreational uses
• To carry out a Class Environmental Assessment
• To complete a preliminary design for the preferred option
Alternatives for Evaluation
An important step in the Class Environmental Assessment (EA) process is the identification
of Alternative Solutions to the problem as defined in the Phase 1 Needs Statement.
The Municipal Class Environmental Assessment June 2000, as amended in 2007, defines
"Alternative Solutions" as:
"feasible alternative ways of solving an identified problem (deficiency) or addressing
an opportunity, from which a preferred solution is selected ".
The Do Nothing alternative must be considered in the Class EA assessment process as a
baseline condition against which alternative solutions are evaluated.
Alternatives which will be evaluated to come up with the preferred solution have been
divided into two categories; lake -based options and upstream options. Upstream options
will be examined for each contributing tributary separately to determine the best solutions
for each individual area of the upstream watershed to improve the sediment and water
quality in the lake. The evaluation will look at the upstream options and the lake based
options in parallel with findings from each evaluation feeding into the parallel process to
determine the cumulative benefits that can be realized and to develop the best solution to
achieve the project objectives. This process is shown visually in Figure 1.
FIGURE 1
Evaluation process flow diagram
The list of the lake -based and upstream alternatives with a brief description of each is
provided below.
Lake -Based Alternatives
Do Nothing - This alternative would see Victoria Lake left in its current condition and
no extraordinary measures implemented to improve existing conditions.
• Maintain existing Lake Configuration and Dredge Sediments - In this alternative, the
sediments in the existing lake would be dredged (and properly disposed) to improve
current lake conditions. The Lake would remain in its current configuration. No
additional measures to sustain or improve water quality would be implemented.
• Reconfigure Lake and Improve Function - This alternative would see the sediments in
lake dredged (and properly disposed) and then additional measures taken to improve
the circulation of water in the lake to improve the water quality. Measures may include
reconfiguring the surface area of the lake and /or changing the depth of the lake.
• Take Lake offline - In this alternative, a bypass creek /greenway channel would be
constructed around the existing lake. Sediments in the lake would be dredged (and
properly disposed). During normal low flow conditions in the upstream creeks, most of
the flow would be conveyed through the new channel and a portion of the flow would
be diverted to the lake to maintain lake function. Under high flow conditions (such as
storm events or spring melt) when sediment loading may be greater, all the flow from
upstream watercourses would be conveyed around the lake through the by -pass
channel.
• Remove Lake and Reconfigure Channel - In this alternative the lake would be
removed from the system (by removing the lake outlet structure) and a new
creek /greenway channel would be constructed to maintain a functioning
creek / greenway system with associated strearnbanks and floodplain habitats.
Upstream Creek /Greenway Alternatives
• Do Nothing - This alternative would see the existing upstream system left in its current
condition. No extraordinary measures would be implemented to improve upstream
creek /greenway conditions.
• Implement Source Control Options - A variety of source control options are available
to improve stormwater quality management such as on -lot runoff reduction, street
sweeping and cleaning, parking lot cleaning, sanitary sewer cross connection (to the
storm sewer) reduction etc.
• Implement Conveyance Control Options - A variety of conveyance (pipe) control
options are available to improve levels of stormwater quantity management such as
infiltration storm sewers, catchbasin cleaning etc.
• Implement End -of -Pipe Control Options - A variety of end -of -pipe control options are
available to improve levels of stormwater quantity and quality management such as
stormwater management detention facilities, enhanced stormwater management
facilities (e.g. continuous deflection separators etc.), wetlands etc.
• Implement Creek/Greenway Restoration Measures - A variety of stream restoration
measures are available to improve levels of stormwater quantity and quality
management through improvements to creek /greenway morphology and to habitat
conditions.
L Victoria Park Lake Improvements Project
welcome to the pit Kitchener
Schedule h l B Class Environmental Assessment
and F'reliminary Design for Victoria Flark Lake
Improvements F cat
Public Information Centre — June 18,. 2008
I'llease sign in
Take an information c r your thoughts
review Aq� you the display materials
t City staff and the are i l bldiscuss
your questions and concerns
Flublic opinion will influence this study; please take
p. the time to fill out a comment sheet
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Victoria Park Lake Improvements Project
Study Purpose
The Lake in Victoria Park was created over 100 years ago and has become an important
recreational resource for the City of Kitchener. Stormwater collected from neighbourhoods
upstream is conveyed through the lake. Sediments conveyed by the stormwater
accumulate in the lake and have been removed every 12 to 15 years. Water quality in
the lake continues to be a concern, and has restricted the enjoyment of the lake and
surrounding park area particularly during the summer period.
The City now wishes to explore alternatives to address both the accumulation�
of sedimentand the qualitv of waterin Victoria Park Lake through a Class '.
Environmental Assessment study. The study will follow the requirements for a
Schedule B project under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (October 2000,'
as amended In 2007).
Photograph compliments of the Joseph Schneider Hans National Historic
Site, Region of Waterloo
Victoria Park Lake
The City of Kitchener recognizes the importance of Victoria Park and in recent
years developed the Victoria Park Strategic Plan. This plan calls for a detailed
watershed study and environmental assessment to help with deciding on the best
solution to the lake's water quality and sedimentation problems. The objectives of
this project are:
To determine a preferred option for Victoria Park Lake and its watershed with
respect to water quality and sediment accumulation, while taking into account:
Hydrology and hydraulic capacity Aesthetics
w Flood control w Safety
Aquatic habitat Social and recreational uses
Operations and maintenance
To carry out a Class Environmental Assessment
To complete a preliminary design for the preferred option
Key Issues and Challenges
Current state of the lake presents several key challenges and opportunities:
• The lake suffers from poor water quality and sediment build -up issues
• Waterfowl are attracted to the shoreline where their droppings affect water
quality
• Much of the lake's drainage area consists of older urban development that
predates water quality control measures
Poor water quality has restricted the recreational use of the lake
i Significant portion of upstream channel is concrete -lined
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Chronology of Activities
1895 Victoria Park created by Town of Berlin; Victoria Lake constructed on Schneider Creek
1971 Victoria Park Master Plan created by Kitchener Parks and Recreation Commission
1987 Avian botulism outbreak in Schneider Creek and Victoria Lake; >200 birds dead
1987 Report on Botulism in the Waterfowl of Victoria Lake
1993 Sedimentation Control Study for Victoria Lake estimated 23,900 m3 of sediment in the lake; recommended dredging
1995 Victoria Lake dredged to remove sediment
1997 Victoria Park designated a Heritage Conservation District under the Ontario Heritage Act (By -Law 96 -91 of Ontario Municipal Board)
1999 Avian botulism outbreak in Schneider Creek and Victoria Lake; >200 birds dead
2001 Victoria Lake Management Report investigated waterfowl botulism outbreaks and identified Henry Sturm Greenway as cause; recommended
redesign of lake or reconstruction of Henry Sturm Greenway
2001 Stormwater Management Policy Development
2003 Victoria Lake Conceptual Design. Study recommended turning Victoria Lake into a naturalized channel with a vegetated area
2003 Victoria Park Strategic Plan recommended improvements to the park including recreational pathway development, reconstruction of the
gardens and lake improvement through enhanced water quality and sediment controls
2004 Victoria Park Lake Ice Assessment investigated options for restoring ice skating
2006 -2008 Improvements of park entrance at Gaukel Street
2007 Victoria Park Lake Sediment Sampling and Thickness Studies estimated 51,000 tonnes of sediment in the lake and recommended sediment
removal and disposal at a cost of $6 million
2007 Formation of Staff /Citizens Working Group, providing a forum for community members to express ideas and concerns about the
management of Victoria Park directly to city staff
2007 Management of Canada Geese in Victoria Park including ongoing population management and a one -time relocation of -150 geese
2008 City of Kitchener decides to carry out a Class Environmental Assessment and Preliminary Design for Victoria Park Lake Improvements
Victoria Park Lake improvements -- Class Environmental Assessment Approach
Project r
The project will be directed by the study team and public advisory committee. The study team will work closely with the public advisory
committee to make sure that consensus is reached on decisions and to keep the interest of stakeholders at the forefront. Members of
regulatory agencies and the community will also be included in the decision - making process.
Study Team
Pubiva Advisory Committee
Who: City Staff, members of local regulatory agencies, and
Who: City Staff, members of the community, and the study
experts from CH2M HILL and Stantec
team
Purpose: Carry out the technical aspects of the project, oversee the
Purpose: Allow for more detailed discussions of public
Class EA process and meet at project milestones to give
questions, suggestions, and comments as well as to
direction for specific tasks and develop solutions that
gain information for subsequent tasks and the overall
satisfy the stakeholders
direction of the project.
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So far, the following components of the site inventory have been completed:
Collection and review of background data on terrestrial and aquatic species
Late breeding waterfowl survey
Spring botanical survey
Classification of vegetation communities
Benthic macro - invertebrate community assessment and sampling
Aquatic habitat assessment
Initial general habitat and incidental wildlife surveys
Water quality sampling
Investigation of Gull colony and roost at 137 Glasgow Street
In the coming weeks, we will also carry out:
Llectrofishing surveys
Summer botanical survey (July /August)
General habitat and incidental wildlife surveys
Continuation of the water quality sampling
k Schneider Creek
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Victoria Park Lake
Drain
• Do nothing
• Maintain existing lake configuration and dredge
sediments
•
Reconfigure lake to enhance circulation and water quality
• Take lake offline where the lake remains and a bypass
channel is constructed
• Remove lake and reconfigure channel
• Best Management Practices
• Public education
• Other options
---------- ------------------------
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CF�121VI ILL Stantec
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---- - - -------------------------
What the City of Kitchener is doing.-
• Managing stormwater that is generated from precipitation, watering
lawns, washing cars, etc.
• Providing regular operation and maintenance including:
* Cleaning sewers, catchbasins, and ponds
* Removing obstructions in creeks and watercourses
* Street sweeping
Responding to landowner complaints
• Having a spill response program in place.
• Monitoring water quality and flow.
• Maintaining and rehabilitating the existing infrastructure.
• Being a Partner in the Yellow Fish Road'm Program.
• Developing sound policies.
Detweiler Greenway
What you can do to help.-
• Be certain that any proposed work near your property boundary and a
watercourse does not represent an encroachment into the watercourse. If in
doubt contact City Staff.
• Avoid littering and /or dumping material such as yard waste, lawn clippings
and garbage in or near a watercourse.
• Pick up after your pet.
• Avoid draining swimming pools directly into a watercourse as the
chemically treated water can be detrimental to aquatic habitat, fish and
wildlife.
• Choose low maintenance landscaping to minimize the need for water and
fertilizers.
• Avoid dumping cleaners, paints and chemicals down sewers.
• Volunteer for a Stream Clean Up event.
• Organize a Yellow Fish Road Program in your neighbourhood.
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Victoria Park Lake Improvements Project
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The Next Steps
* Comments from today's PIC will be received until July 4, 2008
• The first Public Advisory Committee meeting will be hold
July 2008
. . .............
• The environmental investigations will be completed August 2008
• Discussions, comments, and concerns from the PAC meeting will be incorporated
into subsequent tasks and help to guide the overall direction of the project
• Comments received from review agencies will be incorporated into the decision-
making process
• Project information will be available at the City's website:
• Alternative Solutions will be developed
• Evaluation Criteria will be developed
• The alternatives will be evaluated and a preliminary solution will be recommended
"Thank you for attending!
If you have questions about this study, feel free to ask
any member of the Study Team
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CF�121VI ILL Stantec
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