A proposed Erin Wastewater Treatment Plant would have a detrimental effect on the resident Brook trout population in the West Credit River. This population of Brook trout is of importance as it is one of the last populations located in the river and is a part of a trend of decline populations throughout Southern Ontario.
Despite pressure from government and private agencies, no effluent (sewage) temperature limits were put into the design to ensure that the river would be kept cool. Effluent will also negatively impact dissolved oxygen in the river system. Brook trout are a highly sensitive species and rely on cool water and high concentrations of dissolved oxygen. The TUC Greg Clark Chapter has been advocating  for changes to the design of the treatment plant.

More information here:

www.westcreditriverwatch.ca

it While  not  within the jurisdiction of the   Ted Knott Chapter,  there is exciting news in Niagara's Twelve Mile Creek and it must be shared!
The Twelve Mile Creek is one of the last creeks in the Niagara Region where brook trout can still be found.  However, years of degradation have caused a significant decline in populations; brook trout are a species that is highly vulnerable to changes in water quality and habitat. While  brook trout  were known to be found in one of two   branches of the creek,  there were major doubts whether the St. John's Branch held brook trout. The St. John's Branch had experienced large amounts of habitat degradation, and increasing water temperatures, more so  than other areas of the creek.
In order to   help dictate  Trout Unlimited  future  management activities within the watershed,  the Niagara chapter partnered with  Niagara College and the University of Guelph to  test for brook trout presence.  
While multiple test methods were possible, it was  decided to  conduct  eDNA tests. eDNA testing  is a new  technology that  involves sampling water within  a test site.   DNA can then be extracted from the water, and decipher which organisms have been in the water within a certain period of time.  eDNA, is favoured as it   is   the least intrusive method  in testing for absence-presence testing.
Testing was  done on  six  pre-determined  test sites in November  2019. University of Guelph and Niagara College students performed  the  eDNA and water quality parameter tests. 
​​After a few months, the results were finally revealed, and they are truly astonishing! Five out of the six test sites tested positive for brook trout. While detection rates varied, this is truly positive news for Twelve Mile Creek.  Thanks go out to Megan Lalli and Ian Smith of  the Niagara Chapter of TUC, Professor Robert Hanner, and the students that volunteered their time. There is hope for brook trout in Ontario!

Niagara College students  recording water quality  parameters (left). University of Guelph students  extracting water samples  that can be used for DNA extraction (above). Water quality parameters  were  compared to  eDNA test results to determine whether there  is a correlation between brook trout presence and the quality of the test site.

After a lifetime of stewardship in the Bronte Creek watershed and Mill Creek Watershed and more than a decades time at the helm of the Ted Knott Chapter, Bill Christmas has announced his retirement as club president. Bill's engaging personality has inspired many volunteers to roll up their sleeves and help with a multitude of restoration projects targeting the Mill Creek subwatershed (Grand River Watershed) and  Bronte Creek Watershed (Halton Region). Whether rolling river rock to create vortex weirs, planting trees to enhance riparian zones or pit-tagging Brook trout for ecological monitoring, Bill can make the most tiring and  grunt-filled work meaningful and fun!  He is an avid flyfisher and tyer and has even engaged community members by teaching them casting techniques or how to tie a woolly bugger. Thank you, Bill, for all that you have done and continue to do for the  chapter!

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​With Bill's departure, we ring in a new era for the chapter. At our Annual General Meeting, held October  25th 2018 the club elected Kristin Wazbinski Wojcicki as the new club president. Kristin  has volunteered with Trout Unlimited Canada and the Ted Knott Chapter for 5 years and she is the first TKC President who does not fly fish...yet!   She has had diverse field experiences that have led her to restoration ecology,  where she has   helped   plant trees and shrubs creekside to enhance riparian zones, built sediment mats and  brush mattresses to  protect, stabilize and build new streambank and preformed kick & sweeps to collect  bugs for ecological monitoring.  She enjoys working alongside all the generous volunteers who give their time to improve water quality in our community, so come out to our next volunteer work day and say hi!