Mover: Councillor Olson
Seconder: Deputy Mayor Eckhardt
WHEREAS Twelve Mile Creek is Niagara’s last remaining cold-water habitat, home to native species such as brook trout, making its conservation essential to protecting our natural heritage and biodiversity;
AND WHEREAS since 2013, organizations including Trout Unlimited Canada and Niagara College have prioritized restoration and protection efforts to enhance fish habitat within the watershed;
AND WHEREAS road salt runoff has increased salinity levels in Twelve Mile Creek, posing a significant threat to aquatic life that requires cold, clear, oxygenated, clean water to survive;
AND WHEREAS existing Regional infrastructure may be available to address this issue but may require assessment and improvements;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council direct staff to prepare a report in Q2 of 2025 outlining potential measures the Town can implement on Town-owned property to prevent, reduce, or slow the entry of road salt into the creek;
AND THAT Town staff engage Niagara Region staff to determine the performance of the existing storm water management outlet at MSSP and review maintenance and operations standards for the storm water management outlet;
AND THAT Town staff collaborate with the Region of Niagara, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, service clubs, and community organizations to support any storm water management outlet rehabilitation project to maintain quality levels for water discharging into the headwaters of the Twelve Mile Creek Rehabilitation Project.