Learn how to lose less road substrate and keep frogs safe with these best management practices.
Ditching and doing ditch clean outs between October 1 and October 31 is the best way to avoid harm to species of conservation concern in eastern Georgian Bay.
Below you will find a set of best management practices that apply to all road work projects in eastern Georgian Bay, followed by another set of best management practices specific to ditching and ditch clean out between October 1 and October 31.
Permits and Approvals
These best management practices do not replace any permits or approvals. Best management practices are the best currently available advice.
It may be possible to use these best management practices to plan the work to reduce impacts so permits and approvals aren’t required.
Learn More
For more information on each of these best management practices and resources that can help with your mowing project, see the full road work best management practices (pdf).
Best Management Practices
Follow these standard best management practices that apply to all roadwork projects.
- Make all efforts to reduce impacts to local hydrology when conducting drainage work. If necessary, use preventative measures like temporary check dams to avoid increased water flow downstream.
- During the reptile overwintering period from September to May, do not do any ditch work near reptile overwintering habitat that will change the water level.
Create shallow ditches or berms around sensitive vegetation communities. Ensure water is directed to a filter berm, or to areas with vegetation that can filter salt-laden, sediment-laden, or polluted run-off, before it enters sensitive habitat.
- Maintain natural features and coarse substrate, including cobble and gravel which can provide spawning habitat for a variety of fish species.
- When possible, maintain meanders, pools, and riffles that can provide important habitat for fish rearing, spawning, and resting.
Ditches should flow into vegetated areas located upslope of watercourses. Ditches should not flow into waterways.
- Maintain native vegetation in ditches.
- If dense vegetation is interrupting drainage flow, consider mowing ditches instead of removing vegetation to re-establish flow.
- On the top of the bank, if vegetation must be removed it should be removed from only one side of the ditch/drain, leaving the shade-producing side intact.
Ensure ditches allow for adequate drainage during periods of high water levels like spring melt and storms.
Clean out rather than scrape out ditches to limit disturbance to native species and ditch stability. Regrade ditches only when necessary.
When conducting ditch clean out operations, line ditches appropriately with vegetation, or stone if necessary. Do not leave exposed soil.
When possible, instead of conducting a full clean out of ditches, consider staged clean outs (i.e. clean out 1 km, leave 1km) or phased clean outs (conducted over multiple years).
Learn More
For more information on each of these best management practices and resources that can help with your mowing project, see the full road work best management practices (pdf).