We have a tradition in Niagara on the Lake of private landowners taking efforts to further natural conservation. If you have a property adjacent to One Mile Creek, there are some simple but effective ways to help improve water quality.
Here are the top 5 things that will make a difference for One Mile Creek and our community:
- Avoid mowing to the edge of One Mile Creek. Vegetation along the creek is beneficial in slowing water runoff entering the creek during rainfall events, thereby limiting potential erosion as well as reducing the spread into the creek of excess fertilizers that negatively affect water quality.
- Leave natural vegetation, rocks and gravel along the shoreline. Also remove and avoid adding any additional hardening materials. Hardening the banks can speed up the flow of water and increase downstream erosion issues.
- Plant a buffer using native plants. Native plants are well adapted to local conditions and will survive much better than horticultural varieties. Native plants are also preferred by local wildlife, such as birds, bees and butterflies. We have a list of native plants.
- Remove invasive species. Invasive species – such as goutweed, yellow iris, and garlic mustard – are of particular concern along One Mile Creek. They compete with native vegetation for food and habitat, and often do not support local wildlife populations, making it difficult for anything to survive.
- Avoid fertilizer use around areas where water can easily transport excess nutrients to the creek. Excess nutrients can cause algae and other plant growth to excel in the creek and lead to impaired water quality