Back to SearchInnisfil, ON – The South Innisfil Creek Drain (SICD) improvement project reached a significant milestone with the recent completion of phase three of the construction. Last month, the Town of Innisfil hosted a tour of the ecological and aquatic enhancements in partnership with the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) and R.J. Burnside & Associates Limited (Burnside). More than twenty representatives from Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, Conservation Ontario, Simcoe Federation of Agriculture, South Simcoe Streams Network – Nottawasaga Futures, Land Improvement Contractors of Ontario, the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association, and other conservation authorities across Ontario joined the tour for a firsthand look at the project.
"We are grateful to all the individuals and organizations who joined us for the South Innisfil Creek Drain tour,” says Kevin Eisses, Town of Innisfil Councillor and NVCA Board Member. “We’re proud to showcase a thriving example of using natural features to reduce ecological impact while enhancing drainage and water quality. Together, we are making a positive impact on our environment and the communities it serves.”
The SICD tour aimed to demonstrate the unique features of the municipal drain work and highlight a “Drain Done Differently” approach to environmental and agricultural agencies. Improvements include the:
- Creation of a two-stage drainage system which featured the use of sod mats to vegetate the new 7.5 m wide bench or shelf of the upper stage
- Use of existing woody material to rehabilitate and protect eroding drain bends and banks
- Construction of a number of riffle-pool sequences to aerate the flow within the drain, provide refuge for migrating fish species, and enhance existing fish habitat
- Addition of gravel substrate to enhance and expand fish spawning habitat
- Installation of the first Barefoot Box Culvert™ on a municipal drainage project which was installed under 4th Line just east of County Road 54 (10 Sideroad)
- Planting of nearly 1,000 trees to create a buffer with support from South Simcoe Streams Network
The project also incorporated an offset wetland and the protection of a Bank Swallow nesting area downstream of Highway 400.
“The new SICD sets the bar pretty high for the environmental management of a municipal drain,” says Fred Dobbs, Manager of Stewardship Services at NVCA. “Thanks to funding support from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs we have the chance to share this positive story.”
For residents in the area, these improvements hold significant benefits. The SICD (main drain), spanning almost 10 kilometres with a watershed of more than 80 square kilometres, serves approximately 900 properties. The project's aim is to enhance the drain's condition, improve flow during rainfall and runoff events, and mitigate flooding in the surrounding areas. The work done to enhance water quality in the SICD is important as it empties into the Nottawasaga River.
“The Burnside Team has been quite pleased to be able to work with a very capable and accommodating local Contractor on this project, R&D Excavating LTD,” says Jeff Dickson, Project Engineer at R.J. Burnside & Associates Limited. “The engineer’s report is only a tool to facilitate improvements to a municipal drain; without a competent and willing Contractor to bring the report and associated drawings to life, it would not be possible to create a Drain Done Differently!”
Work is scheduled to continue on the SICD in 2024. For more information, visit innisfil.ca/SICD.
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