It will cost $750,000 to take the water out of a Barrie neighbourhood now, and maybe millions more as the years flow by.
City council approved a motion Wednesday night for the capital construction and ongoing maintenance of a dewatering program at Marta Crescent and the Bear Creek Wetland.
This includes a $350,000 cost this year, funded from the tax capital reserve, and an additional $400,000 to pay for ongoing operations and maintenance of the dewatering next year.
But Mayor Alex Nuttall said that’s just where the tab begins.
“There’s wetland creep into backyards of homes. There were homes built on a wetland. The cost to fix this will be in the millions of dollars,” he said. “Taxpayers are getting a massive bill here, based on a planning decision from a couple of decades ago.
“When we’re working through different planning matters, we need to make sure we get these right," he added.
Nuttall said the city received a call and an e-mail Monday from an abutting property owner, seeking assurances that any water moved was not moved to her or her land.
“We will work with them to make sure that we’re able to implement the solution without any impact to their lands, make sure that there are no adverse impacts,” said Bala Araniyasundaran, the city’s general manager of infrastructure and growth management.
Coun. Nigussie Nigussie, who represents this part of Barrie, said about 12 homes are affected. He has said the Bear Creek Wetland-Marta Crescent flooding is a major problem affecting these Ward 6 residents. He has met with them and visited their properties, including wet backyards.
The proposed $350,000 interim solution developed by consultant Aquafor Beech is to build a temporary coffer dam to isolate the backyards from the wetland and then pump the water out of that area.
The ongoing operating cost for this project is estimated at $50,000 a month, or $400,000 beginning next year, with expectations it would run for eight months of the year beginning in 2024, until a longer-term solution is implemented.
City staff will report back to the infrastructure and community investment committee on the effectiveness of this project by September 2024.
Nigussie has said this flooding is not a new issue and has been raised by residents previously.
This area is north of Summerset Drive, east of Marta Crescent and west of Gore Drive.
The city owns the parcel of land containing a portion of Bear Creek Wetland, a stormwater management facility and a watercourse known informally as Henderson Creek.
This land was dedicated to the city through the subdivision development process about 20 years ago. Other adjacent parcels containing the wetland are in private ownership. The Marta Crescent houses were built about 10 years ago.
Property owners on Marta Crescent have been reporting the wetland’s water has been rising during the years, according to city staff. The elevated water level means there is now standing water in the backyards of some homes on Marta.
Residents are concerned with this water from a safety, aesthetic and enjoyment perspective, city staff say.
Aquafor Beech has been retained to study the problem and recommend both short- and long-term solutions.
Wetlands can change throughout the years, both naturally and because of human influence. Aquafor Beech’s assessment is the main drivers for the changes in the wetland are the deposition of sediment carried from Ardagh Bluffs, which has filled in a portion of Henderson Creek, and the increased prevalence of phragmites.
The province defines phragmites is an invasive, aggressive plant that spreads quickly and out-competes native species for water and nutrients. It releases toxins from its roots into the soil to hinder the growth of and kill surrounding plants. While it prefers areas of standing water, its roots can grow to extreme lengths, allowing it to survive in relatively dry areas.
The build-up of sediment and the phragmites have prevented water from flowing through Henderson Creek and has inundated the surrounding wetland, causing water levels to rise.
Long-term solutions are being studied, with the goal of maintaining a healthy wetland, restoring Henderson Creek, and minimizing the impact on downstream environments and properties.
While this work is in its early stages, city staff estimate these types of solutions will take many years and significant capital investment to implement. With that in mind, interim solutions were investigated which could be implemented in the short-term to reduce the standing water in the Marta Crescent backyards.
