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Ecowrappin'
The Sydenham River – a biological treasure
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
Most people's reaction to this title would be – "Youíve got to be kidding, not the dirty old Sydenham that I know." Well, believe it or not, it is true and obviously most people in this area are unaware of the unique nature of the Sydenham. However, a number of biologists throughout North America understand that our river is one of the most diverse and biologically rich on the continent.The 82 species of fish and 34 species of mussels are hidden in the silt-laden water and muddy bottom and therefore go unnoticed. Many of these species are rare in Canada and 13 species (9 fish, 3 mussels and 1 turtle) that live in the river have been nationally listed as endangered, threatened or vulnerable. Some of these species are found nowhere else in Canada and some, like the northern riffleshell mussel, are globally rare.
Most of the rare species in the Sydenham are very sensitive to the environment in which they live. They require fairly pristine conditions and if their populations are healthy, it indicates that the river is healthy as well. A decline in numbers or the outright loss of a species would indicate deterioration in water quality (and possibly quantity).
Both mussels and fish are important to the total ecological picture of the river itself. Mussels are filter feeders that remove nutrients and pollutants from water and fish are significant in the food web. Recent surveys indicate that most of the rare species are still present in the Sydenham, therefore protection and restoration of the river habitat are crucial to their long-term survival.
With this in mind, a Sydenham River Recovery Team was formed in 1999 with representatives from federal (National Water Research Institute and Department of Fisheries and Oceans) and provincial (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources) governments, the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, the Royal Ontario Museum, University of Guelph and the three local stewardship councils (Lambton, Middlesex, Kent).
Rather than focus on individual species, it was decided to use an ecosystem approach to address all the species at risk that occur in the Sydenham River in a single Recovery Plan. The long-term goal of the plan will be to sustain and enhance the native aquatic communities of the river. Increasing public awareness, developing partnerships and fostering various stewardship initiatives will be important components of the Recovery Plan.
Further details of the various species at risk will follow in my next article.
