The Four Mile Creek Integrated Watershed Management Plan will take a holistic, watersed-based approach to help focus on priorities, align strategies, and guide actions toward smarter, science-based decisions that ensure a long-term healthy and climate resilient watershed.

The project will focus on improving watershed management by first understanding the current state of the watershed and identifying any missing information. We will update floodplain maps with the latest data to ensure accuracy. Technical studies will be done to check the health of both water and land ecosystems, focusing on issues like erosion and water quality. The project will also review current and future land use with the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL), considering how growth might affect the watershed. Climate change will be factored into the planning process, using tools to assess risks and benefits. Finally, we’ll ensure community members, including residents and landowners, are involved throughout the project with an ongoing engagement plan.

Water Quality Monitoring in the Four Mile Creek subwatershed

Water quality in the Four Mile Creek subwatershed is monitored by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) to understand current environmental conditions and support future watershed planning and decision‑making.

Water chemistry is monitored at two key locations within the subwatershed:

đź“Ť Monitoring Locations

  • Lakeshore Road
    Provincial Water Quality Monitoring Network (PWQMN) site
    Monitored monthly since 2003
  • Virgil Reservoir
    Sampled quarterly since 2017

Water samples are analyzed at accredited laboratories for:

  • General chemistry
  • Metals
  • Nutrients
  • Bacteria

Using the Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI), the NPCA evaluates the following eight parameters:

  • Chloride
  • Copper
  • E. coli
  • Lead
  • Nitrate
  • Total phosphorus
  • Total suspended solids
  • Zinc

Overall Water Quality: POOR

Based on CWQI results, water quality in Four Mile Creek is currently rated poor, with guideline exceedances recorded for all parameters except lead.

The NPCA also monitors benthic macroinvertebrates at the Lakeshore Road site every three years.

These small aquatic organisms are strong indicators of stream health because they:

  • Respond predictably to pollution and habitat disturbance
  • Have limited mobility
  • Reflect long‑term environmental conditions

Based on observed diversity and abundance, the benthic macroinvertebrate community in Four Mile Creek is also classified as poor.

Surface water quality and stream health in the sub-watershed may be influenced by:

  • Agricultural runoff
  • Urban and rural runoff

As part of the NPCA’s Integrated Watershed Monitoring Program, the following enhancements are underway:

🧪 What’s New

  • Six additional monitoring sites added throughout the Four Mile Creek subwatershed
  • Five‑year monitoring period

This expanded program will:

  • Improve understanding of water quality conditions
  • Identify spatial trends and stressors
  • Support the development of the Four Mile Creek Integrated Watershed Plan

Community input helps inform watershed planning. Share your observations, concerns, or local knowledge about Four Mile Creek.

View a map of the Four Mile Creek - Water Quality Monitoring Stations

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