Peterborough County is looking at best practices for spraying herbicides in wetlands after a concerned resident from Douro Dummer presented the council about the risks.
Peter Leahy who introduced himself as a local landowner concerned about his water source from his well said he was confused as to why a local land trust was in charge of spraying an invasive species called Phragmites across the township.
Phragmites is one of the fastest growing invasive plant species in all of Canada. It grows in various different locations and in different manners.
In 2024, the county agreed to partner with Kawartha Land Trust in the hopes of receiving a grant to monitor, map, and manage the invasive species.
The County was successful and has been able to map Phragmites on all County owned roadways and properties.
According to the Ministry of transportation and provincial government, negative effects of Phragmites include:
• Loss of biodiversity and species richness
• Loss of habitat for wildlife and species at risk
• Changes in hydrology
• Changes in nutrient cycling
• Physical and structural damage to infrastructure
• Human safety hazards (dead stands create fire hazards and block sightlines along highways)
• Delays and increased cost in construction activities
• Aesthetic degradation and blocking of property views
• Impeding access to infrastructure and utilities
According to a government report on the matter, negative impacts that Phragmites has on the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) infrastructure include reduced safety (e.g., restricted sightlines for drivers and impeding the movement of wildlife) and impediments to infrastructure function (e.g., drainage impediments by blocking culvert ends or obstructing ditches).
The Ministry of transportation’s environmental guide for managing invasive Phragmites states that the primary method of treatment utilized by MTO includes a combination of herbicide spraying and cutting. This integrated management approach is recognized as being most effective for Phragmites management in the province and is the preferred method when treating large areas such as a highway right-of-way. Used on its own, cutting is not a means to eradicate Phragmites as it does not impact the root system. Cutting can slow its spread and can reduce the height when the stands are too tall or dense and are impeding motorist visibility or when spraying cannot occur.
Leahy said that he had concerns with the County spraying chemicals into wetlands and water sources to deal with the Phragmites in the area as this could cause major ecological and health risks.
Coun. Joe Taylor said that he also had environmental concerns and that the chemical used, which is the same active ingredient of roundup (glyphosate). He asked staff if the County had a policy in place for environmentally protecting wetlands in regards to spraying.
Staff said that currently they do not have a specific policy developed right now but they are following the provincial best management practices for Phragmites. Coun. Lori Burtt said that in her township, Asphodel-Norwood, their staff have recommended not spraying the invasive species but rather digging it up and disposing of it at Bensfort landfill.
Coun. Mathew Graham said that excavating the plant doesn’t help the ecosystem of the wetlands either. He stated that this plant was classified as invasive because it deteriorates wetlands significantly and that if the County does not take action, the harm to these wetlands will be far greater year after year compared to if they did spray to remove the plant. He went on to say that the method for spraying was approved by Health Canada with the active ingredient being diluted to less than one percent. Graham said that they needed to deal in reality, not fear.
Leahy’s delegation was received for information.
After the delegation was received, Coun. Taylor made a motion to have staff bring back a report outlining the pros and cons of eliminating spraying in designated wetlands and include alternative methods of invasive species removal.
This motion was seconded by Cou. Ryan Huntley.Coun. Herald Nelson stated that there may be provincial policies that outweigh the county wants and sometimes it is better to do something rather than nothing.
Coun. Ron Black asked if the word Phragmites should be included in the motion.
Taylor explained that this was intended to be about spraying within wetlands, not specific to the Phragmites issues. His concerns lay in creating a policy for the county to deal with spraying chemicals into wetlands regardless of the plant or reason why.
Staff asked for clarification on the timeline of this motion.
Taylor deferred back to staff on a reasonable timeline request. They suggested six months and clarified that spraying season for Phragmites was not until the fall.
Because the timeline allows for the report to be brought back before the spraying season begins, Taylor agreed to the timeline.
There was a recorded vote on the motion with all in favour but Coun. Graham and Coun. Carol Armstrong.
The report is set to come back to council in early September.
