Saltfleet Conservation Area Wetland Restoration Program

The project includes two important parts:

1. A new conservation area above the Niagara Escarpment
2. 4 new wetlands in the upper Battlefield and Stoney Creeks in the east of Hamilton.

The Conservation Area protects more than 400 acres of land. It restores and creates new rich habitats for diverse species of plants and wildlife. It also offers new conservation lands, hiking, biking and outdoor recreation opportunities.

The four wetlands will act as sponges that hold water when there is too much rain or melted snow. They will slowly release the water flowing from the escarpment into the lower Stoney and Battle Creek areas to help reduce the extent of flooding and reduce erosion along the creeks.

When complete, the four Saltfleet wetlands will be able to hold the equivalent amount of water as 236 Olympic-size swimming pools. That’s some serious flood protection!

This project also strategically aligns with the HCA’s Climate Change Strategy: Toward a Net-Zero Future, in three ways:

• Make it easier for ecosystems to adapt to climate change
• Investigate opportunities to enhance, reclaim, or create wetlands
• Control drainage of wetlands

Neighbourhoods in the lower Stoney and Battle Creek areas have been experiencing significant flooding and erosion challenges for decades. Rainwater from spring thaws flows down from the Niagara Escarpment into these areas and has been causing damage in backyards, basements and properties.

These neighbourhoods were built without considering  natural hazards and natural heritage and during development, the waterways were manipulated to steer straight, instead of allowing room for the natural twists and turns that waterways need. The rear lot lines of many properties are the creek banks themselves, and over time, the creekbanks have become unstable.

In 2011, HCA and the City of Hamilton initiated our first environmental assessment to look at possible solutions – many of which were costly and challenging because they focused on adding new built infrastructure that would have impacted private lands.

We were hoping for a more natural, cost-effective solution.

So, in 2018, we completed a second EA. It proposed four wetlands in different locations to reduce the risk of flooding and erosion below the Niagara Escarpment. The solutions would also bring the added benefit of enhancing natural heritage features in the area.

More cost effective. Better for the environment. Great for the community!

• 2011 Environmental Assessment
• 2018 Environmental Assessment
• Saltfleet Conservation Area Watershed Restoration Program Overview
• Investing in the Future: The Economic Case for Natural Infrastructure in Ontario – Greenbelt Foundation Report
• Economic Case for Support – Saltfleet Conservation Area
• BC-1 Wetland Design Report
• BC-1 Wetland Design Drawings