In 2014, the Town of Ajax and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) partnered with the Sierra Club of Canada Foundation to construct bioswales along the Ajax waterfront. The primary purpose was to preserve and protect the shoreline from erosion, and modify the route that storm water will take to reach Lake Ontario. Environmental enhancements included rain gardens and bioswales that clean water runoff, a meadow to absorb a naturally wet area, extending sand dunes across Paradise Beach, restoring natural habitat, removing storm water discharge pipes and steel culverts on Paradise Beach, wetland drainage enhancements and interpretive signage.
'What is a bioswale?'
A bioswale is a way of filtering surface water by channeling through plants, gravel or rip-rap and slowing it down. Silt and particulate matter will fall out and the plants in the bioswale help take out nutrients and chemicals in the surface water including chemicals from street runoff, solvents and other chemicals that are deposited along roadways. The plants and soil do this work for free for our benefit!
The Paradise Beach project provided a number of benefits to the local community by reducing the amount of direct storm water discharge directly onto the beach, improving safety to beach goers by removing the steel culverts that emptied the storm water directly on the beach and by planting native plants. The project also erected a protective fence around the plants and grasses to limit erosion by people walking across this sensitive area.
One of the major improvements was the creation of a French Drain. A French drain is a trench filled with a perforated pipe and gravel that allows water to drain naturally. At Paradise beach, this drain is buried under the sand and the swales.
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You will be visiting two bioswales within a short distance of each other along the waterfront trail.
1. At the posted coordinates (Bioswale #1) you will find one of two water control systems that help filter any overflow from the marsh before draining to the lake. At the time of your visit, do you see water in the marsh or is it dry?
2. What type of drain was used along the beach to divert water overflow?
3. At coordinates N 43 49.643 W 78 59.693 what type of restoration has been made within this enclosed area. Is this restoration working or are there signs of erosion?
4. How many enclosed areas are there along at Paradise Beach? Are these enclosed areas planted with vegetation and do you think it helps prevent further erosion?
5. Walk along the trail or beach to N 43 49.633 W 78 59.778 ( Bioswale #2) Compare the size of the two bioswales. Which one had more open water?
6. What other enhancements have been made between the road and beach adjacent to the bioswale are evident at Paradise beach?
References
http://stage.sierraclub.civicrm.ca/en/node/2209
Town of Ajax Minutes -Environmental Advisory Committee April 2, 2015
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