The Christie Stream Valley is located north of Highway 8 in the former municipality of Flamborough. Included in this area is a 7.5 km segment of the main trunk of Spencer Creek, along which are found Christie Conservation Area, which is centered on a 60 ha reservoir, and the historic Crooks Hollow Conservation Area downstream.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Designation:
• Provincially Significant Wetland
City of Hamilton Environmentally Significant Area (ESA) Criteria:
• Significant Earth Science Feature
The study area encompasses the floodplain valley of Spencer Creek and
adjoining upland areas, the central portion of which is dominated by the
Christie reservoir, constructed in 1971 as a multi-purpose flood control
and recreation facility. Its water quality is adversely impacted by
upstream agricultural and industrial activities. Soil development in the
floodplain and reservoir is affected by seasonal flooding and deposition
of alluvium, and consists mainly of sandy loam. Small springs and
groundwater-supported wet areas occur on the north side of this area.
The contact between bituminous dolostone of the Eramosa Member of the
Lockport Formation and the overlying brown dolostone of the Guelph
Formation is exposed in two geologically significant outcrops: one near
the main dam, and the other in a roadcut on the north side of the Crooks
Hollow Conservation Area.
Most of the area consists of former agricultural lands which have been converted to manicured parkland on the north side, and conifer plantations and successional fields on the south side. Only small pockets of remnant natural communities (cattail marsh, cedar swamp, broadleaf swamp, and broadleaf upland woods) are present.
Nature Counts surveyors recorded 222 species. Of these, one is a locally uncommon species, one is a locally rare species, and 43 (19%) are non-native species. The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was documented in this area before 1976 and again in 2002.
During field surveys in 2001, 26 species were recorded. Of these, six are locally uncommon, the Two-spotted Skipper (Euphyes bimacula) is locally rare, and the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a COSEWIC special concern species.
Due to the agricultural setting and general lack of natural areas and riparian habitat, warmwater conditions prevail in the creek and reservoir. Between 1970 and 2001, a total of 25 species were collected, with 21 species recorded since 1990, including two species uncommon in the City of Hamilton and three rare species, Black Redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnei), Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongates) and Rosyface Shiner (Notropis rubellus). Below the Christie dam, Spencer Creek flows in a step-pool sequence over bedrock and contains an abundance of Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), Longnose Dace (Rhinichthys cataractae), Bluntnose Minnow, Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) and Common Carp.
A total of 14 species were recorded between 1984 and 1992, including a locally uncommon species and the Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum), a COSEWIC special concern species.
Nature Counts surveyors recorded 45 species. Of these, 10 are locally uncommon species, one, Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago), is a locally rare species, and two are interior forest species.
Nine common species were recorded during the 1991 NAI surveys and one additional species was observed in 1998. Three new species records were added when the Nature Counts project conducted small mammal trapping and bat mist netting in July of 2002.
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Hamilton Conservation Authority - Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
