Water Pollution

Water pollution is perhaps the greatest environmental concern related to this project. Although we take for granted the benefits provided by the many aquatic species that purify our water, as a group, freshwater species are the most threatened on Earth and their loss is being called a "Silent Crisis".

Science Daily

The Speedway will seriously affect two of Fort Erie's creeks, Frenchmans and Millers and, to a lesser extent, Beaver and Black creeks. The source of Frenchmans Creek is above the proposed site, where it has a sufficient supply of water to sustain several species of fish. In large part this fish population is the result of Walker Brothers Industries pumping water at a steady rate from their quarry operations on Ridgemount Road. Before the advent of agriculture in the area, forests helped retain groundwater so a healthy flow of water was sustained in our creeks. Walker Brothers pumping at a steady rate helps to mimic this historic flow pattern. Millers Creek, on the other hand, begins with a series of small rivulets located directly on the proposed site.

Humans have a long history of treating creeks badly, particularly where large numbers of us gather. There is no reason to believe our up to 100,000 guests including campers, and racing fans will suddenly find the means and the desire to treat Fort Erie's creeks any better. Water flows downhill, and both creeks will certainly suffer serious negative consequences from the proposal to locate racing operation at their headwaters.

Water quality in both creeks will diminish for several reasons. First, the biological services of the plants and animals that now purify water on the hundreds of acres to be cleared and replaced with hardened surfaces will be lost. Moreover, groundwater from the campground and runoff from the racing oval will be significantly contaminated by racing and other human activities.

And the road course creates additional concerns. Its construction will alter the hydrology (the rate and direction of flow of water) of an enormous area. Proponents are planning to build a bridge over a provincially significant wetland. Accidents and spills are inevitable in racing, and could happen anywhere on the road course. However, the bridge over this wetland may be the location of greatest risk.

A thorough biological inventory has not been completed for either creek, whether on the proposed site or for the length of the creeks between the subject site and the Niagara River, where both creeks terminate. And it is important that this inventory be completed. It is presently impossible to say for certain which species, and the benefits they provide – now and for our children's future, might be lost if this project proceeds.

For further information related to the Fort Erie's creeks we recommend a visit to the Friends of Fort Erie's Creek website.

To view the watershed plan for Fort Erie, we recommend a visit to the website of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.