Opeongo River Provincial Park Management Statement

Regional Director’s approval statement

This interim Management Statement will provide interim direction for the Management of Opeongo River Provincial Park until a comprehensive Management Plan is prepared.

This statement will provide the basis for the subsequent preparation of the Park Management Plan.

I am pleased to approve this interim Management Statement for Opeongo River Provincial park.

R. M. Christie
Regional Director
Algonquin Region

Background information

• Name: Opeongo River
• Class: Waterway
• M.N.R. district: Algonquin Park
• M.N.R. region: Algonquin
• Total area (ha): 955
• Land: [no information provided]
• Water: [no information provided]
• Site region: 5E
• Site district: 9
• Date in regulation: March 4 1985

Regional setting map

Targets

1. Life science representation

Site type/landscape unit

River Valley Complex: Bare bedrock, steep slopes

Species/communities

No known significant features associated vegetation communities

2. Earth science representation

Geological theme

Outwash, monzonitic rocks

Feature

Late Wisconsin: Spillway system, outwash sand and gravel

3. Cultural resource representation

Theme

Lumbering: Further study to determine extent of Resource

Theme segment

• Ottawa Valley Square Timber
• Ottawa Valley Lumber

4. Recreation opportunities

• Day use: Nil
• Car camping: Nil
• Wilderness/back country: 1,000

Inventories

Date: Aug. 14/85

Map of plan of Opeongo River Provincial Park in the Townships of Clancy, Dickens and Murchison, District of Nipissing

Opeongo River

Land tenure

Presently there are four hunt camps (LUPs), and one trapping cabin within the park boundary.

Guideline

Present form of land tenure will remain. No further disposition of Crown land.

Existing and proposed development

Presently no developments or improvements exist. Approximately 10 campsites along the shore of Victoria Lake are maintained by the Salvation Army.

Guideline

Development should primarily deal with:

• provision of low intensity campsites and privies, along the river,
• improvement to and/or development of portages ^{footnote 1[1]}.
• removal of refuse.
• maintenance of any campsites on Victoria Lake should be carried out by Ministry staff.

Recreational activities

Present activities are limited to small numbers of users undertaking canoeing, kayaking, fishing and camping. Sport hunting occurs from organized camps. Waterway recreation is limited to spring and early summer due to extremely low water levels the remainder of the season.

Guideline

Existing recreational activities will be allowed to continue.

Regulation to permit hunting once the park area is regulated under the Provincial Parks Act will be implemented.

Commercial activities

Trapping presently takes place. There is a current Order-in-Council timber licence with Murray Bros. Lumber Co. which runs to 1990 with no renewal clause.

Guideline

Trapping will be allowed to continue as an interim activity and should be considered as long term activity.

Interim forestry activities will be carried out under the terms of the existinq licence. Theere is a 100 meter no cut zone (MDZ) on each side of the river, and a further 100 meters on each side modified cut (MMA) to the park boundary. Upon expiry in 1990, the area within the park boundary should be removed from any future logging activity.

Natural resources

Deer yard management occurs at present.

Guideline

Deer yard management to continue.

Cultural resources

Numerous remains of logging activity structures (i.e. glance piers) exist along the river.

Guideline

Existing structures should not be modified.

Client services

Management of the waterway park requires control of access and provision of information to users.

Guideline

Access should be controlled through the Shall Lake Access Point of Algonquin Park where the existing facilities will allow the provision of user information and control of the number of users.

Information should be provided on the basic aspects of river use, e.g. access, type and location of facilities such as campsites and portages, water levels, and hazards. A publication and map denailing this type of information should be provided.

Research

Guideline

Further study is required of the historical resources found along the river.

Marketing

There is a need to identify and promote the specific recreational opportunities available on this waterway park.

Guideline

The Algonquin Park canoe Route map should be modified to provide appropriate identification and description of the waterway park.

An interim publication may be required detailing information on the park.

Sources/references

Bancroft District Land Use Guidelines.

Backgrounder: Land Use Guidelines (1983)

H. Simpson: Life Science Inventory Check-Sheet

Loney Dickson: Life Science Inventory Checklist (1978)

Park Impact Assessment Sheet.

Ontario nature reserves program - Life science inventory check-sheet: Opeongo River

• Name: Opeongo River
• Map name: Round Lake
• Map number: 31F/12
• UTM ref.: 747508
• County, district or regional municipality: Nipissing District
• Lat: 45°34'N
• Long.: 77°54'W
• Alt. min: 1,050 ft.
• Alt. max.: 1,250 ft.
• Locality: Victoria Lake to Hwy. 60 (20 mi.)
• Township:
  • Dickens
  • Murchison
• Lots: [no information provided]
• Concessions: [no information provided]
• Area: [no information provided]
• Ownership: Ministry of Natural Resources
• Administration: Ministry of Natural Resources
• Forest region and district: [no information provided]
• Site district: 5E-9
• Map region and district: ALG. Algonquin
• Conservation Authority: [no information provided]

Aerial photographs

• Base map: [no information provided]
• Year: [no information provided]
• Roll: [no information provided]
• Flight line: [no information provided]
• Numbers: [no information provided]

Significant representative features

• no known significant features
• some representative communities: white pine, sugar maple, poplar, and white birch forests, wet-meadows and shoreline habitats.

Functional & management considerations

[no information provided]

Data sheets attached

• Vegetation summary

Major information sources

A Brief Life Science Inventory of the Opeong River, 1978 - A. L. Dickson - MNR unpublished report.

Evaluation and priorities

• low life science value
• Date compiled [no information provided]
• Compiler: H. Simpson

Earth science inventory checklist: Opeongo River Proposal

• Name of the area: Opeongo River Proposal
• Feature: Outwash, Monzonitic rocks
• Map name: Round Lake, West half
• Map number: 31F/12
• UTM ref.: 745500
• County: Nipissing District
• Township: Dickens
• Crown: Ownership and patented land use
• Location: Access via Highway 60 to Victoria Lake, take Shall Lake access road into Algonquin Park to north end of reserve.
• Air photos:: [no information provided]
• Docket:: [no information provided]
• Year: 1969
• Flight line: See [table] below
• Roll #: See [table] below
• Numbers: See [table] below
• Significance: Low. Rock types are common
• Sensitivity: Outwash gravel is being extracted close to the reserve.
• Compiler: C. M. Spek
• Field work: August 14-16, 1978

  Flight line	Roll #	Numbers
  4522	40	109-112
  4523	61	27-30
  4524	53	226-229
  4525	59	59-63
  4526	29	139-141

Bedrock geology

According to O.D.M. Map 2197 (1970) and Lumbers (1976) the river is underlain by Middle to Late Precambrian gneisses and quartz monzonite. The river valley is fault controlled by a major northwest trending fault and a minor intersetting northeast fault (Trusler, 1975).

The best bedrock exposure occurs along the upper middle section of the reserve which is also the least accessible area. The river is underlain in part by garnet­bearing monzonitic rocks. Small outcrops were encountered upstream from a cabin at UTM 728531. Minor faulting was evident in the river bed due to low-water conditions.

At 719532 an outcrop of augen rich biotite gneiss was visible. Several small areas of deeply weathered gneiss were also visible.

Minor faulting was also evident in the river bed at low water. The bedrock has been broken into rectangular blocks.

About ¾ of a mile north of the ford at Aylen Creek a small road branches off to the right. Half a mile down the road is a small quarry known as the Five Mile Quarry (Sabina, 1970). This is a pegmatite occurrence. Allanite, pink garnet, chlorite pryroxene and titanite occur here. The quarry is partly overgrown.

Surficial geology

The present channel of the Opeongo River carried glacial meltwaters during the Late [text unavailable].