Indian Point Provincial Park Management Statement

March 1986

This Interim Management Statement will provide interim direction for the management of Indian Point Provincial Park until a comprehensive Park 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 Indian Point Provincial Park.

Signed by:
M. Fordyce
Regional Director
Central Region

Background information

Name: Indian Point
Proposed class: Natural Environment
MNR district: Lindsay
MNR Region: Central
Total area: 996 ha. (2461 acre)
Land:
Water:
Site region: 6
Site district: 6-9
Date in regulation: 1986

Regional setting map

Targets

1. Life science representation

Site type/landscape unit

• Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Forest Region - on border of Huron-Ontario Section and Georgian Bay Section
• Vegetative patterns represent all stages of succession from cultured field, to mature deciduous forest

Species/communities

• Forests, open forest (tree savanna), scrub, old fields, submersed and floating aquatics.
• Dominant upland tree species: Red Oak, Sugar Maple, White Pine, Basswood, Beech Bitternut Hickory
• Eastern shoreline -wetlands (significant as undeveloped shoreline)
• Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium)-provincially rare plant found in the forests.

2. Earth science representation

Geological- theme

Simcoe group of middle ordovician age:

• Shadow Lake, Gull River and Bobcaygeon formation.
• Paleozoic Bedrock
• Bobcaygeon formation is predominant bedrock type.

Feature

• two isolated drumlins with wave cut terraces (local significance).
• Carden Limestone Plain (locally significant) (which could contain alvar species)
• minor karst features
• Bobcaygeon Formation is predominant bedrock type.
• low east facing escarpment along contact of Bobcaygeon Formation.

3. Cultural resource representation

Theme – 0

Theme segment – 0

4. Recreation opportunities

Day use	car camping	wilderness/backcountry
Lindsay D.L.U.G. picnic tables (500 D.L.U.G.) 120,000 opportunities # Metres Beach (470) 89,065 opportunities	LindsayD.L.U.G. 82,800 OPP. (350 sites)

Inventories

Level/type	earth science	life science	cultural	recreational	other
Reconnaissance	Earth Science Inventory Checklist, 1977	Cuddy, 1972 (biological review for park plan).	Corts. Archaeological Survey, Indian Point, Wright, 1972	Lindsay District Land Use Guidelines	Indian Point A Conceptual Park Plan
	An evaluation of Earth Science Features in the Parks, Park Reserves and special areas of Central Region and S.W. Region, M.N.R. 1977.	Lindsay, Kathy,; 1986, Evaluation and assessment of natural areas in Site District 6-9 Indian Point site card only.
Required		Detailed	Study of recent Indian occupation – 1860

I. Land tenure

At the northern end of the park, approximately 162 ha (400 acres) is rented under a land-use permit for cattle grazing. The rental rate for 1985 was $2,200. Issuing the permit will continue, reviewed annually until the area is needed for park use (i.e. entrance plantings, reforestation).

The Boy Scouts are issued a land-use permit on an annual basis to camp on the east side of the point. This will continue as well until the land is needed for park purposes.

A land-use permit is issued and reviewed annually for a house trailer (see Figure 2) located in the northwest corner of the park.

Three separate access right-of-ways for the Indian Point cottagers (see Figure 2) exist over the ministry property. They are as follows:

Part 3 - this road allowance in the north-west corner of the park from Highway #48 to the northern limit of the private cottagers north-south road on the west side of the point, cannot be blocked or closed off.

Part 4, 5 and 6 - these parts combined form the road allowance that is the east-west access road connecting Coboconk with the cottage association’s private north-south road. The ministry is only legally obligated to maintain the extreme eastern portion of this road in order to guarantee access to Part 8 (see Figure 2). The portion that must be maintained (referred to as Part 5 and 6, see Figure 2) can roughly be defined as the road east of the park road forks to just about where the private residences begin in the village. Part 5 is at the forks while part 6 is outside of the parks boundaries. Maintenance of any other portions of road is up to the discretion of the Ministry.

Part 8 - the right-of-way over this road runs half way down the middle of the point, to where it connects with a short east-west road called Glengarry Road. The cottage owners have legal rights of way over Part 8. Before the ministry can legally remove the road (Part 8) to facilitate park development, it must acquire or have the cottagers release their rights associated with this road.

In order to give the park a level of control over the right-of-ways owned by the Ministry, parts 3, 4, 5 and 8 will be regulated.

Approximately 10.6 ha (26.23 acres) of land in the north-east corner is leased to the village of Coboconk for a municipal park. The lease runs for 30 years, starting from September 1, 1975. Renegotiation of this lease will be reviewed at the end of the present term.

Sensitive information removed.

II. Land acquisition/disposal

The ministry has recently released 1.62 ha (4 acres), adjacent to Highway #48, to the Ontario Provincial ulice for a telecommunications tower.

Consideration should be given to the purchase of Hogg Island, immediately offshore from the south-east corner of the park. A local legend says that Jesuit missionaries abandoned their church plots on Ghost Island (Hogg Island) while fleeing eastward during the Indian Seven Years war. Hogg Island has a strong relation to the history of the point and could be used as a resource for interpretation of local Indian prehistory and history. In the future, the island could also provide further waterway user-oriented facilities. Purchase of the island would preserve its natural integrity, which can be viewed from the mainland, in contrast to the views of strip-cottage development along the other shores within viewing distance.

III. Existing/proposed development

Approximately 40% of the landbase is not suitable for development. Development will be limited due to: shallow and stony soils on bedrock, and lowland areas. Approximately 40% of the shoreline is not suitable for development because of its swampy nature. There is however approximately 470 m (1,545 feet) of fine sandy wet beach with upland backshore areas suitable for beach related development.

As of 1983-84, road maintenance work on the right-of-way (Part 4, 5 and 6) is the responsibility of Lindsay District Office’s Support Service. Minimal road maintenance will involve dust control, grading, gravelling and snowplowing. The Ministry maintains to a degree all of Part 4, even though it is only legally obligated to maintain Part 5 and 6.

Balsam Lake Provincial Park staff, in conjunction with Lindsay District Parks, Lands and Fish and Wildlife will carry out security and garbage control in the park. The Lands program will continue to collect the garbage. Signage along the park boundary will be erected to inform the public that hunting is prohibited. Maintenance of existing signs (e.g., ownership, rules, regulations, etc.) will continue.

Periodic checks by conservation officers and enforcement staff from Balsam Lake Provincial Park will be carried out as deemed appropriate by Parks. Parks are to handle any related complaints or inquiries.

The above arrangements for maintenance and security will continue until other arrangements are deemed more appropriate.

Facility development is not planned in the near future. Before development can proceed, a management plan will be prepared. Public participation will be carried out when the park management plan is prepared for Indian Point. Public participation will involve consultation with adjacent property owners, local cottage associations, local and regional governments and interest groups.

IV. Recreation activities

Popular recreation activities that presently occur include picnicking, authorized overnight camping, hiking, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, hunting and fishing.

With the exception of hunting, existing recreation activities will be allowed to continue. No special facilities (i.e., picnic tables, outhouses, etc.) will be provided for these activities. Hunting will not be permitted after 1986.

One of the reasons the land was originally purchased was to provide water-based recreation opportunities. At present the site is used for access to Balsam Lake for small hand carried boats.

The Lindsay District Land Use Guidelines recommend the following:

Picnicking - 120,100 opportunities - 500 tables
Swimming - 403,600 opportunities - 2,130 metres of beach (more thorough analysis recommends 470 m of beach suitable for swimming, not the original estimate of 2130 m).
Camping - 82,800 opportunities - 350 sites.

Actual number of facilities and opportunities to be provided will be determined in the future by the Indian Point Provincial Park Management Plan.

V. Client services

Outdoor education will be considered an acceptable use on the property. Authorization for groups to use the park for this purpose will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Presently, the following groups have been authorized to use the property:

• Kawartha Region Conservation Authority - school groups for outdoor education.
• Sir Sandford Fleming College - training of forest fire suppression techniques.

VI. Natural resources

Reports and field investigations completed to date, suggest that the area does not contain any geological resources of provincial or regional significance. The upland forest areas and marsh (on the east shore)are considered to be regionally significant. The environmentally sensitive swamps and marshes along the shoreline will be maintained for wildlife habitat.

Forest management

No major forest management work has occurred since a hardwood veneer cut from 1963 to 1968. Since the park will be regulated in 1986 as a natural environment park interim forest management activities will be limited to tree removal for safe purposes. Pest control (e.g., gypsy moth) may be considered. Dead and over-mature trees will be left as den trees and for natural decomposition. The vegetative communities will be allowed to regenerate and/or evolve naturally unless managed for wildlife habitat purposes. (see Fish and Wildlife management). Some landscape plantings (native plants only) and reforestation may occur at the north end of the park, (adjacent to Highway #48) in anticipation of the future park entrance being located there.

Establishment of a Forest Management Demonstration Area will be addressed when a park management plan is prepared.

Fish and wildlife management

Assessment of Balsam Lake is the responsibility of the Kawartha Lakes Fishery Assessment Unit. Management is still the responsibility of the District. The shoreline wetlands with its significant fish habitat will be protected. ·

There is a diversity of habitats that attract a wide variety of mammals and birds such as: porcupines, foxes, deer, black and red squirrel, muskrat, beaver, varying hare, migratory songbirds, waterfowl, ruffed grouse and ring-necked pheasant.

No habitat management work has been carried out to date. Opportunities do exist for developing and maintaining a variety of cover and food supplies in the abandoned fields. This form of wildlife management will be done under the supervision of Park staff in consultation with staff from Fish and Wildlife and Forestry.

Commercial trapping will not be permitted after the spring of 1986. Trapping, as a management technique, may occur where it is necessary to deal with nuisance animals.

VII. Cultural resources

Four sites of prehistoric aboriginal occupation have been located (sensitive information removed). A field archaeological study in 1972, as part of the M.N.R. - C.O.R.T.S. study of the area, determined that the sites did not possess significant archaeological potential. However, sites (sensitive information removed - letters and numbers assigned to each site in previous archaeological studies) should be excavated if in danger of being affected by development.

The interpretive value of these sites appears to be very limited. No development will be permitted on these sites until their significance can be re-assessed as part of the management planning process.

Up until 1860, the park was an Indian Reserve. Remains of houses, chimneys and a graveyard once could be found on the site.

VIII. Marketing

Even though Indian Point will be regulated as a provincial park in 1986, there are no plans in the near future to promote its use apart from general information provided to the public regarding Public Land holdings.

IX. Research

During the 1985-86 study of site district 6-9, Indian Point will be evaluated and assessed as a natural area. A detailed life science inventory is required before the management planning process is initiated.

A study should also be conducted to determine the exact location and significance of the most recent Indian occupation (e.g. houses, graveyards). The study should address the religious implications of developing a provincial park where a native graveyard exists.

Bibliography

Cuddy, D., 1972. A preliminary report on ecology and development constraints of Indian Point, Victoria County; C.O.R.T.S. Program - M.N.R., Division of Parks.

Ministry of Natural Resources, 1977. An evaluation of Earth Science Features in the Parks, Park Reserves and Special Areas of Central and South-west regions.

Ministry of Natural Resources, 1977. Earth Science Inventory Checklist.

Ministry of Natural Resources, 1973. Indian Point - A conceptual park plan; C.O.R.T.S. Program-M.N.R.

Ministry of Natural Resources, 1982. Indian Point Proper Crown Land Management Plan.

Ministry of Natural Resources, 1985. Interim Management Statements, Policy Number P.M. 11.02.01.

Ministry of Natural Resources, 1983. Lindsay District Land Use Guidelines.

Ministry of Natural Resources, 1983. Regional and Local Earth Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest in Lindsay District; Parks and Recreation Section.

Usher, T., 1973. History and Interpretation of Indian Point, Bexley Township; Preliminary Report to C.O.R.T.S. Technical Committee, Historical Sites Board.

Wright, P., 1972. C.O.R.T.S. Archaeological Survey- Indian Point, Bexley Township, Victoria County..

File: General File 6609-05-25 (Central Region).