Thames River best place for endangered spiny softshell turtle, says biologist
Biologist Scott Gillingwater can paddle upstream and down, work in secret on shoals and shores, and outwit nasty poachers.
He’s now about to wade in some muddy political waters Monday, the ongoing debate about the future of the Springbank dam.
For Gillingwater, however, things are pretty clear: dams harm rivers and since the Springbank dam has been broken, the river has shown signs of becoming healthier.
Not only that, he says, but the Thames River has become the best place in all of Canada for the survival of the endangered spiny softshell turtle.
“For me it’s a clear case. We’ve seen tremendous changes in the range, density and available habitat for our turtle species,” Gillingwater said.
“The Thames River has the best softshell spiny turtle population in Canada.”
Since the Springbank dam was shut down in 2006 for repairs, the Thames has flowed freely through London. After a series of mishaps, including breaks during testing of the renovated structure and a lawsuit, council decided last year to launch an environmental assessment encompassing both the dam and the Back to the River effort to revitalize the core area of the Thames.
That decision to tie the two together divided council, much like the fate of the dam divides London. Some want the dam to stay inoperable to allow the river to flow freely. Others want it back in business during summer months to keep water levels high to the forks downtown.
“There will eventually be a report from the environmental assessment and decision point for us on what we do with the dam,” Coun. Stephen Turner said.
That decision point is a long way off but councillors want to hear what the conservation authority thinks, Turner said.
Enter Gillingwater, who has spent years building and protecting habitats, helping species at risk survive, and educating schoolchildren on the conservation work.
“Unfortunately because of politics there is misinformation out there. I hope this talk provides a little bit of transparency to the work we do,” he said. “The facts are available.”
The report makes it clear that natural flow is the best flow.
“People often associate fish and other aquatic wildlife with deep water, though in reality areas of highest biodiversity are often more closely associated with shallow water systems,” his report says. “These areas have a mosaic of habitat types, and natural, seasonal fluctuations.”