The sometimes fast moving creek stretches from one end of Dundas to the other, empties into Cootes Paradise, and brought many of the community’s original settlers to the area to develop mills along its banks. But the creek has suffered several recent setbacks and two levels of government are planning to give it a helping hand this year.

A project to repair a 100-metre section of the creek’s banks between Wellington and Peel streets, just south of Mill Street, will be pursued to address significant erosion.

Heavy water flow has eroded the north side of the creek bank to such an extent that several trees have fallen into the creek. City staff says the restoration project is necessary to preserve surrounding open space and protect downstream areas from further erosion.

According to a public tender posted on the city website, the restoration project involves construction of “creek bank protection works consisting of boulders, straw wattles, live staking, topsoil, hydro seeding and riverstone…the project will also require restoration of all disturbed areas and implementation of landscaping features.”

This particular area of Spencer Creek was identified as the number one priority in the city’s Watercourse Erosion Assessment Study. Several other priority areas were found along Spencer Creek but are not part of this project.

“Bank erosion threatens public lands, a school yard, and private property,” the study found. “Additionally, erosion has resulted in failed structures and exposed stormwater outfalls.”

The bank repairs should move forward without any conflict with another approved project that will remove obstructions to fish movement through Spencer Creek.

A joint effort between Ontario’s ministries of natural resources and environment with the Hamilton Conservation Authority is hoped to address a lack of fish returning to the waters that thrived before the 2007 spill of contaminated fire dowse water during a fire at a pesticide manufacturing plant.

An environmental assessment of the first step, removing a barrier in Spencer Creek near Osler Drive, has been completed and natural resources staff says a remediation plan is being finalized and funding for the project is in place.

“We hope to have the work done this summer,” ministry spokesperson Bill Murch said. “We have started the EA process to look at eight additional barriers on Spencer Creek upstream of the Osler Drive barrier.”

Although the city’s bank repair project and ministry’s first effort to remove barriers to fish are at opposite ends of the creek, it’s not clear if there will be any conflict between plans to remove the other eight barriers and the city’s work between Wellington and Peel streets.

The tender for the city project was scheduled to close on Tuesday, Feb. 9.