In many cases, the building of a new or replacement sewage system will require fill materials such as sand or gravel. Sand, gravel or any other fill material represent a significant risk for the introduction of invasive species to Algonquin. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to find clean (seed and plant free) fill. For this reason, the Ministry will only permit the minimum amount of fill required to construct a sewage system to be imported.
When fill has to be imported, sand and coarse gravel tend to have fewer seeds and plants in them and are the most appropriate types of fill to use for sewage systems. There is no one place where you must obtain your fill, however, it cannot be sourced from within the park. You may purchase it from a pit, quarry, landscape supplier or other supplier. When you are sourcing your fill, talk to the company and ask if they have areas of their pit that are deeper from the surface, and free of plant material. If there are any visible plants or plant material in the fill, then it would not be appropriate for bringing into the park and could be considered an offence. Topsoil may NOT be brought into the park. Instead, prior to starting work on the new sewage system, the existing top soil can be pulled off of the area where the new system will be built, and stored for replacement on the completed system. New grass areas are not permitted, and for most sewage systems you can simply allow native plants to grow back.
If you have brought fill material to your cottage lot for a sewage system, then you will be required to monitor the area for the emergence of non-native plants. As noted in the Algonquin Provincial Park Cottage Lot Policy (2018-2038), you are responsible for the removal of any new or re-emerging non-native species on your cottage lot. The sooner you control new populations, the easier it will be to get rid of all of them. You may need to monitor the site for several seasons as seeds can persist in the soil for a long time before growing. Cottage program staff can help if you have questions about what is growing on your site or how to control them. See the invasive species fact sheet on the toolkit for more information on non-native and invasive species.