Slide 1

2009 Water Quality Monitoring Report Fish Creek Vaughn Hauser, B.Sc. Naomi Parker, B.Sc., BIT, CEPIT Slide 2 Watershed Tributary of the Bow River Begins west of Calgary, flows east, and eventually drains into the Bow River Lower reach flows through Fish Creek Provincial Park Slide 3 Land Use Upstream land use is predominantly agricultural Tsuu Tina First Nation is located along the banks of Fish Creek Storm water runoff collected drains nine outfalls into Fish Creek Slide 4 Background In 2007, a monitoring program was initiated for Fish Creek and the outfalls 5 sites were selected Monitoring of these sites continued in 2008 and 2009 Slide 5 Slide 6 Site 1 - Control Slide 7 Site 2 Outfall F-7 Slide 8 Site 3 Outfall F-2 Slide 9 Site 4 Acadia Drive Outfall Slide 10 Site 5 Confluence of Fish Creek and the Bow River Slide 11 Goals: To develop a base line for water quality Continued monitoring to determine the impact of replacing stormwater outfalls with engineered wetlands Slide 12 Parameters: Salts Solids Nutrients Bacteria Pesticides Other Water Chemistry: Hardness Dissolved Oxygen Temperature pH Electrical Conductivity Slide 13 Sampling: A grab sample was taken on June 10, July 15, August 21, September 21 and October 23, 2009 Samples were sent to AGAT Laboratories Field analysis was done at each site for: pH, EC, Turbidity, Temperature Slide 14 CCME Water Quality Index Index Description 95-100 Excellent: water quality is protected with a virtual absence of threat or impairment; conditions very close to natural or pristine levels. 80-94 Good: water quality is protected with only a minor degree of threat or impairment; conditions rarely depart from natural or desirable levels. 65-79 Fair: water quality is usually protected but occasionally threatened or impaired; conditions sometimes depart from natural or desirable levels. 45-64 Marginal: water quality is frequently threatened or impaired; conditions often depart from natural or desirable levels. 0-44 Poor: water quality is almost always threatened or impaired; conditions usually depart from natural or desirable levels. Slide 15 Salts Salt concentrations across all sites were consistent Increased downstream from Site 1- 5 Calcium, Chloride and Sodium were found to be well below the Surface Water Quality Guidelines for Use in Alberta (SWQGA) Slide 16 Solids Total suspended solids (TSS) were highest in the July sampling TSS was highest at Site 5 164 mg/L TSS was not analyzed in August Total dissolved solids (TDS) remained stable throughout the sampling season Slide 17 Nutrients Total Phosphorus exceeded the guidelines for the protection of aquatic life in July at all sites Nitrogen was analyzed as Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) and Nitrite-Nitrate (N-N) Nutrients were not analyzed in August Slide 18 Slide 19 Slide 20 Bacteria Total Coliforms Slide 21 Bacteria Fecal Coliforms Slide 22 Pesticides Carbamate Multiresidue Neutral Organochlorine Organophosphate Slide 23 Other Water Chemistry Total Hardness Electrical Conductivity Slide 24 Dissolved Oxygen Slide 25 Turbidity Slide 26 Water Qualtiy Index SiteWQICategory Rating 1S=79.2/F=83.2Fair/Good 2S=81.0/F=83.2Good/Good 3S=80.1/F=83.2Good/Good 4S=80.7/F=83.2Good/Good 5S=81.1/F=80.4Good/Good Slide 27 Conclusions Storm water discharge volumes vary seasonally Large runoff events increase bacteria and nutrients entering Fish Creek Data not yet indicative of current trends of storm water input Slide 28 Recommendations Continue to monitor on a yearly basis Consider metal analysis in 2010 Public education addressing: Pesticide, fertilizer and road salt use Cleaning up pet feces Slide 29 Acknowledgements Bow River Basin Council AGAT Laboratories Alberta Conservation Association Alberta Stewardship Network RBC Blue Water Fund Slide 30 References Alberta Environment. 2006. Aquatic Ecosystems Field Sampling Protocols. Environmental Monitoring and Evaluation Branch, Environmental Assurance Division, Alberta Environment, Edmonton, AB. Online at: http://environment.gov.ab.ca/info/posting.asp?assetid=78 05&categoryid=5 http://environment.gov.ab.ca/info/posting.asp?assetid=78 05&categoryid Alberta Environment. 1999. Surface Quality Guidelines for Use in Alberta. Environmental Assurance Division, Science and Standards Branch, Edmonton, AB. Online at: http://environment.gov.ab.ca/info/library/5713.pdfhttp://environment.gov.ab.ca/info/library/5713.pdf Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME), 2001, Water Quality Index, Obtained December 6, 2009 from: http://www.ccme.ca/ourwork/water.html?category_id=102 http://www.ccme.ca/ourwork/water.html?category_id=102 Slide 31 Questions?