source water assessment and groundwater protection plan final
TRANSCRIPT
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SourceWaterAssessmentandGroundwaterProtectionPlan
FinalReportSilverStarWaterUtility
RegionalDistrictofNorthOkanagan
August312011
ProjectNo.464091
201-591 Bernard Ave | Kelowna BC | V1Y 6N9 | www.true.bc.ca | tel 250.861.8783 | fax 250.861.8773
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 2SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
TableofContents1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 PurposeofStudy........................................................................................................................................ 1
1.2 ComprehensiveDrinkingWaterSourcetoTapAssessmentGuideline..................................................... 2
1.3 DataSources .............................................................................................................................................. 3
1.4 PreviousGroundwaterProtectionWorks ................................................................................................. 3
2.0Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. 4
2.1 TechnicalAdvisoryCommittee .................................................................................................................. 4
2.2 PublicConsultation.................................................................................................................................... 5
3.0Module#1Delineation&CharacterizationofDrinkingWaterSources ...........................................................5
3.1 BackgroundSilverStarMountain ........................................................................................................... 5
3.1.1Location/Setting.................................................................................................................................... 5
3.1.2History .................................................................................................................................................... 6
3.1.3LandUse ................................................................................................................................................. 6
3.1.4FutureGrowth........................................................................................................................................ 6
3.2 SilverStarWaterSystem ........................................................................................................................... 7
3.2.1History .................................................................................................................................................... 7
3.2.2WaterSystemArrangement .................................................................................................................. 7
3.3 WaterSources ........................................................................................................................................... 9
3.3.1SurfaceWaterSource ............................................................................................................................ 9
3.3.1.1Watershed/CatchmentAreas ..................................................................................................... 10
3.3.1.2SurfaceWaterAssessmentArea................................................................................................. 10
3.3.1.3Climate ........................................................................................................................................ 11
3.3.1.4BiogeoclimateZones................................................................................................................... 11
3.3.1.5Bedrock&SurficialGeology........................................................................................................ 11
3.3.1.6Terrain......................................................................................................................................... 12
3.3.1.7VanceCreek ................................................................................................................................ 13
3.3.1.8SurfaceWaterCaptureUse ........................................................................................................ 14
3.3.1.9ResidenceTimes.......................................................................................................................... 15
3.3.1.10RawWaterIntakes..................................................................................................................... 15
3.3.1.11GroundwaterContributionstoParadiseLake ............................................................................ 16
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 3SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
3.3.1.12Groundwater/SurfaceWaterSourceSupply ........................................................................... 17
3.3.1.13IndividualGroundwaterWellSupplies ..................................................................................... 18
3.3.1.14SurfaceWaterQuality............................................................................................................... 18
3.3.2GroundwaterSources.............................................................................................................................. 24
3.3.2.1Background ................................................................................................................................ 24
3.3.2.2BriefOverviewofSilverStarGoundwaterSupplies................................................................... 25
3.3.2.3GeneralGroundwaterConditionsandImplicationsforWellProtection .................................. 27
3.3.2.4GoundwaterSourceWaterQuality............................................................................................ 28
3.3.2.5GroundwaterAssessment&ProtectionAreas ......................................................................... 30
4.0Module#2ContaminantSourceInventory ............................................................................................ 34
4.1 BeetleInfestation .................................................................................................................................... 39
4.2 RangeLandActivities............................................................................................................................... 41
4.3 ResortMountainBikingActivities ........................................................................................................... 43
4.4 ResortMaintenanceActivities................................................................................................................. 44
4.5 RDNOMaintenanceActivities ................................................................................................................. 45
4.6 Roadways................................................................................................................................................. 45
4.7 ForestFires .............................................................................................................................................. 46
4.8 MotorizedRecreationalVehicles............................................................................................................. 47
4.9 Wildlife..................................................................................................................................................... 47
4.10 ExistingAlpineSkiActivities .................................................................................................................... 47
4.11 ExistingAlpineSkiLifts............................................................................................................................ 47
4.12 PotentialFutureAlpineSkiActivities....................................................................................................... 48
4.13 PotentialFutureAlpineSkiLifts............................................................................................................... 48
4.14 WasteTransferStation&MaintenanceFacility...................................................................................... 48
4.15 EquestrianActivities ................................................................................................................................ 48
5.0Module#7CharacterizeRisksfromSourcetoTap.................................................................................. 49
5.1 RiskCharacterizationMethodology ........................................................................................................ 49
5.2 RiskCharacterization ............................................................................................................................... 50
5.3 SourceWaterProtectionBarrierEvaluation ........................................................................................... 53
5.4 SystemStrengths,Weaknesses,OpportunitiesandThreats................................................................... 54
6.0Module#8RecommendedActionstoImproveDrinkingWaterProtection............................................. 55
References..................................................................................................................................................... 62
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 4SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
LISTOFTABLES
1.0 ReservoirCatchmentAreaStatistics
2.0 CatchmentAreaSlopeAnalysisStatistics
3.0 WellWater/SurfaceWaterContributionstoParadiseLakeReservoir
4.0 AnnualWaterSupplyandGroundwater/SurfaceWaterPercentages
5.0 AnnualGroundwaterSupplyandIndividualWellContributions
6.0 ParadiseLakeReservoirRawWaterQualityData
7.0 ParadiseLakeReservoirE.Coli.AndTotalColiformData
8.0 ParadiseLakeReservoir2010TurbiditySamplingStatistics
9.0 SilverStarRDNOWaterUtilityGroundwaterWellSummary
10.0 SummaryofAnnualComprehensiveWaterQualitytestingSilverStarUtilityWells(20082010)
11.0 ContaminantSourceInventory
11.1 HazardIdentificationTable
12.0 QualitativeMeasuresofLikelihood
13.0 QualitativeMeasuresofConsequence
14.0 QualitativeRiskAnalysisMatrix
14.1 SourceWaterProtectionBarrierEvaluation
15.0 RiskCharacterization
16.0 TimeCategoriesforRiskManagementActions
17.0 RecommendedActions
LISTOFFIGURES
1.0 SiteLocationContextPlan
1.1 ControlledRecreationArea
1.2 WaterSystemArrangement
1.3 WaterSystemSchematic
2.0 GenericSurfaceWaterSource
3.0 GenericGroundwaterSource
4.0 SurfaceWaterCatchments
6.0 SurfaceCatchmentsSlopeAnalysis
7.0 MountainPineBeetle,Forestry&RangeAreas
8.0 WildfireRiskSurfaceCatchmentAreas
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 5SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
LISTOFFIGURES(CONTINUED)
9.0 ParadiseLakeReservoirRechargeandSupply
9.1 2010DailyRawWaterSourceMix
10.0 ParadiseLakeReservoirRecharge,SupplyandCattleDrift
11.0 ParadiseLakeReservoirRecharge,SupplyandMountainBikingActivities
12.0 ParadiseLakeReservoirTurbidityReadings:January1stJune30th,2010
13.0 ParadiseLakeReservoirTurbidityReadings:July1stDecember31st,2010
LISTOFAPPENDICES
A IHAOperatingPermitletterdatedSeptember10,2009
B TechnicalAdvisoryCommitteeMeetingMinutes
C PublicNotificationMailOut,Feedback&OpenHouseAdvertisement
D PublicOpenHousePresentationMaterials
E OpenHouseFeedbackQuestionnairesandCommentSheets
F GuidelinesforCanadianDrinkingWaterQuality,December2010
G InteriorHealthAuthority43210DrinkingWaterObjectives
H SiteReconnaissancePhotographs
I MinistryofForestsBiogeoclimateMapping
J VanceCreekStreamReportFreshwaterFisheriesSocietyofB.C.
K SurfaceandgroundwaterSourcePlan(drawingSW1)
L WaterInfrastructurePlan(drawingW1)
M ParadiseLakeRawWaterQualityDataSummary
N Figure#4GolderAssociates,2008
O GroundwaterWellWaterQualityData
P SilverStarWaterUtilityAnnualReport2008
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 6SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
TERMS&ACRONYMS
APEC AreaofPotentialEnvironmentalConcern
BMP BestManagementPractice
cms cubicmetrespersecond(m3/s)
CRA ControlledRecreationArea
DFO DepartmentofFisheriesandOceans
FISS FisheriesInformationSummarySystem
FRPA ForestandRangePracticesAct
GPS GlobalPositioningSystem
GCDWQ GuidelinesforCanadianDrinkingWaterQuality
Ha Hectare(=10,000m2)
IHA InteriorHealthAuthority
km2 Squarekilometre(=100Ha)
MAC MaximumAcceptableConcentration
ML MegaLitre
MFML MinistryofForests,MinesandLands
MFLNRO MinistryofForests,LandsandNaturalResourceOperations(includesRange)
MOE MinistryofEnvironment
MOFR MinistryofForestandRange
MOTCA MinistryofTourism,Culture&Arts
MTTI MinistryofTourism,Trade&Investment
NTU NephelometricTurbidityUnits
OBWB OkanaganBasinWaterBoard
RDNO RegionalDistrictofNorthOkanagan
SCADA SupervisoryControlandDataAcquisition
S2TAG ComprehensiveDrinkingWaterSourcetoTapAssessmentGuidelines
TAC TechnicalAdvisoryCommittee
TDS TotalDissolvedSolids
TSS TotalSuspendedSolids
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 7SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The primary authors of this report areMr.Dave Pritchard, P.Eng. of TRUE Consulting andMr.DougGeller,P.Geo.ofWesternWaterAssociatesLtd. Mr.Gellercompletedmostoftheassessmentanddraftreporting inlate2010/early2011whilewithSummitEnvironmentalConsultantsInc.
The authorswish to thank the following people for their significant contributions of time and effort to thisreport:
Mr.BradBakerOperationsManager,SilverStarSkiResort
Mr.BrynLord,B.Sc.,B.Tech,DrinkingWaterOfficerInteriorHealthAuthority
Mr.KevinWilsonAreaSupervisor,BCParks
Mr.LarryGardiner,A.Sc.T.EngineeringTechnologist,RDNO
Ms.PsycheBrownManager,MajorProjects,MFLNROResortDevelopmentBranch
Mr.RandySchellenbergCitizensCoalitiontoSaveSilverStarPark
Mr.RegNolanderLand&TimberOfficer,MFLNROResortDevelopmentBranch
Mr.RobDinwoodie,P.Ag.RangeOfficer,MinistryofForests
Mr.RodPleasance,P.Eng.ProjectEngineer,RDNO
Ms.SandyCook,P.Eng.SilverStarPropertyOwnersAssociation
Ms.SolvejPatschke,M.Sc.P.AgMinistryofEnvironment
Mr.TedPleavinSilverStarPropertyOwnersAssociation
Mr.WarrenMcKimAberdeenElectric
Ms.ZeeMarcolin,P.Eng.UtilitiesEngineer,RDNO
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 1SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
1.0 Introduction
A consulting team led by TRUE Consultingwas retained by the RegionalDistrict ofNorthOkanagan(RDNO) to prepare a SourceWaterAssessment andGroundwater Protection Plan for the Silver StarWaterUtility.
Authorization to proceedwith theworkwas received fromMr. Rod Pleasance, P.Eng. of RDNO onSeptember3,2010 inkeepingwithTRUEConsultingsengineering servicesproposaldatedNovember16,2009.
1.1 PurposeofStudyThekeytoensuringaclean,safeandreliabledrinkingwatersupplyistounderstandthesystemfromitssourcetotheconsumerstap.
ThewatershedsoftheBCSouthernInteriorarewherewelive,work,andplay.Theyarealsothesourceofthewaterwedrink.Inordertoprotectpublichealth,thethreatsposedbyactivitiesinourwatershedsneedtobeidentifiedandmanaged.
Sourcewaterandgroundwaterprotectionplansaddress landuse, theenvironment,habitat, fisheriesandthecompletehydrologiccyclewithaviewtosafeguardingpublichealth,andensuringsafepotablewatersuppliesforthelongterm.Sourcewaterprotectionisthefirststepandakeycomponentofthemultibarrierapproach toprotectingdrinkingwaterasadoptedbyHealthCanada, the InteriorHealthAuthorityandtheprovincialMinistryofHealth.
Theproperprotectionandmanagementof sourcewater is thereforevital toensuring the long termsustainabilityofcommunitieswithintheOkanaganValley.
The IHA administers the provincial Drinking Water Protection Acts provisions for source waterprotection,andtheSilverStarwatersystemfallsundertheIHAsjurisdictionaccordingly.
AsaconditionoftheSilverStarwatersystems2009PermittoOperate,IHAhasmadeitarequirementthattheRDNOprepareaSourceWaterProtectionPlan,therebyprovidingtheimpetusforthisstudy.AcopyoftheIHAsPermitToOperateletterdatedSeptember10,2009isenclosedasAppendixA.
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 2SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
1.2 ComprehensiveDrinkingWaterSourcetoTapAssessmentGuideline
AsstipulatedbyIHAs2010OperatingPermitconditions,thisstudyhasbeenprepared inkeepingwiththeComprehensiveDrinkingWaterSourcetoTapAssessmentGuidelineaspublishedbytheProvincialMinistryofHealthyLivingandSport,2010edition.
The Source to Tap AssessmentGuideline (S2TAG) provides a structured and consistent approach toevaluating risks to drinking water and serves as a tool for water systems to develop a morecomprehensiveunderstandingoftheriskstodrinkingwatersafetyandavailability,howtooperatemoreeffectively,andhowtoproducethebestpossiblewaterquality.
TheS2TAGiscomprisedofeightmodules,listedasfollows:
Module#1 Delineateandcharacterizedrinkingwatersources
Module#2 Conductcontaminantsourceinventory
Module#3 Assesswatersupplyelements
Module#4 Evaluatewatersystemmanagement,operationandmaintenancepractices
Module#5 Auditwaterqualityandavailability
Module#6 Reviewfinancialcapacityandgovernanceofwatersystem
Module#7 Characterizerisksfromsourcetotap
Module#8 Recommendactionstoimprovedrinkingwaterprotection
ThescopeofworkincludedandaddressedbythisstudyincludesModules#1,2,7&8.TheRDNOhaspreviouslycompleted studiesaddressingModules#3&4,and,bydefinition,Modules#5&6willbecompletedinfuture.
During20072008,groundwaterprotectionplanningwas initiatedbyRDNOatSilverStarusingthesixstepapproachoftheWellProtectionToolkitaspublishedbyMOE,whichissimilartotheS2TAGinsomerespects.ThatpreviousworkisbeingincorporatedintothecurrentassessmentundertheS2TAG.
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 3SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
1.3 DataSourcesForthepurposesofthisstudy,theRDNOprovidedthefollowingwatersystemdata:
MeteredbulkflowreadingsasrecordedbythesystemoperatorsfortheperiodJanuary1,2003toDecember31,2010inrawspreadsheetform;
WaterqualitydatacontainedwithintheregionaldistrictsWaterTraxdatabase;
SCADAbulkflowmeterdatafortheperiodApril23,2008toNovember25,2010inrawspreadsheetform;and
Customerwatermeterbilling records for theperiodApril2004 toDecember2010 inspreadsheetform.
The flowdata received required careful scrutiny combinedwith interviewswithRDNO staff and thewatersystemoperatorsinordertodevelopanaccurateflowdatabase.Somemanipulationofthedatawasrequiredinordertoaddressgapsinthedatarecord.
1.4 PreviousGroundwaterProtectionWorksTheRDNOhaspreviouslycompletedcertaingroundwaterprotectionplanningworksatSilverStarwiththecompletionofareporttitledInitialPhases intheDevelopmentofaGroundwaterProtectionPlanforSilverStarResortArea(GolderAssociates,2008).TheGolderstudycompletedSteps#1,2and3ofthe Well Protection Toolkit as published by the MOE. Steps #13 comprise forming a communityplanningteam,delineatingsourcesandcapturezones,andcompletingacontaminantsourceinventoryandareanalogoustoModules#1and2oftheS2TAG.
From a groundwater perspective, the purpose of this study is to complete that remainingwork toestablishtheprotectionframeworkfortheSilverStarWaterUtilitygroundwaterwellsources,andtheaquiferwhichprovideswater to thesewells,and to coordinate thisprotectionprogramwithRDNOsprotectionprogramforthesurfacewatersources.
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 4SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
2.0 Methodology
ThisSourceWaterAssessmentandGroundwaterProtectionPlanhasbeenpreparedinkeepingwiththeS2TAGusingthegeneralmethodologypresentedasfollows:
i) Collectionandreviewofavailabledataincludingpreviousreports,mapping,flowrecords,etc;
ii) Conductsitereconnaissanceandreviewoftheexistingwatersystemwithlicensedsystemoperator;
iii) CoordinationofprojectmeetingswiththeRDNO,IHAandtheTechnicalAdvisoryCommittee;
iv) PublicConsultation;and
v) CompletionoftheStudy.
2.1 TechnicalAdvisoryCommitteeInpartnershipwiththeRDNO,TRUEandtheprojectteamfacilitatedthecreationofaTechnicalAdvisoryCommittee(hereafterTAC)fortheprojectincludingrepresentativesfromthefollowingorganizations:
RegionalDistrictofNorthOkanagan(RDNO)
InteriorHealthAuthority(IHA)
MinistryofNaturalResourceOperations(MFLNRO),ResortDevelopmentBranch
MinistryofEnvironment(MOE)Water(nowpartofMFLNRO)
MinistryofForests,MinesandLands(MFOR)
B.C.Parks
SilverStarMountainResort
SilverStarPropertyOwnersAssociation
CitizensCoalitiontoSaveSilverStarPark
CopiesofTACmeetingminutesareenclosedasAppendixB.
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2.2 PublicConsultationThepublicconsultationcomponentoftheSourceWaterAssessmentandGroundwaterProtectionPlanhasbeencomprisedofthefollowing:
i) Attheprojectoutset,anotificationwaspostedintheSilverStarVillageandmailedtoallregisteredpropertyownersadvisingof theprojectand inviting feedback re: issuesofconcern.AcopyofthenotificationandsubsequentfeedbackisenclosedasAppendixC.
ii) Apublicopenhousewasadvertised (copyofnoticeenclosedasAppendixC)andheldonThursdayJuly21,2011from47pm inordertopresentthestudysfindings,andtosolicitfurtherpublic inputandfeedbackpriortofinalizingsame. Questionnairesandcomment sheets were distributed at the Open House, and a summary of feedbackreceivedfromthepublicattheopenhouseisenclosedasAppendixE.
iii) TheRDNOswebsitewasalsoutilized,withadraftreportpostedforthepublicsreviewinadvanceoftheopenhousemeeting.
3.0 Module#1DelineationandCharacterizationofDrinkingWaterSources
3.1 BackgroundSilverStarMountain3.1.1 Location/Setting
Silver StarMountain is located in the North Okanagan,approximately22kmnortheastoftheCityofVernon.Themountainisaccessedvia48AvenueandSilverStarRoad.
Themountainitselfrisessome1,500mfromtheOkanaganValleyfloor,andformspartoftheShuswapHighlandsoftheMonasheeMountainrange.
Figure#1illustratesthesitelocationcontext.
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 5SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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3.1.2 History
Blessedwithover7mofaverage snowfall, Silver StarMountainhasbeenused foralpineandnordicskiingdatingbacktothe1930s.FastforwardtothepresentandSilverStarMountainResortcomprises115downhillrunsand50kmofnordictrailsonover1,200hectaresofskiableterrain.
Located at abase elevationof ~1,550m geodetic, themountain resort village itselfhas grown to anexisting4,200bedbase,withover10hotelsand100vacationhomesaswellasstaffaccommodation.Inaddition, there is a restaurant located near the top of the mountain and a variety of otherinfrastructuresspreadthroughoutthesite.
Duringthesummermonths,SilverStarResortoffersmountainbikingonthehill,withthetrailnetworkaccessedbytheCometExpresslift.ThebikeparktypicallyoperatessevendaysaweekfromlateJunetomidSeptember.
3.1.3 Landuse
Silver Star is a local unincorporated community locatedwithin Electoral Area C of the RDNO. TheOfficialCommunityPlanandZoningBylawsforSilverStarwerelastupdatedin2004/2005.SilverStarMountainResortoperatesonprovincial Crown land under aControlled Recreation Area (CRA) leasearrangementwith the Provincial ResortDevelopmentBranchof theMinistryofForests, Lands and Natural ResourceOperations(MFLNRO).ThelimitsoftheCRAarepresentedinFigure#1.1Silver StarMountain Resort falls undertheLandActjurisdictionoftheMFLNRO,and operates under its approved BaseArea Master Plan authored by S.E.CanadadatedFebruary1995.
3.1.4 FutureGrowth
Throughdiscussionswith theRDNOandMFLNRO, it isunderstood thatSilverStarMountainResort iscurrentlyplanningaresortexpansionbuthasyettomakeaformalapplicationtotheProvinceasafirststepintheassociatedregulatoryapprovalsprocess.
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 6SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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Onceanexpansionplanissubmittedtotheprovince,theMFLNROregulatoryapprovalsprocesswouldincludeaninteragencyreviewteam(Provincial,Federal,LocalandFirstNationsgovernmentagencies),aswellaspublicreviewandconsultationprocesses.In addition to provincial approvals, a resort expansion would require RDNO planning approvals,includinganupdatetotheOfficialCommunityPlan.Apreliminaryandunofficialversionoftheresortsfutureexpansionplanhasenteredthepublicdomain(www.brentharley.com/silverstar.html);thisunofficialplancontemplatestheadditionofan18holegolfcourseandapillowunitcountof26,550atfullbuildout.
3.2 SilverStarWaterSystem3.2.1 History
Historically, thepotablewater supply systematSilverStarhasbeenprimarilydeveloped,maintainedandoperatedbytheskiresort.In1992,theRDNOassumedownershipofthewatersystempursuanttoBylawNo.1082SilverStarVillageLocalServiceAreaDistrict.
Atpresent,theRDNOownsandoperatesthewatersystem includingwatersupply,storage,treatmentanddistribution.
3.2.2 WaterSystemArrangement
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 7SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
The constituent components and general arrangementof the SilverStarwatersystemarepresentedonFigure#1.2anddrawingno.W1enclosedasAppendixL.
Thesystem:
utilizesboth surfacewaterandgroundwateras rawwatersources;
storesraw,untreatedwaterinopenairreservoirs;
providesprimarydisinfectionviachlorineinjection;
stores treated,potablewater inenclosed reservoirsinsufficientquantitytosatisfydomesticandfireflowdemands;and
http://www.brentharley.com/silverstar.html
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deliverspotablewaterthroughouttheresortandvillageviaanundergroundwatermaindistributionnetwork.
The RDNO is currentlyworking on a separate capitalworks projectwhichwill see ultraviolet (UV)disinfectionaddedtothesystematthemidteewatertreatmentbuildinginordertoprovidesecondarydisinfectioninkeepingwiththeInteriorHealthAuthoritys43210DrinkingWaterObjectives.
AllwaterpurveyorswhousesurfacewaterorgroundwaterunderthedirectinfluenceofsurfacewatermustapplytoIHAforafiltrationdeferral.Toapplyforadeferral,thewaterpurveyormustfulfillcertaincriteria,suchascompletingawatershedassessmentanddemonstratingthattheirwatersupplymeetsthe43210 IHAobjectives.Thiswatershedassessment reportaswellassystem improvementsandotherrequiredstudiesarebeingcompletedbyRDNO tosupportanapplication for filtrationdeferral.Preliminarywaterqualityresultssupporttherequirementsofafiltrationdeferral.However,continualdemonstration of satisfyingwater quality objectives are required in order tomaintain the deferredstatus,andifwaterqualitydegradesanddoesnotmeet43210objectives,theSSWUwillberequiredatthattimetoimplementfiltration.Thisisanotherreasonthatsourceprotectionisimportantinprovidingamultibarrierapproachtoprovidingsafedrinkingwater.
AschematicdiagramoftheSilverStarwatersystemispresentedinFigure#1.3.
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 8SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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3.3 WaterSourcesTheSilverStarWater systemutilizesboth surfacewaterandgroundwateras rawwater sources.Forsurfacewater, the sourcearea isdefinedas thewatershedwhich is tributary to the lowestelevationintake;thisgenericconceptisillustratedonFigure#2.0.Forgroundwater,thesourceareaisdefinedasthecapturezone i.e.the landareasurroundingawellwhichprovideswatertothewell.Figure#3.0illustratesagenericgroundwatercapturezone.
3.3.1 SurfaceWaterSource
Untilrecently,theSilverStarWaterUtilityhascapturedsurfacewaters(primarilysnowmelt)andstoredthesewaters intheopenairParadiseLakereservoir locatednearthetopofthemountainasshown inFigure#1.2.Thisearthimpoundmentreservoirwasconstructedin1996withatopwaterlevel(TWL)=elevation1,720.00mgeodetic,andafullpoolstoragecapacityofapproximately64,300m3.
ThesurfacewatercaptureandstoragecomponentsoftheSilverStarwatersystemhaverecentlybeenexpandedwiththecompletionofconstructionofthenewVanceCreekreservoirin2010.Locatedtotheeast of Paradise Lake as shown in Figure #1.2, this new earth impoundment reservoir has a TWL =elevation1,661.60mgeodeticandprovidesasignificant fullpoolstoragecapacityofsome224,400m3(224.4ML).
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 9SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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3.3.1.1 Watershed/CatchmentAreas
LocatednearthetopofSilverStarMountain,boththeParadiseLakeandVanceCreekreservoirsutilizediversionditchestodeveloptheirrespectivecatchmentareasasshownonFigure#4.0.
AsummaryoftherelevantcatchmentareainformationispresentedinTable#1.0.
Table#1.0CatchmentAreaStatistics
LowestElevation HighestElevationLengthof
DiversionDitch Area(mgeodetic) (mgeodetic) (m) (Ha)
ParadiseLakeReservoirCatchment 1,705 1,830 536 44
VanceCreekReservoirCatchment 1,651 1,885 3,083 140
3.3.1.2 SurfaceWaterAssessmentArea
In keepingwith the S2TAG, the surfacewater protection assessment area has been defined as theParadise Lake and Vance Creek reservoir catchment areas aswell as 100m radius protection zonesaroundthereservoirintakesasshownonFigure#4.0.
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 10SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 11SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
3.3.1.3 Climate
The Meteorological Service of Canada operates and maintains an automated climate data station(ID#1128584)locatedintheSilverStarVillage.Thisstationislocatedatanelevationof1,572mgeodeticasshownondrawingSW1enclosedasAppendixK.
Fortheperiod19832004,thestationrecordedthefollowingaverageweatherdata:
DailyMeanTemperature(January) 6.4C
DailyMeanTemperature(August) 13.8C
AverageTotalAnnualPrecipitation 911mm
3.3.1.4 BiogeoclimaticZones
BoththesurfacewaterandgroundwatersourceareasoftheSilverStarsystemare locatedwithintheEngelmann Spruce Subalpine Fir (ESSF) biogeoclimatic zone, with only the lowermost well #12classified as beingwithin the Interior Cedar Hemlock (ICH) zone. A copy of theMinistry of ForestsbiogeoclimatemapisenclosedasAppendixI.
3.3.1.5 BedrockandSurficialGeology
Aspartof theVanceCreek reservoirproject,ageotechnical reportwaspreparedbyEBAEngineeringConsultants (report file no. 8800253 dated Dec. 6, 2006). The EBA report includes the followingoverviewoftheareasgeology:
TheSilverStar reservoirsite is located in theVanceCreekareaofSilverStarMountain. Basedon theStratigraphy and Structure ThompsonShuswapOkanaganMap, this area is underlain by the UpperTriassic age Slocan Group, Sicamous Formation, which consists of shale, argillite,massive siltstone,phyllite, tuffandcalcareouspelite. BasedonobservationsbyEBAat the reservoir site, thedominantlocal bedrock consists of dark grey shale,which is easily rippablewith an excavator, and greengraysiltstone,which requiresblasting for removal. According toGeologicalSurveyofCanadaMap1059A(Vernon),therocksinthevicinityofthereservoirhavestructuralfoliation(schistosityorslatycleavage)trending northwest and dipping moderately to the northeast. Two northwesttrending faults aremappedcrossingtheSilverStarMountainarea,butoccurnorthwestandsoutheastofthereservoirarea.
ThesurficialgeologyofthereservoirareafromGeologicalSurveyofCanadaMap1392Aisshownasrockoutcropornearsurfacerock. Streamlinedglacialfeatures(drumlinoidfeaturesorstriations)trend inanorthnortheastdirection,withicemovementdirectionuncertain.
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3.3.1.6 Terrain
UtilizingtheRDNOscadastralcontourdata,aslopeanalysisofthesurfacewatercatchmentareaswaspreparedrefertoFigure#6.0.
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 12SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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AsummaryoftheslopeanalysisispresentedinTable#2.0.
Table#2.0CatchmentAreaSlopeAnalysisStatistics
SlopeInterval
ParadiseLakeReservoirCatchment Area
VanceCreekDiversionCatchment Area
VanceCreekReservoirCatchment Area
(m2) % % %
010% 159,752 36% 76,863 7% 73,179 46%`
1020% 193,053 43% 342,015 29% 61,311 38%
2030% 87,441 20% 376,676 32% 16,515 10%
3040% 4,352 1% 195,497 17% 5,709 4%
4050% 179 0% 105,581 9% 1,754 1%
50%+ 0 0% 65,534 6% 1,296 1%
Asshown,theParadiseLakereservoircatchmentareacomprisesfairlybenigntopography,with99%oftheareabelowamaximum30%[~3(H):1(V)]slope.
TheVanceCreek reservoir catchment is similar,with94%of thearea comprisedofamaximum30%slope.
TheVanceCreek reservoirdiversioncatchmentdoeshowever includesomesteeper topography,with32%of the landarea inexcessof30%slopes,15% inexcessof40%slopes,and6% inexcessof50%[2(H):1(V)]slopes.
3.3.1.7 VanceCreek
Both theParadise Lake reservoir andVanceCreek reservoir catchment areas are locatedwithin thegreaterVanceCreekwatershed.TheVanceCreekwatershedisapproximately75km2(7,500Ha)inarea,andistributaryinturntoBessetteCreekandtheShuswapRiversystem.
TheVanceCreeksystemexperiencesitsyearlypeakflowsfromApriltoJuneinconjunctionwithfreshet/snowmelt.
WhiletheMinistryofEnvironmentsFishWizarddatabaseidentifiesthepresenceofchinooksalmonandrainbowtroutwithinVanceCreek(copyofstreamreportenclosedasAppendixJ),thehighestupstream
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 13SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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observationof fish (rainbowtrout)wasrecordedattheconfluenceofDeafiesCreekandVanceCreeksome15kmdownstreamoftheVanceCreekreservoirandtheprojectstudyarea.(Source:Hayco,2007)
3.3.1.8 SurfaceWaterCaptureandUse
TheSilverStarWaterUtilityisauthorizedtocapturesurfacewatersforthepurposesofstoragewithinthe Paradise Lake and Vance Creek reservoirs underMOE water licence nos. 122250 and 122226respectively.BothwaterlicencesdefinethepermittedtimewindowforthecaptureofsurfacewatersasbeingfromApril1sttoJune15thannually.
Waters stored within the Paradise Lake reservoir are utilized to satisfy peak water demands only,typicallycommencinginmidDecemberandendinginMarch,coincidentwiththealpineskiseason.
BulkmeteredParadiseLake flowdata fortheperiodJanuary1,2003toDecember31,2010hasbeenanalyzedandispresentedgraphicallyinFigure#9.0.
FIGURE#9.0PARADISELAKERESERVOIRRECHARGEANDSUPPLY(20032010)
0.0
100.0
200.0
300.0
400.0
500.0
600.0
700.0
800.0
Janu
ary1,200
3
May1,200
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Septem
ber1
,200
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Janu
ary1,200
4
May1,200
4
Septem
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,200
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Janu
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May1,200
5
Septem
ber1
,200
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Janu
ary1,200
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May1,200
6
Septem
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,200
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May1,200
7
Septem
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,200
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ary1,200
8
May1,200
8
Septem
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,200
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ary1,200
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May1,200
9
Septem
ber1
,200
9
Janu
ary1,201
0
May1,201
0
Septem
ber1
,201
0
m3/DAY
HISTORICALPARADISELAKERESERVOIRSUPPLY(BULKMETEREDFLOWS)
PARADISELAKERESERVOIRSURFACEWATERRECHARGE;APRIL1JUNE15PERWATERLICENCE#122250
As illustratedby Figure#9.0, theParadise Lake reservoirhasnot typicallybeenutilized fordomesticwatersupply for theperiodApril1st tomidDecember,with the reservoirwaters therebyaffordedan
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 14SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 15SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
opportunitytofurtherclarifyfollowingfreshetandthroughthesummermonths.
Note: Fortheperiod20032010inclusive,ParadiseLakeflowswererecordedasoverlappingwiththereservoirslicencedrechargeperiodinthefollowinginstances:
June5th10th,2003
April1st26th,2004
April1st2nd,2005
April1st28th,2006and
April1st15th,2008
These floweventswere reviewedwith thesystemoperatorwhoadvises thatwhile thewater licenceallows for the capture ofmeltwater commencing on April 1st, it is typical for the firstmeltwatersenteringthereservoirtobeexperiencedinMay,andassuch,whiletheoverlapbetweenrechargeandflowinAprilistheoreticallypossible,itistypicallynotphysicallypossible.NorecordswereabletobelocatedtoexplaintheanomalousflowsofJune5th10th,2003(Source:McKim,pers.comm,2011).
3.3.1.9 ResidenceTimes
Residencetimereferstotheaveragelengthoftimeawatermoleculeremainswithinareservoir.
ResidencetimewithintheParadiseLakereservoirhasbeenestimatedusingthesimplifiedconservationofmassequationasfollows:
ResidenceTime(years)=ReservoirVolume(m3)/AverageAnnualFlowRate(m3/year)
=64,300m3/21,493m3/year
=3years
Constructionof theVanceCreek reservoirwas completed in2010, and the reservoir is scheduled tocaptureitsfirstspringmeltin2011.ApreliminaryestimationofresidencetimewithintheVanceCreekreservoirmaybepreparedfollowingthelicencedwatercapturein2011,andshouldberefinedasdataonreservoiruseislogged.
3.3.1.10RawWaterIntakes
The locationsoftheParadiseLakeandVanceCreekreservoir intakesareasshownondrawing SW1,enclosedasAppendixK.
-
Both reservoirs are fully fenced, and the fenceswere found tobe in good repairduring TRUEs sitereconnaissancerefertophotos#14,26and27asincludedinAppendixG.
The Paradise Lake intake is comprised of a permanently submerged 400mm pipe completewithscreening connected to the Paradise Lake headworks building located approximately 10m into thereservoir,andwithanintakescreenelevation=1.714.9mgeodetic(3.7mbelowthefullpoolelevationof1,718.6m).AphotooftheParadiseLakeintakeisprovidedinphoto#15.
TheVanceCreekreservoirissimilarlycomprisedofapermanentlysubmerged300mmpipecompletewithscreeningconnectedtotheVanceCreekheadworksbuilding.Thisintakeislocatedapproximately30mintothereservoir,withanintakescreenelevationof1,649.4mgeodetic(12.2mbelowthefullpoolelevationof1,661.6m).Aphotooftheintakeisprovidedinphoto#4.
3.3.1.11GroundwaterContributionstoParadiseLake
Historically,wellwater sourceshavebeenused to augment surfacewaterswithin theParadise Lakereservoir.Thosewellcontributionstothereservoirhavetypicallyoccurredthroughthesummerandfallmonthsinanefforttotopupthereservoirpriortotheskiseasonandassociatedpeakwaterdemands.
Table#3.0summarizesgroundwatercontributionstotheParadiseLakereservoirfortheperiodJanuary1,2003toDecember31,2010.
FROMWELL#13
FROMMIDTEEOPENRESERVOIR
TOTALMETEREDPARADISE
LAKEFLOWS
ANNUALWELLWATERCONTRIBUTIONASA%OFTOTALPARADISELAKEVOLUMEOF
64,300m3
ANNUALWELLWATERCONTRIBUTIONASA%OFMETEREDPARADISE
LAKEFLOWS
(m3) (m3) (m3) (m3) *
2003 0 25,784 25,784 18,854 40% 137%
2004 0 16,147 16,147 19,612 25% 82%
2005 0 2,675 2,675 6,428 4% 42%
2006 0 2,183 2,183 24,370 3% 9%
2007 0 4,499 4,499 34,466 7% 13%
2008 0 2,155 2,155 27,232 3% 8%
2009 50 2,074 2,124 26,072 3% 8%
2010 3,019 0 3,019 13,054 5% 23%
*Note: Figuredoesnotrepresentsourcetracingofblendedwaterleavingthereservoir.
TABLE#3.0WELLWATER/SURFACEWATERCONTRIBUTIONSTOPARADISELAKEWELLWATERFLOWSTOPARADISELAKE
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 16SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
The numbers serve to illustrate that groundwater contributions to the Paradise Lake reservoir haveestablishedatypicalrangeofapproximately2,000m3to5,000m3annually,representing~3%to8%ofthe total reservoir volume. Based on these figures, the Paradise Lake reservoir can be definitivelycharacterizedaspredominantlyasurfacewatersourcetothewaterutility.
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3.3.1.12Groundwater/SurfaceWaterSourceSupply
Table#4.0presentsthetotalbulkmeteredflowssuppliedtotheSilverStarwaterutilityfortheperiod20032010. The proportionate contributions of groundwater and surfacewater sources to the totalmeteredflowsarealsopresented.
TOTALBULKMETEREDWATERSUPPLY(m3)
TOTALBULKMETEREDGROUNDWATERSUPPLY
(m3)
TOTALBULKMETEREDSURFACEWATERSUPPLY(m3)
GROUNDWATER%OFTOTALWATERSUPPLY
SURFACEWATER%OFTOTALSUPPLY
2003 93,576 74,804 18,772 79.9% 20.1%
2004 117,465 97,956 19,509 83.4% 16.6%
2005 105,323 98,988 6,335 94.0% 6.0%
2006 109,811 83,910 25,901 76.4% 23.6%
2007 119,690 85,329 34,361 71.3% 28.7%
2008 118,888 91,761 27,127 77.2% 22.8%
2009 108,273 82,296 25,977 76.0% 24.0%
2010 101,893 88,929 12,964 87.3% 12.7%
AVERAGES 109,365 87,997 21,368 80.7% 19.3%
TABLE#4.0ANNUALWATERSUPPLYANDGROUNDWATER/SURFACEWATERPERCENTAGES
These numbers serve to illustrate that the Silver Star water utility has historically been suppliedprimarilybygroundwaterandsurfacewaterinapproximate80%/20%proportions.
Figure #9.1 presents the raw sourcewatermix (surface / groundwater) for the period January 1st December31st,2010.
FIGURE#9.12010DailyRawSourceWaterMix
0.0
200.0
400.0
600.0
800.0
1,000.0
1,200.0
January1,2010
February1,2010
March1,2010
April1,2010
May1,2010
June1,2010
July1,2010
August1,2010
September1,2010
October1,2010
November1,2010
December1,2010
DailyFlow(m
3/day)
SURFACEWATERSUPPLY(PARADISELAKERESERVOIR)
GROUNDWATERSUPPLY(TOTALOFWELLS#1,2,3,4,5,10,12,13)
TOTALRAWWATERSUPPLY(COMBINEDSURFACEANDGROUNDWATERSOURCES)
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 17SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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3.3.1.13IndividualGroundwaterWellSupplies
Table#5.0presentstheindividualwellcontributionstothetotalannualgroundwatersourcesupplytothewaterutility,illustratingtheleadproducingwells.Thisshowsthathistorically,Wells2,3and5havebeenthemainproducingwells,andmorerecently,Well12.
3.3.1.14SurfaceWaterQuality
TheInteriorHealthAuthoritys43210DrinkingWaterobjectiveshavebeendevelopedtoassistwatersuppliersininterpretingtheGCDWQwhichserveasthebasisforwaterqualitystandardsandobjectivesfortheSilverStarwaterutility.AcopyoftheGCDWQisenclosedasAppendixF,andaprimeronthe43210objectivesisenclosedasAppendixG.
AsaconditionofitsPermittoOperate,theSilverStarWaterUtilityswaterqualitymonitoringprogramincludesthefollowing:
i) Continuous online turbidity sampling of raw sourcewaterswithin the Paradise Lakereservoir (data loggedevery10minutes),withdata loggedusingSCADA,andstored/managedusingWaterTRAXdatabasesoftware;
ii) AnannualwatersamplingandlabanalysisofeachwatersourcetocomparethefullsetofwaterqualityparametersversustheGuidelinesforCanadianDrinkingWaterQuality(GCDWQ);and
iii) ReportingasprescribedbyIHA.
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 18SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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AcopyoftheSilverStarwaterutilitysannualreportfor2008isenclosedasAppendixP.Asincludedinthereport,asummaryofannualsurfacewaterqualitytestingattheParadiseLakereservoir includingtheanalysisofbacteriological,physical,nutrient,andmetalparametersfor2003,2006,2008and2009isprovidedinTables#6.0and7.0asfollows:
TABLE#6.0PARADISELAKERESERVOIRRAWWATERQUALITYDATA
INORGANIC
MaximumAcceptableConcentration(MAC)
AestheticObjective(AO)
YearTested 2003 2006 2008 2009
Aluminum(total) 0.13
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TABLE#6.0PARADISELAKERESERVOIRRAWWATERQUALITYDATA(CONTINUED)Mercury(total)
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E.coli(counts) Criteria Counts Criteria
02/20/200610:00
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TABLE#12.0CONTINUOUSONLINETURBIDITYMONITORINGDATARAWWATERPARADISELAKE
RESERVOIR(JAN.1/10JUNE30/10)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
01/01/2010
01/06/2010
01/12/2010
1/18/2010
1/24/2010
1/30/2010
02/05/2010
02/11/2010
2/17/2010
2/23/2010
03/01/2010
03/07/2010
3/13/2010
3/19/2010
3/25/2010
3/31/2010
04/06/2010
04/11/2010
4/17/2010
4/23/2010
4/29/2010
05/05/2010
05/11/2010
5/17/2010
5/23/2010
5/29/2010
06/04/2010
06/10/2010
6/16/2010
6/22/2010
6/28/2010
NTU Turbidity
TABLE#13.0CONTINUOUSONLINETURBIDITYMONITORINGDATARAWWATERPARADISELAKE
RESERVOIR(JULY1/10DEC.31/10)
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 22SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
6/30/2010
07/07/2010
7/13/2010
7/19/2010
7/25/2010
7/31/2010
08/06/2010
08/12/2010
8/18/2010
8/24/2010
8/30/2010
09/05/2010
09/11/2010
9/17/2010
9/24/2010
9/30/2010
10/06/2010
10/12/2010
10/18/2010
10/24/2010
10/30/2010
11/05/2010
11/11/2010
11/17/2010
11/23/2010
11/29/2010
12/05/2010
12/12/2010
12/18/2010
12/24/2010
12/30/2010
NTU Turbidity
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ParadiseLakereservoirturbiditydatafor2010hasbeenanalyzedforthefollowingtimeperiods:
i) January1December31,2010;
ii) April1June15,2010representingthelicencedreservoirrechargeperiod;
iii) Dayswhenthereservoirwassupplyingwatertothesystem(Jan.1Mar.31,Nov.30Dec.4,andDec.21Dec.31,2010);
iv) April7,2010(highestturbidityspikeinfirsthalfof2010);and
v) Nov.30,2010(highestturbidityspikeinsecondhalfof2010).
Table#8.0presentsananalysisofthe2010turbiditydata.
TABLE#8.02010TURBIDITYSAMPLINGSTATISITCS
DescriptiveStatisticsParadiseReservoir
TurbidityMeasurements
Jan.1Dec.31,2010
Apr.1June10,2010
Jan.1Mar.31,Nov.30Dec.4,andDec.21Dec.31,2010
Apr.7,2010 Nov.30,2010
Mean 0.12 0.14 0.14 0.41 0.65StandardError 0.00064 0.00165 0.00127 0.04785 0.08705
Median 0.10 0.12 0.11 0.25 0.32Mode 0.09 0 0.07 0.15 0.26
StandardDeviation 0.144 0.163 0.156 0.574 1.045SampleVariance 0.021 0.026 0.024 0.330 1.091
Minimum 0 0 0 0.1 0.1Maximum 10 5.67 10 5.67 10Count 50,203 9,655 15,196 144 144
1
Asmaybeseen,therawsourcewaterisofhighquality,withaverageturbidityreadingsintherangeof
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ConstructionoftheVanceCreekreservoirwascompleted in2010,andthereservoircaptured its firstsnowmeltin2011.TRUEconductedasiteinspectiononJune15th,2011,andthereservoirwasobservedtobeatfullpoolelevation(photosofreservoirinletandweiroutletbelow),representinga224,000m3captureinitsinauguralseason.AsthehydrologyoftheVanceCreekreservoirisnearidenticaltothatofParadise Lake,water quality indices are anticipated to be similar to that of Paradise Lake, and inletwaterswereobservedtoberunningclearonJune15th.
3.3.2 GroundwaterSources
3.3.2.1 Background
The design of the groundwater protection program at Silver Star was originally based on the B.C.Ministry of Environment Well Protection Toolkit (WPT), which provides six steps or phases indevelopmentofaprogram.In20072008,RDNOanditsconsultantGolderAssociatescompletedmostofthefirstthreeofsixstepsoutlinedintheWPT,whichare:
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 24SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 25SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
i) Formacommunityplanningteamtoguidetheprogram
ii) Define protection areas based uponwell capture zone analysis (analogous to S2TAGModule#1)
iii) Conductpotentialcontaminationsourceinventory(analogoustoS2TAGModule#2)
iv) Developmanagementstrategies(analogoustoS2TAGModule#8)
v) Developcontingencyplans
vi) Monitorresultsandongoingevaluationoftheprotectionplan
TheremainingtasksasoutlinedintheIHAoperatingpermitconditionsletterofAugust262010aretoreform the community planning team (Step 1), compilemanagement strategies (Step 4), developcontingencyplans(Step5)andplanimplementationandmonitoring(Step6),allofwhichwillbecloselycoordinatedwiththedevelopmentofthemanagementstrategyforthesurfacewatersourcesandtheoverallSilverStarResortoperationalandemergencyresponseplans.IndiscussionswiththeTACtherewasapreferenceforharmonizingthegroundwaterprotectionplanwiththeS2TAG,Modules1,2,7and8andtherefore,thegroundwaterinformationispresentedinthisformatforconsistency.Basedonthis,Step6willnotbecompletedasitfollowscompletionofModules1,2,7and8.
3.3.2.2 BriefOverviewofSilverStarGroundwaterSupplies
TheSilverStarWaterUtilityprovidesdomesticwatertotheresidentialandresortdevelopmentslocatedatSilverStarResort,includingthecommercialandresidentialbuildingsinanaroundtheresortvillage,theareasknownasTheKnoll,Creekside,TheRidge,andFirelightLodge. Historically,thewaterutilityhas stored surfacewater runoff collectedatParadise Lake,andaugmented the surfacewater sourcewithgroundwatersuppliedbyaseriesofwellsdrilledintoabedrockaquifersystem.
WatersourcedevelopmentinthelastfewyearshasaddedtwonewwellsandthenewVancereservoirfacility.Ofthe13numberedwellsthathavebeendrilledonthemountainforwatersupply,eighthavebeenhistoricallyusedforsupplyandareconnectedtothewaterutility.RDNOhastheabilitytooperateWells1,2,3,4,5,10,12,and13.ItisnotcertainwhetherWell13willbeusedforsupplyintheutility,butbecause it is connected to the systemvia theVance reservoir facility, thiswell is included in theprotectionprogram.WhileWell4istypicallynotusedandisnotpartoftheprotectionplan,itsfuturestatus is currently in review and it may either be decommissioned or possibly converted to anemergencybackupwell. Well6 isoperatedby the resort tosupplywater to theParadiseRestaurantlocatednearthetopofPowderCreek lift. This leavessevenwellstobe included inthissourcewaterassessment:1,2,3,5,10,12and13.SeeattachedphotosforexamplesoftypicalwellsitesettingsandpumphouseconfigurationsanddrawingSW1inAppendixKforwelllocations.
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 26SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
In2008,GolderAssociatesLtd.(Golder)compiledareporttitledInitialPhasesintheDevelopmentofaGroundwaterProtectionPlanforSilverStarResortArea,RegionalDistrictofNorthOkanagan,B.C.Thisdocumentisbeingrelieduponformuchofthebackgroundinformationsummarizedinthisreport.
SummaryinformationonthesevenwellsincludedinthisassessmentisprovidedbelowinTable#9.0.
Table#9.0. SilverStarRDNOWaterUtilityGroundwaterWellSummary1
Wellnumber
DrilledDepth(metres)
Mainproducingzone(aquifer)3
Previouslyreportedpumpingrate
(L/sec)2
Location/setting/comments
1 94.5 Deep(Pcsunit) 1.9 Onskihilldirectlyabove(northwestof)village,nearoldmid
Teereservoir
2 91.5 Deep(Pcsunit) 2.7 WestofVillage,aboveSilverStar
Road
3 152.4 Deep(Pcsunit) 0.9 LocatedinCreeksidedevelopment,belowSilverStarRoad
5 140 Deep(Pcsunit) 0.9 LocatedbelowSilverStarRoad,westof
village
10 67 Shallow(MSunit) 0.6 LocatedonthesummitofSilverStarMountain.Mayalsoproducepartlyfromthedeeperbedrock
aquifer.
12 180 Deep(Pcsunit) 2.3 LocatedinBXCreekcatchment,well
belowandsouthwestofvillage
13 `195 Deep(Pcsunit) 2.8 Newwell,locatedonnorthshoulderofmountain;most
remotesettingofthewells
Notes:1)Forinformationonall13wells,seeGolder(2008),Table3.2)PreviouslyreportedwellflowratebasedonGolder(2008)
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 27SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
3) See General Groundwater Conditions discussion below and Golder 2008 for furtherdescriptionofthebedrockaquifers.
4)CapacityofWell13mayrequiresomereassessment(notpartofthisstudy)As noted above, in generalWells 2, 3, 5 and 12 providemost of the groundwater supply althoughadditionalcapacityisavailablefromtheotherwellswhenneeded.Forthe20082009period,basedonmonthlyflowdataprovidedbyoperatorWarrenMcKim,theaverageflowrateofallthewellscombinedduring thepeakseasonofDecember2008 to January2009 ranged from3.23 to3.82L/sec (43 to51Imperial gpm). During themonthofMay2009,whichmightbe considered a lowdemand shoulderseasonmonth,theaveragecombinedflowratewas1.39L/sec(18.5Igpm),alittlemorethanonethirdthepeakflowrate.
3.3.2.3 GeneralGroundwaterConditionsandImplicationsforWellProtection
Indevelopinga conceptualmodel forgroundwateroccurrence and flowat Silver Star,Golder (2008)identifiedtwoprincipalwaterbearingzonesformedwithinbedrockformationspresentatSilverStar:
Arelativelyshallowfracturedbedrockaquiferthatisrechargedlocallybyinfiltrationofsnowmeltandsurfacewater,andcharacterizedbyrelatively largeannualgroundwaterlevel fluctuations. Golder identified twowells (6and10)asproducingprimarily fromthis system. Thegeologicunit thathosts thisaquifer ismappedas theMsunit,andconsistsofamixtureofmetamorphicrocksoftheSlocanGroup.
Arelativelydeepfracturedbedrockaquiferthat isrechargedonamoreregionalscaleathighelevations,especiallywherethemainwaterbearingrockunit isexposedatornear the surface, and characterized by highly confined groundwater conditions(sometimesflowingartesian)andamoreregionalflowpattern.Golderidentifiedwells1,2,3,5,10,12and13asproducingprimarilyfromthisdeepersystem,and10mayalsoproduce inpart from thedeeperaquifer. Thegeologicunit thathosts thisaquifer ismappedas thePcsunit (andpossibly the lowerpartof theMsunit),and consistsofcarbonaceouscalcareousmetasedimentaryrocksthatarebothfoldedandfractured intheSilverStararea.
The implication forprotectingwellsproducing fromthesetwodifferenthydrogeologicregimes isthatthedeeperwellsarelessvulnerabletosurfacecontaminationoccurringnearthewellsascomparedtothe shallowaquiferwells;and consequently, the identificationofprotectionareas for thedeepwellsneedstoconsidernotonlytheoreticaltimeoftravelcapturezones,butalsotheprobabledeepaquifergroundwater recharge zones aswell. Conversely, the shallowwells (in the caseof theRDNOwaterutility,probablyonlywell10andpossiblywell1) aremore vulnerable to surface activitiesoccurringwithin the capture zone areas, and the existence of any vertical pathways that could allow surfacecontaminationtomakesitwayintotheaquifer.
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 28SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
3.3.2.4 GroundwaterSourceWaterQuality
As part of the hydrogeological evaluation, some of the available groundwater quality data werereviewedaspartthebackgroundreviewinsupportofthesourcewaterassessmentforModule1.Weunderstand that in general, there have not been anywater quality issueswith thewells other thanpreviouslyreported issueswithhigh iron andmanganese atwell 4,which is currentlynotused.Wereviewed completion reports forWells 12 and 13 prepared byGolder (which includedwaterqualitysampling and analysis), and also obtainedwater quality reports from the RDNOwater utilitywaterquality data base (WaterTrax). For this assessment, themost recent samples for which data wereavailablewerecollectedinDecember2010.WeunderstandfromdiscussionswithRDNOstaffthattherehas never been any confirmed positive bacteriological counts on samples collected from the wellsources,and thatexceptasnotedbelow, thewellsourcesmeetmaximumacceptableconcentrations(MACs) orAestheticObjectives (AOs) as provided inGuidelines forCanadianDrinkingWaterQuality(GCDWQ;HealthCanada2010).
Golder(2003;2007)documentstheinitialgroundwaterqualitysamplingforwells12and13andfoundthatbothwellsmetorexceededGCDWQforallparameterstested.
Collectionofsamples fromeachwellpriortotreatmentorblending ispartoftheroutineoperationalwaterqualitymonitoringattheSilverStarwaterutility.Collectedannually,thesesamplesareanalyzedfor comprehensive potability analysis that includes bacteriological, physical, nutrient, and metalparameters. We obtained and reviewed a report from theWaterTrax database for the threeyearmonitoringperiodof20082010.Thefocusofthislimitedreviewwastonoteanyguidelineexceedancesandpossibletrendsinthedata.Table#10.0belowsummarizestheresultsofourreviewofthesedatareports.
FromtheDecember2010samplingdata,ofthewellsincludedinthisassessmentthatweresamples(2and5),well2exhibitedatotalseleniumconcentrationof0.0144mg/LwhichisabovethehealthbasedMAC of 0.01mg/L, andwell 5 exhibited a totalmanganese concentration of 0.0505mg/L,which iseffectivelyattheAOforthatparameter
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 29SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
Table#10.0 SummaryofAnnualComprehensiveWaterQualityTestingSilverStarUtilityWells(20082010)
WellNumber NotesonGCDWQExceedances
Comments TDSasgeneralindicatorofwaterquality
1 Noexceedancesnoted TDSMACof0.01December2010(0.0144mg/L)
Totalcoliform2to5/100mLin2008(MAC=0)
Se.008in2008,
.0085in2009
TestSemorefrequentlyin2011?
TDSAO
FeAO0.3
MnAO0.05
MaxFe9.45Min0.15mg/L
MaxMn0.14Min0.01mg/L
Highturbiditylikelyassociatedwithhighironcontent
TDS299323
4 FeandMn>AO Wellnotcurrentlyinuse TDS230345
5 Fe>AOof0.3mg/L
Turbidity15NTU
MaxFe1.2Min0.2
TurblikelyrelatedtoFe
TDS317423
10 Noexceedancesnoted Nitrateslightlyelevated?(0.36to0.69mg/L)
TDSAOof0.01mg/LFeb2008
Fe>AOof0.3mg/L(1.49mg/L,2008)
No2010data TDS
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 30SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
13 Fe0.31mg/L2009(AOof0.3slightlyexceeded)
SamplefrompumphouseshowedFeexceedance;supplylinesampleFe
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TheAE capture zonesappearasparabolic shapes (outlined in cyan) thatare larger in theupgradientdirection fromeachwell. Golderalsorecommendedanarbitrary50m fixedradiusareaaroundeachwellbedesignatedsurfacewatermanagementzones,mainlyasawaytocontrolspringrunoffsothatsurfacewaterwouldnotcollectorinfiltrateclosetothewellheads.
Aspartofourassessment,wereviewedapproximatelythelasttwoyearsofoperationalwellflowratedataasprovidedtousbyAberdeenElectric(WarrenMcKim)thewatersystemoperatorforRDNO.Thepurposeof this reviewwas todetermine if the flow ratesassumed in theGolder2008 capture zoneanalysiswerereasonableandnotinneedofupdating.
The data set included daily flow totals in imperial gallons for thewells for the period running fromNovember2008toOctober2010,orapproximatelytwofullpeakandoffseasonoperationalcycles.ThepeakdemandonthesystemtypicallyoccursinDecemberJanuaryandlowerdemandtypicallyoccursinthe shoulder season. Summerat the resort isa timeofmoderatevisitoractivityandas such,waterdemandsfallbetweenthewinterpeakandthelatespring/earlyfalllows.
Asnoted above, the conceptualmodel for thebedrock aquifer system at Silver Star asproposedbyGolderindicatesthattherearetwoprincipalwaterbearingunitsinthebedrock.Onesystemis
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 31SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 32SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
comprisedofrelativelyshallowfracturezoneswithintheMsgeologicunit(seeGolder2008)thatreceiverechargedirectlyfromthesurfacefollowingsnowmelt inrelativecloseproximitytothewells(Wells6and10). Well6 isnotapartof thisgroundwaterprotectionprogramandWell10 is locatedon thesummitofSilver StarMountainandhasnoupgradientareawithin itsCFR capture zone. Theactualsubsurfacecapturezoneofthiswellislikelyverysmall.
Theremainingwells(1,2,3,5,12,and13)arehypothesizedtoberechargedprimarilyintheareanearandwest of the Silver Star summit (see Golder 2008 Figure 4, copy enclosed as Appendix N) and arecompletedinthePcsgeologicunit(Golder2008).Theinferredbedrockaquiferrechargezoneoverlapswithpartofthe1yeartimeoftravelzonesforWells2and12andalsocrossesSilverStarRd.WestofBCMOEObservationWell#47the inferreddeepbedrockrechargezone lieswithintheadjoiningFortuneCreekwatershed (and also a sliverof theBXCreekwatershed). (The FortuneCreekwatershed alsounderwentasourcewaterassessmentandprotectionplanthatwasrecentlycompletedbytheCityofArmstrong.) Golder also hypothesized that a fold structure (anticline) in the bedrock that runsapproximatelyparallel toPutnamCreeknorthof thewellsalsoprovidesazoneofpossiblyenhanceddeep aquifer recharge. The axis of this fold (Golder 2008 Figure 4) is north of all current resortdevelopment,withonlyskiandrecreationaltrailsatthesurface.
AlthoughtheCFRandAEcapturezonesarerelativelyneartoeachofthefivewells,equallyimportant,ifnotmoreso, istheprotectionofthe inferredrechargearea forthedeepbedrocksystem. Except forSilverStarRdandthemaintenancefacilitynearWell2,thedeepaquiferrechargezonesappeartobelargelyundevelopedandsoremaininaprotectedstate.
Insummary,the60dayand1yearcapturezonesasdevelopedbyGolderseemreasonableinthatthedelineatedareasprovidea reasonablysizedbuffer zonewithinwhich it ispractical toa) raisepublicawarenessaboutgroundwaterprotectionandb)toenactmeasurestoprotectthegroundwatersourcesfrom landuseactivities thatmaypotentially threatengroundwaterqualityorbecomea threat ifbestmanagementpracticesarenot followed. Several technicalpointsof clarification shouldbemade inregardtothesecapturezones:
i) Thedelineated capture zonesdepict theoreticalgroundwater travel timeoccurring inthe subsurface under assumed hydraulic gradient and/or pumping conditions. Thevertical travel time between the surface and the relatively deep fracture systemsdevelopedinthesewellsislikelysignificantduetothenatureofthegeologicmaterialsand the prevailing vertical hydraulic gradient in the bedrock aquifer. This additionalverticaltraveltimecanbeconsideredanextra factorofsafety inprotectingtheSilverStarsourcewells.
ii) AlloftheSilverStarwellsexceptWell6andpossiblyWell10appeartoproducefromadeeper, subregional bedrock groundwater flow system. The conceptual modeldevelopedbyGolderforthissystemidentifiesthesummitarea
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 33SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
and the adjoining upper reaches of the BX Creek, Fortune Creek, and Putnam Creekcatchments as the main groundwater recharge area for this aquifer system.Topographicallydrivengroundwaterflow inthissystem isthusfromthesummitareasandtowardtheadjoiningcreekvalleybottomareas.
iii) Some of thewells including the two primarywells (2 and 12) occurwhere flowingartesianconditionsexistthroughsignificantpartsoftheyear(Golder2008).Thismeansthat the local hydraulic gradient near the wells has a significant upward verticalcomponent. This upward natural hydraulic gradient means that if any shallowgroundwater were to become contaminated, it would not tend to flow downwardthreateningthedeeperaquifersourcedbythewells.
iv) Well10islocatednearthesummitofSilverStarandthusislikelywithinarechargezonewherethenaturalverticalhydraulicgradientisdownward.Rechargeareasaregenerallymoresusceptibletosurfacecontaminationduetothisdownwardverticalgradient,butthiswellhasvirtuallynoupgradientrechargearea.
v) AsnotedbyGolder(2008),Wells12and13havesurfaceseals.Theolderwellsdonothave surface seals and so are marginally not as well protected from surfacecontamination fromawell construction standpoint. Otherwell sitemeasures canbeimplementedtoadequatelyprotectthesewellsifneeded(seeModule7).
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 34SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
4.0 Module#2ContaminantSourceInventory
AsdescribedwithintheS2TAG,Module#2comprisesacontaminantsource inventorywhich identifiesinherent risks towater quality aswell as describing land uses, human activities and other potentialcontaminantsourcesthatcouldaffectsourcewaterquality.Thetermcontaminantsource isdefinedwithin the S2TAG tomean both actual/existing and potential sources of contamination. In order todevelopthecontaminantsource inventory,thefollowingworkswereundertakenwithrespecttoboththesurfacewaterandgroundwatersources:
i) siteinspections;
ii) reviewofaerialphotos;
iii) reviewofOCPandzoningdocuments;
iv) technicaladvisorycommitteemeetings;
v) interviewswithRDNO, Silver StarResort,Aberdeen Electric (water system operator),etc.
PotentialSourcesofContaminationSurfaceWaterSources
ThemajorityofpotentialsourcesofsurfacewatercontaminationidentifiedinTable#11.0relatetolanduses,activities,orephemeraleventswithin thewatershed,asopposed to site specificcontaminationsources. These includebeetle infestations,cattledrift,mountainbikingactivities,resortmaintenanceactivities,RDNOmaintenanceactivities,accessroadways, forest fires,motorizedrecreationalvehicles,wildlife scat, and the potential for future resort development activitieswithin the catchmentwhichcannotbedefinedatpresent.
The existing diesel fuel storage tanks located at the top of the Comet Express ski lift within thecatchmentpresentariskforhydrocarbonspillcontamination.Twotanksarepresentinthislocation:adoublewalled tidy tankwhich sits on the lift foundation, and a second, singlewalled tank locatedupstairsinthetopterminal(source:Bakerpers.comm.,2011)
PotentialSourcesofContaminationGroundwaterSources
TherearenoknownprivatesewagedisposalsystemsattheresortotherthanthesepticfieldneartheParadiseRestaurant. Noneof theRDNOutilitywellsarenear thispotentialsourceofcontamination.Golder (2008) identified someotherpotential sourcesof contaminationand/orareasofconcernandthesearedepictedondrawing SW1enclosedasAppendixK. Twoof theseareasarenearWell4,whichiscurrentlynotinuse.Mostofthewellsareupgradientofthepotentialcontaminationsources.The sources nearest to operationalwells are the horse barnwith associated
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 35SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
manurestorage,nearwell5andthemaintenanceandtransferstationfacilitynearwell2.
Well3 is located topographicallybelowSilverStarRdandadjacent to theentrance to theCreeksideVillagedevelopmentandnoconcernswereidentified.However,theproximityofwell3tovehicletrafficmakesthiswellmoresusceptibletoaspillofautomotivefuelthatcouldoccurasaresultofanaccident.Theuseofroadsaltwas identified intheGolderreport. Infiltrationofsalinerunoffwaterfromroadscanleadtoincreasedchloridelevelsingroundwater,andincreasedTDS,butisnotconsideredahealthconcern.Keepingstockpilesofsaltedsandawayfromwells,however,isconsideredgoodpractice.
The twonewestwells (12and13)are inwellprotected (capturezonesdonotextend intodevelopedareas),andwithnoidentifiedconcerns.Golder(2008)notedroadmaintenancevehicleandsaltedsandstoragenearWell3,however,acheckofthisareainJanuary2011confirmedthatonlyasmallamountofsandisstoredandiscontainedwithinacoveredQuonsetstylestructure.AnothervisittotheareainJune2011didnotshowanyevidenceof runoffoccurringbetween thestorageareaandWell3. Theresorts sewage treatment system and lagoons are located south of the Knoll area and are severalhundredmetres downgradient of the nearest operational well (Well 3) and in our opinion do notrepresentapotentialsourceofcontamination.Thisisbecausethedrawdowncreatedbypumpingtheresortswells isunlikelytoreversethehydraulicgradientsuchthatcontamination, if itweretooccur,couldnotflowtowardthewells.
Wellconstructionfactors,whilenotadirectsourceofcontamination,canleadtocontaminationofwellsifthe integrityofthewell iscompromised leadingtowellcontamination. Intermsofwell integrity, itcanbeaconcernifadrinkingwatersupplywelldoesnothaveasurfacesealaroundtheoutsideofthewellcasingtopreventsurfaceinfiltrationfromenteringthewell.TheSilverStarwellsareallrelativelydeepwellsandproduce from relativelydeepseatedbedrock fractures. Twoof thewells (12and13)reportedlyhavesurfacesealswhiletheotherwellsdonot. It ispossibletoretrofitwellswithsurfaceseals.Theimplicationsformaintainingwellswithoutsurfacesealswillbeevaluatedintheassessmentofrisk(Module7).
In summary, we have identified five areas of potential environmental concern (APECs) shown ondrawing SW1 (AppendixK),andsummarized intheHazard IdentificationTable#11.1. Sections4.6,4.11,4.14and4.15discussthesefurther.
Table#11.0presentsthecontaminantsourceinventorytable,withfurtherdiscussionprovidedbelow.
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Table#11.0ContaminantSourceInventoryTable
HazardReference
No.
ContaminantSourceTypeandDescription
Owner/Jurisdiction
Location Distance/Directionto
Source
PossibleContaminantsof
Concern
ContaminantTransportMechanism
Comments
2S1Mountainpinebeetle&balsambarkbeetle
infestations
Province/SilverStarCRA
WithinParadiseLakeandVanceCreekreservoircatchments
Withinsurfacewatercatchments
Sediment,turbidity
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
Potentialsalvageloggingandhydrologicalimpacts
2S2 CattleDriftRanchers/MNRO/SilverStarResort
WithinCRAandwithinreservoircatchmentareas
Withinsurfacewatercatchments
Manure(pathogens)
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
Fencingdeficienciesandoverlappingjurisdictionsnoted.
2S3ResortMountainBiking
Activities
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
Trailnetworkcurrentlynotmapped;confirmedasbeingpartiallywithinboththeParadiseLakeandVanceCreekreservoircatchmentareas
Varies
Sediment,turbidity
associatedwithground
disturbance
Surfaceflow
Bridgestructurespresentwheretrailscrossinterceptorditches.
Activitiestypicallyoccuroutsideoflicencedtimewindowforsurfacewatercapture(April1June15th).
2S4ResortMaintenance
Activities
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
MaintenanceaccessroadwayswithinandadjacenttoParadiseLake
andVanceCreekreservoircatchmentareas
Varies
Vehiclerelatedcontaminantshydrocarbons,
oils,etc.
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
SpillResponse/EmergencyResponsePlaninplace
2S5RDNOMaintenanceandInspectionActivities
RDNO
MaintenanceaccessroadwayswithinandadjacenttoParadiseLake
andVanceCreekreservoircatchmentareas
Varies
Vehiclerelatedcontaminantshydrocarbons,
oils,etc.
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
SpillResponse/EmergencyResponsePlaninplace
2S6 Accessroadways
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
MaintenanceaccessroadwayswithinandadjacenttoParadiseLake
andVanceCreekreservoircatchmentareas
VariesSediment,
turbidity.Noroadsaltsused.
Surfaceflow
Limitedoverlapwithlicencedtimeframeforsurfacewatercapture
(April1June15th).ParadiseLakereservoirnotutilizedaspotablewatersourceuntilDecember,
allowing~6monthsforsedimenttofallfromsuspensionandwatersto
clarify.
2S7 ForestFires
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
ThroughoutSilverStarCRAandadjacentSilverStarProvincialPark
Throughoutcatchmentareas
Sediment,turbidity,
increasednutrientloads,increaseddissolveorganicmatter,increasedphosphorous&
nitrogen
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
FormalWildfireProtectionPlaninplace.
2S8MotorizedRecreationalVehiclesmotorbikesand
ATVs
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopmentBranch/RCMP
WithinCRAandwithinreservoircatchmentareas
Throughoutcatchmentareas
Vehiclerelatedcontaminantshydrocarbons,oils,etc.,plussediment,turbidity
associatedwithground
disturbance
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
MotorizedrecreationalvehiclesnotallowedinCRA;noevidenceor
reportsofactivitiesinsurfacewatercatchmentareas.
2S9MotorizedRecreationalVehiclessnowmobiles
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopmentBranch/RCMP
Atpresent,snowmobiletoursstartinparkinglot'E'andfromthere
headintoSilverStarProvincialPark
Lot'E'located900mdistantand
>75mdowngradientfromnearestlimitofVanceCreekcatchment
Vehiclerelatedcontaminantshydrocarbons,
oils,etc.
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
Downgradientofsurfacewatercatchments
2S10 Wildlifescat ThroughoutSilverStarCRAand
adjacentSilverStarProvincialParkThroughout
catchmentareasPathogens,
viruses,protozoaSurfaceandsubsurfaceflow
Reservoirsfenced.
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 36SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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Table#11.0 ContaminantSourceInventoryTable(Continued)
HazardReference
No.
ContaminantSource TypeandDescription
Owner/Jurisdiction
Location Distance /Directionto
Source
PossibleContaminantsof
Concern
Contaminant TransportMechanism
Comments
2S11 ExistingSkiRuns
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
WithinParadiseLakeandVance Creekreservoir catchments
Varies SedimentSurfaceandsubsurfaceflow
Atpresent,existingskirunsarereestablishedwithmaturegrassesand
vegetation.
2S12 ExistingSkiLifts
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
TopofCometExpresslift,topofPowderGulchlift,topofSilverwoodslift,bottomof
Silverqueenlift,bottomofAlpineMeadowslift,andbottomofSummit
chair.
VariesFuelstorage/hydrocarbons
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
2S13Possible FutureSkiRunDevelopmentwithin
SurfaceCatchmentAreas
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
LowpotentialforfutureskirundevelopmentwithinParadiseLakecatchment;some potentialfor
futureskirundevelopment withinVanceCreekreservoircatchment;
specificsTBDinfuture.
TBD
Sediment,turbidityandhydrocarbonsassociatedwith
grounddisturbanceandconstructionactivities
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
MNRO ResortDevelopmentBranchregulatoryapprovalsprocess
applicable
2S14 PossibleFutureSkiLifts
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
WithinParadiseLakeandVance Creekreservoir catchments
Unknown/TBD
Fuelstorage/hydrocarbons,plussediment,
turbidityassociatedwithconstructionactivities
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
Lowpotentialforfuture skiliftswithinParadiseLake andVanceCreekreservoircatchments
2G1Apec#1transferstation/maintenancefacilitynear
Well2
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
Adjacentwell#2 approx.150mRefuse leachate or
spilledfuelsSurfaceandsubsurfaceflow
Refertodiscussionasincludedonpage19ofGolderStudy,2008
2G2Apec#2 HorseBarnnear
Well5
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
Adjacentwell#5 approx.20mNutrient loading
togroundSurfaceandsubsurfaceflow
Refertodiscussionasincludedonpage18ofGolderStudy,2008
2G3Apec#3saltstoragenear
Well3
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
Near well#3 approx.40mTDSincreasingduetosaline
runoff
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
Refertodiscussionasincludedonpage19ofGolderStudy,2008
2G4Apec#4auxiliaryfuelstoredatSummitnear
Well10
SilverStarResort/MNROResortDevelopment
Branch
Nearwell#10 approx.44m
Petroleumhydrocarbons
seepintogroundfromspill
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
Fuelisreportedly(Golder2008)storednearthetopoftheCometlift,
>50mfromwell#10 andnot upgradient
2G5Apec#5 SilverStarRoadCorridornearWells2,3
and5
MinistryofTransportation
Nearwells#2,3 & 5
approx.160m(well#2),33m
(well#3),and38m(well#5)
Transportationrelatedspillof
hydrocarbonandother
fuels/chemicals
Surfaceandsubsurfaceflow
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 37SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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Table#11.1presentstheassociatedHazardIdentificationtable.
Table#11.1HazardIdentificationTable
HazardReference
No.
DrinkingWaterHazard PossibleEffects ExistingPreventativeMeasures AssociatedBarrier
2S1Mountainpinebeetle&balsambarkbeetle
infestations
Introductionofsanitationharvestingrelatedsediment,andpotential
hydrologicalimpacts
TreeharvestingrequiresMNROapprovals;ForestManagementBMPsincludingvarious
silviculturesystemspracticed.SourceProtection
2S2 CattleDriftPathogenssuchase.coliinwater
source
Timeoftravelforpathogenstoreachreservoirs,plussubsequentdisinfectionofwatersupplyattheMidTeetreatment
building.Additionofsecondary.ultravioletdisinfectioncurrentlyinprogress.
SourceProtectionandWaterTreatment
2S3ResortMountainBiking
ActivitiesIntroductionofsediment,increased
turbidity
Activitiestypicallyoccuroutsideoflicencedsurfacewatercapture.Valvingatinterceptor
ditchoutletstoreservoirs.VanceCreekinterceptorditchconstructedtoafrenchdrain
standard.CulvertcrossingsofbiketrailsinstalledbySilverStarResort.
SourceProtection
2S4ResortMaintenance
ActivitiesHydrocarboncontamination
FormalizedEmergencySpillResponsePlaninplace.
SourceProtection,OperatorTrainingandEmergencyResponsePlanning
2S5RDNOMaintenanceandInspectionActivities
HydrocarboncontaminationFormalizedEmergencySpillResponsePlanin
place.SourceProtection,OperatorTrainingandEmergencyResponsePlanning
2S6 AccessroadwaysIntroductionofsediment,increased
turbidity&hydrocarboncontamination
Limitedroaduseduringlicencedsurfacewatercapture.FormalizedEmergencySpillResponse
Planinplace.
SourceProtection,OperatorTrainingandEmergencyResponsePlanning
2S7 ForestFiresThroughoutSilverStarCRAand
adjacentSilverStarProvincialPark
SilverStarmaintains24hour,7daysperweeksecurityonsitewhoregularlypatroltheCRA.SilverStarFireDepartmentwith4WDfiretruck
and~30volunteermemberstrainedandequippedforforestfirefighting.AllSilverStarresortvehiclescarryafirefightingpackand
maintenancestaffaretrained.
SourceProtectionandEmergencyResponsePlanning
2S8MotorizedRecreationalVehiclesmotorbikesand
ATVs
Introductionofsediment,increasedturbidity,andhydrocarbon
contamination
EnforcementastheseareillegalactivitieswithintheCRA.Fencing&resortownershipvigilancein'policing'with24hour,7daysper
weeksecurity.
SourceProtection,OperatorTrainingandEmergencyResponsePlanning
2S9MotorizedRecreationalVehiclessnowmobiles
HydrocarboncontaminationResortOwnershipworkswithresponsibletouroperators;smallextentoftravelwithinCRA.
SourceProtection
2S10 WildlifescatIntroductionofpathogenssuchas
e.coliinwatersourceReservoirsareadequatelyfenced. SourceProtection
2S11 ExistingSkiRunsNonehydrology'normalized'and
vegetationreestablishedatpresent.n/a n/a
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 38SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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Table#11.1HazardIdentificationTable(Continued)
HazardReference
DrinkingWaterHazard PossibleEffects ExistingPreventativeMeasures AssociatedBarrier
2S12 ExistingSkiLiftsFuelStorage/hydrocarbon
contamination
BCSafetyAuthoritymandatesfuelstoragefor8hoursoperationofskilift;topofComet
Expressliftdoublewalledfueltanklocatedabovegroundonconcreteslab.
SourceProtection,OperatorTrainingandEmergencyResponsePlanning
2S13PossibleFutureSkiRun
DevelopmentwithinSurfaceCatchmentAreas
Introductionofsediment,increasedturbidityandhydrocarbon
contaminationassociatedwithconstructionactivities.
MNROResortDevelopmentbranchregulatoryapprovalsprocesses.
SourceProtection
2S14 PossibleFutureSkiLiftsFuelStorage/hydrocarbon
contaminationSilverStarusesBMPsforallnewconstruction
acitivities.SourceProtection,OperatorTrainingandEmergencyResponsePlanning
2G1Liquidwastereleasedfrom
refuseorequipmentWaterorsoilcontamination,organic
andinorganicResortspillresponseplanandcontainmentof
refuseintransferstationSourceprotectionandspillresponse
2G2Horseturnoutarea,animal
wasteWaterorsoilcontaminationwith
nutrients,bacteriologicalSitedrainageatthehorseareaappearstobetowardthesouthwest(awayfromthewell)
Sourceproteciton
2G3 Saltedsandstorage increasedchloride/TDSinrunoff Containmentandcovering SourceProtection
2G4 Fuelstoragenearsummit fuel(hydrocarbons) Secondarycontainment,spillresponse SourceProtectionandspillrepsonse
2G5 Transportationcorridor fuel,oils,metalsSilverStarFireDepttrainedinemergencyspill
andhazmatresponse.Spillresponse,sourceprotection
4.1 BeetleInfestationsTheMinistryofForests,MinesandLands(MFML,formerlytheMinistryofForestsandRange(MOFR))hasestimatedthatasof2009,some16.3millionhectares(163,000km2)ofprovincialcrownforesthadbeenaffectedbytheMountainPineBeetle(MPB)epidemic.ItisfurtherprojectedthattheMPBinfestationcouldkillofffully80%ofBritishColumbiaspineforests.Figure#7.0presentstheoverlapofareasoflight,moderateandseverebeetleinfestationwithintheParadiseLakeandVanceCreekcatchmentareas.
ManagementtechniquesemployedbyMFMLtocombatbeetleinfestationsincludethefollowing:
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 39SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 40SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
Pheromonebaiting luringbeetles into trees thathavebeen baitedwithasynthetichormonethatmimicsthescentofafemalebeetle.Beetlescanthenbecontained inasinglearea,wheretheycanmoreeasilybedestroyed.
Sanitationharvesting removing single infested trees to control the spreadofbeetlepopulationstootherareas.
Snipandskidremovinggroupsofinfestedtreesthatarescatteredoveralargearea.
Controlled,ormosaic,burnsburninganareawhereinfestedtreesareconcentrated,toreducehighbeetleinfestationsintheareaortohelpreducethefirehazardinanarea.
Fallandburncutting(felling)andburningbeetleinfestedtreestopreventthespreadofbeetlepopulationstootherareas.Thisisusuallydoneinwinter,toreducetheriskofstartingforestfires.
Source:MinistryofMinistryofForests,LandsandNaturalresourceOperationswebsite
For those areas of beetle infestationwithin the CRA,MFLNRO has confirmed that both sanitationharvestingand snipandskidtechniquesareemployed includingtheburningof loggingdebris (slashpiles),butthatnoprescribedburnsarepermitted.
Thesalvageharvestingofbeetlekilltreeshasthepotentialtoadverselyaffectthewatershedviagrounddisturbance,drainageimpacts,etc.dependingontheharvestingpracticesutilized.
ThehydrologicimpactofbeetleinfestationswithinB.C.sforestshasbeenthesubjectofrecentresearchbytheMOEandotheraffectedstakeholders.Basedontheresearch,thepresenceofbeetleinfestationwithin both the Paradise Lake and Vance Creek reservoir catchment areas presents the risk of thefollowinghydrologicimpacts:
i) Increasedwaterreachingtheforestfloor;
ii) Increasedsoilmoisture;
iii) Increasedrunoff(bothincreasedpeaksurfaceflowsandannualwateryield);and
iv) Potentialforwaterqualityimpacts(increasedsedimentload&turbidity).
SilverStarresortadvisesthattherehavebeennobeetleinfestationswithinthesurfacewatercatchmentareasinthelastfouryears.(Source:Baker,pers.comm.,2011).InthecontextoftheSilverStarsurfacewatercatchmentsandhydrology,beetle impactsareconsidered topresentavery low risk tosurfacewaterquantityorquality.
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SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 41SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
4.2 RangeLandActivitiesRangelandactivitiesinB.C.areauthorizedundertheRangeActandregulatedviatheForestandRangePracticesAct(FRPA)enacted in2004,asadministeredbytheMFML. TheFRPAstipulatesthatgrazingleaseholdersmust prepare a GrazingManagement Plan or Range Use Plan including the intendedapproachwithregardtoprotectingwaterresources.
Livestock practices can impact surface and groundwater quality.Numerous studies have shown thatwaterqualityguidelineshavebeenexceededasadirectresultof livestockmanure includingchemicalcontaminants (ammonium, nitrates, nutrients) and microbial contaminants (pathogenic bacteria,protozoaandviruses).
Whiletheseasonalrangelandgrazingoflivestockrepresentsalowintensityagriculturaloperation,therisk of e.coliwithinmanure leaching into a drinkingwater source as a result of rainfall, snowmelt,stream flows,etc.presentsaserious risk tohumanhealth&safety. TheWalkerton,Ontario tragedyperhapsbestillustratesthemagnitudeofthisrisktopublichealth.
While there are no range land licenceswithin the Silver Star CRA itself, there are licences locatedimmediatelyadjacenttotheeastandsouth,andincloseproximitytothenorthrefertoFigure#7.0.Historically,SilverStarMountainResorthasnotedthepresenceofsomecattlewithintheCRAasaresultofcattle driftduring thesummerand fallmonths. Thesecattleareknown tograzewithinboth theParadiseLakeandVanceCreekreservoircatchmentareas.Asforthenumberofcattle,itisreportedbytheresortoperatorsasnotbeinguncommonforColdstreamRanchtoneedtodrive3040headofcattleoutoftheCRAanumberoftimeseachweek inthesummermonths. TheresorthasalsonotedtheirperceptionthatthecattlearearrivingintheCRAearlierinthesummerfollowingtheirannualturnoutinJune.(Source:Baker,pers.comm.,2011).
MFMLhasnotedthatbothunsanctioned,adhocrecreationalvehicletrails,aswellasloggingactivitieson landsadjacent the Silver StarCRAhave contributed to increased cattledriftbyopeningupareaspreviouslyimpassabletocattle(Source:TACmeetingminutes,AppendixA).
The timing of the cattle drift (summer months) serves to diminish the probability (but not themagnitude)oftheriskofcattlemanurecontactingtheSilverStarewatersupply,as:
Thewatersystem issuppliedbygroundwatersources(andnotsurfacesources)duringthesummermonthswhencattlearepresent,and
ThesurfacewatersupplyiscapturedeachspringintheperiodAprilJunebeforecattlearefoundonthehill.
Figure#10.0 illustrates thepointbypresenting theParadiseLake reservoirshistoricalmetered flows(potable supply shownblue)overlainwith the annual timewindows forboth
-
surfacewaterrecharge (April1sttoJune15thasprescribed inprovincialwater licence#122250shownred)andcattledriftinthearea(July1Oct31stshowngreen;source:Dinwoodie,pers.comm,2011).
FIGURE#10.0PARADISELAKERESERVOIRRECHARGE,SUPPLY,ANDCATTLEDRIFT(20032010)
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ary1,2010
April1,2010
July1,2010
Octob
er1,2010
m3/DAY
HISTORICALPARADISELAKERESERVOIRSUPPLY(METEREDFLOWS)
PARADISELAKERESERVOIRSURFACEWATERRECHARGE;APRIL1JUNE15PERWATERLICENCE#122250
TYPICALCATTLEDRIFTWINDOW:JULY1OCT31
ThepathwayforthepotentialcontaminationoftheParadiseLakereservoirfromcattlemanuremaybeinferredfromFigure#10.0asfollows:
Depositionofmanureincatchmentarea:July1stOctober31st
Dormantperiod#1(undersnowpack):November1stMarch31st
Transportviaspringmeltwaterwithininterceptorditchtoreservoir:April1stJune15th
Dormant period #2 (within reservoir): April 1st December 15th, representing theaverage earliest date of Paradise Lake potable supply for the period 2003 2010inclusive.
SOURCEWATERASSESSMENTANDGROUNDWATERPROTECTIONPLAN 42SILVERSTARWATERUTILITYRDNOAUGUST2011
The above represents a 13 month to 17 month time of travel for manure based microbialcontaminants to potentially enter the Silver Starwater utilitys rawwater intake, and subsequentlyreachthemidteetreatmentbuilding.
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4.3 ResortMountainBikingActivitiesSilverStarMountainResortoffersanextensivemountainbikeprogram from JunetoSeptembereachsummer,includingtrails,askillsareaandjumppark.
Themountainbike trailnetwork traversesboth theParadiseLakeandVanceCreekcatchmentareas,andassuchpresentssomeriskofgrounddisturbanceandincreasedsedimentloadtothesurfacewatersupply.
WherethetrailnetworkcrossestheParadiseLakediversionditch,theresorthasconstructedwoodenbridges,orprovidedculvertcrossingsrefertophotos#5,13,18,19,&23,enclosedasAppendixG.
TheSilverStarMountainbiking trailnetwork includes trailswithinboth theParadiseLakeandVanceCreekreservoircatchmentareas,and inherentlygeneratesacertaindegreeoferosiononthetrailsasillustratedby thephotoofa typical trailsectionbelow. However,asmountainbikingactivitiesoccurduring the summermonthsandoutsideof the licencedwater captureperiodofApril1st June15th,there isnodirectpathway for the introductionofbike