Water Stewardship Information Sources

Citation Phippen, B. 2008. Water quality in British Columbia: Objectives Attainment in 2006. BC Ministry of Environment
Organization Ministry of Environment
URL http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wat/wq/attain_pdf/06_attain_report.pdf
Abstract/Description or Keywords The setting of water quality objectives in priority basins in British Columbia began in 1982.
By the end of 2006, the Ministry of Environment had set water quality objectives in 51 areas
or basins and updated them in two, both fresh and marine, throughout the Province. Annual
monitoring to check the attainment of objectives started in 1987. This report presents the
results of monitoring done to check the attainment of objectives in 20 basins in 2006.
The results are summarized in a series of tables. For all Ministry Regions the objectives
were met 92.7 percent of the time in 2006. The findings in 2006 are to those seen in 2006
(92.6%), and similar to previous years when attainment ranged from 95 percent in 1998 to
77 percent in 1997. However, the annual percentages represent monitoring in different
watersheds from year to year, as well as for different parameters each year, making a
comparison from one year to the next difficult.
There was not 100 percent attainment because objectives are set in areas where water
quality problems may occur. Monitoring results therefore reflect the state of water quality
in areas affected by human activity rather than in the Province as a whole.
Variables for which objectives were sometimes not met in three or more basins in the 2006
sampling program included fecal coliforms, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, total copper,
chromium in sediments, copper in sediments, lead in sediments, and mercury in sediments.
As not all parameters were measured in each watershed, and as only a limited number of
watersheds were sampled in 2006, the list of objectives not attained would likely be
considerably longer if attainment monitoring were to be conducted for all parameters and in
all watersheds for which water quality objectives have been established.
Information Type report
Regional Watershed Province
Sub-watershed if known
Aquifer #
Comments
Project status complete
Contact Name
Contact Email