| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
A water and sediment quality baseline monitoring program was commenced in April 2011 to provide baseline water quality prior to proposed mine development. Water and sediment quality samples were collected at a number of sites on the proposed Blackwater Gold Project (proposed Project) property that could potentially be affected by mine development. As well, control sites were sampled to provide a database for comparison with mining phase monitoring. Water was collected monthly (quarterly on the Blackwater River drainage and for lakes sampled) except at freshet (spring breakup) when five consecutive weekly samples were collected both in 2011 and 2012. Sediment samples were collected once during the summer at water quality sites in 2011 and again in 2012. Most of the results indicate typical background water quality with no anomalous parameters. Occasional outliers (not associated with high suspended sediment loads) occurred in 2011 and 2012. Mean concentration exceedances of British Columbia (BC) 30-day protection of freshwater aquatic guidelines included: dissolved aluminum at WQ3, WQ7, WQ12 and WQ17; cadmium at WQ1 and WQ7; and zinc at WQ4. Dissolved aluminum also exceeded the BC maximum guideline at WQ1, WQ4, WQ10, WQ11, and WQ16. A number of 95th percentile exceedances of the BC 30-day guidelines occurred: turbidity at WQ4 and WQ8; chromium at WQ3 and WQ7; copper at WQ1; zinc at WQ1, WQ3, WQ13, and WQ14; dissolved aluminum at WQ9. BC maximum guidelines were exceeded for zinc at WQ4 and for dissolved aluminum at WQ1, WQ3, WQ4, WQ5, WQ6, WQ7, WQ10, WQ11, WQ12, and WQ17. Dissolved aluminum exceedances indicate a generally high background in Project area water bodies relative to guidelines. |
