Water Stewardship Information Sources
| Citation | Barlak, R. 2013. Regional District of Nanaimo Community Watershed Monitoring Network 2012 Data Summary. BC Ministry of Environment. |
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| Organization | Ministry of Environment |
| URL | http://www.rdn.bc.ca/cms/wpattachments/wpID2844atID5562.pdf |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | The purpose of this report is to present a summary of data collected as part of the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) Community Watershed Monitoring Network partnership. This partnership was initiated in 2011 by the RDN and the British Columbia (BC) Ministry of Environment (MOE) to collect data across the RDN. In its early stages (2011-2013) the program will be used for data gathering with the goals of obtaining enough data to see watershed trends and raise watershed health awareness in local communities. Long term goals are to use multiple years of data to determine in which watersheds more detailed monitoring and/or improved watershed management need occur, and to assist in land use planning. Partnerships are core to the monitoring program. In 2012 the RDN and MOE organized the program and trained participants in monitoring protocols. Nine stewardship groups within the RDN participated in the monitoring program, with safety gear and land access provided by Island Timberlands LP. Stewardship groups participating in 2012 were: Nile Creek Enhancement Society, Friends of French Creek, Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers, Parksville Fish and Game, Mid Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society, Nanaimo Area Land Trust, Harbour City River Stewards, Island Waters Fly Fishers and Vancouver Island University. A total of 45 different sites in 14 different watersheds were monitored in 2012, the second year of the program. Samples were collected weekly between August 14 and September 11, 2012 (summer low flow) and between October 16 and November 13, 2012 (fall rains) by the stewardship groups according to BC MOE sampling procedures (BC MOE, 2003). Quality assurance/quality control samples were collected by three groups. In this document, data are presented and compared to existing BC Water Quality Guidelines (BC MOE, 1997) and/or Englishman River Water Quality Objectives (Barlak et al., 2010) (Table 1), applicable to other watersheds within the same ecoregion. Exceedences and similarity to 2011 data (Barlak, 2012) are noted. When any turbidity samples were less than 0 NTU, or not a true reading, calibration corrections were applied to all samples measured with the same instrument on that day and the corrected values presented here. When data collection was missed the missing data point is represented by a missing bar in the applicable figure in this report. |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Vancouver Island South |
| Sub-watershed if known | Englishman River, Cameron, Little Qualicum River, Whiskey Creek, Grandon Creek, Beach Creek, Nile Creek, Thames Creek, Shelley Creek, Englishman River, French Creek, Haslam Creek, Nanaimo River, Departure Creek, Cottle Creek, Chase River, Cat Stream, Beck Creek, Millstone, Benson, Northfield, McGarrigle, |
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| Project status | complete |
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