| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
The Duncan Dam (DDM) Water Use Planning (WUP) project was initiated to address flow management issues with respect to impacts on competing resources in the area. The DDM WUP Consultative Committee recommended that temperature and TGP monitoring studies be carried out to determine if water temperature or TGP levels in the Lower Duncan River are affected by operations (BC Hydro 2005). Regulated discharges at DDM have been shown to impact fish species in the lower Duncan River (e.g., Porto and van Dishoeck 2008, Porto et al. 2009, Thorley et al. 2010). Use of low level outlet gates (LLOG) or spillway operating gates (SPOG) may influence water quality (i.e., total dissolved gas pressure (TGP) and water temperature). Because water temperature and TGP have been shown to influence freshwater fish, DDM operations may affect fish in the LDR, particularly at critical times of the year. Water temperatures may affect spawn timing or larval emergence timing and survival while TGP can lead to the development of gas bubble trauma (GBT), which can cause effects ranging from reduced swimming ability to death. The current state of knowledge with respect to BC Hydro’s management questions for DDMMON-7 is provided in the following table. Lower Duncan River; Water Quality; Total Gas Pressure; Temperature; Duncan Dam Operations; Operational Effects on Water Quality |
