Water Stewardship Information Sources
| ID | 2901 |
|---|---|
| Citation | Water quality monitoring associated with a major forest fire in southeastern British Columbia |
| Organization | Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations |
| URL | https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/rsi/research/nsites/ea966000.htm |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | Project No. EP 966. Rocky Mountain Forest District (Matthew Creek). City water intake. Objectives: To determine if water quality parameters, suspected to be influenced by fire, are altered in the Matthew Creek watershed following wildfire. Specific parameters include: nitrogen, phosphorus, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, and iron. To assess whether water quality in Matthew Creek following a major forest fire meets drinking water quality standards as set forth by the Ministry of Health. Experimental Design: The wildfire did not permit advanced selection of water sampling sites nor did it allow for the collection of prefire samples. To isolate the effects of the forest fire on water quality, water sampling stations were established above and below the burned areas on two sub_basins of Matthew Creek. Paired sampling sites were also established on an unburned sub_basin to serve as a control. Additionally, a sampling station was established at the intake for the City of Kimberley. To test for effects of the fire on water quality, data was analyzed by looking at differences between concentrations of upstream and downstream samples for the two burned and one unburned sub_basin. Non-parametric multiple comparisons tested differences between sub_basins. Water sampling will occur during the years 1995/96 representing 10 years following the fire. History: 1985 Matt Fire and the start of water sampling. 1989 Last water sample taken. 1995 Ten-year retrospective |
| Information Type | Project |
| Regional Watershed | Matthew Creek |
| Sub-watershed if known | |
| Aquifer # | |
| Comments | |
| Project status | Dormant |
| Contact Name | David Gluns |
| Contact Email | [email protected] |