| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
This report assesses the long-term water quality trends in the Kettle River, a trans-boundary river which flows from south central B.C. into Washington State first crossing the international border at the town of Midway, B.C. and then re-enters B.C. at Carson upstream from Gilpin. Environment Canada has monitored the Kettle River at Gilpin station since 1980 collecting 26 samples per year. Three other related monitoring stations within the B.C. portion of this watershed are the Kettle River at Midway, Boundary Creek at Midway, and the Kettle River at Carson sites. The Kettle River at Midway station is located near the town of Midway, B.C. and the international boundary. Boundary Creek, a major tributary from the north, joins the Kettle River a short distance downstream from Midway, B.C. and is also very near the boundary between Canada and the U.S. The Kettle River at Carson station is located downstream of Midway at the point where the Kettle River crosses back into B.C. The Kettle River at Gilpin station, the most easterly of the four stations, is located downstream of the Carson site but just upstream of where the Kettle River returns to the U.S. Known errors were removed and the plotted data were compared to B.C. Environment's Approved and Working Criteria for Water Quality. Of special interest are water quality levels and trends that are deemed deleterious to sensitive water uses including drinking water, aquatic life, fish and wildlife, recreation, irrigation and livestock watering. The main conclusions of this assessment are as follows: The water quality of the Kettle River at Gilpin site was generally excellent during 1980 to 1994. This water is well buffered against acid input and yet soft enough for drinking. The water is naturally high in fluoride and exceeds criteria for aquatic life. We are also not aware of any effects on the local fish populations and expect that fish may be adapted to the higher levels of fluoride. Water quality patterns in this watershed are usually closely matched with flow patterns. As a result, increased turbidity (i.e., during freshet) makes it necessary to treat the water for drinking purposes. The increased levels in total phosphorus and total metals are related to seasonal increased flows due to suspended sediments and thus are largely biologically unavailable. The main recommendation is: Monitoring should be suspended at this station. |
