Red Deer River Watershed Alliance State of the Red Deer River Watershed Report Red Deer River Watershed Alliance Tracy Scott , Chair State of the Watershed Ducks Unlimited Canada Jay S. White, M.Sc., P.Biol. Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd. July 14-16, 2008
Outline The purpose of this presentation is to provide a context for State of the Watershed Reporting as it relates to Water for Life, to present the chosen indicators for the report and to obtain feedback from you regarding the report and the indicators. • Introduction to Water for Life • Watersheds in Alberta • The Red Deer River Watershed • State of the Watershed Reporting • Indicators and Metrics • How can you be involved? • Next Steps
Red Deer River Watershed Alliance Our Mission The RDRWA is an inclusive, collaborative partnership that promotes a healthy watershed to ensure a legacy of ecological integrity and economic sustainability
Red Deer River Watershed Alliance Our Vision The Red Deer watershed will be healthy, dynamic and sustainable through the efforts of the entire community.
Water for Life Goals of the Water for Life strategy � a safe, secure drinking water supply � healthy aquatic ecosystems � reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy
Water for Life Three areas of focus to achieve the goals of the Water for Life strategy: • Knowledge and research • Partnerships • Water conservation
Major Watersheds in Alberta Most of the province’s population is located within the Saskatchewan River Basin, but the basin (N & S) supplies less than 15% of Alberta’s river water.
The South Saskatchewan River Basin • Red Deer • Bow • Oldman • South Saskatchewan With the 2006 approval of the Saskatchewan River Basin Plan o nly the Red Deer is open for new water Licenses (Aug’06)
Red Deer River Watershed
Red Deer River Watershed Sub-basins
Red Deer River Watershed Oil & Gas
Red Deer River Surface Water Allocations
The State of the Watershed • The State of the Watershed Report will provide baseline information from which future decisions can be made and progress can be measured. • It will identify challenges and information gaps within the basin. • Form the foundation for a Red Deer Integrated Watershed Management Plan under Water for Life . • Allow decision makers and the public to make more informed watershed management decisions.
Municipalities, the Public & the SoW • Recommendations from the SoW will have direct implications for municipalities, agricultural communities and the public • The SoW can result in the development of, or changes to: • Policies • Land use bylaws • Area Structure Plans • Municipal development plans • Development plans and bylaws • General bylaws • Any future developments that take place in the watershed will need to consult the IWMP
Integrated Watershed Management Planning • The next step in the process is the development of the Terms of Reference for the Integrated Watershed Management Plan (IWMP) for the RDR Watershed • Will be based on the information gathered in the State of the Watershed Report • Terms of Reference must be approved by Alberta Environment • Once approved, drafting of the IWMP can begin – will involve extensive public consultation and municipal participation
Report Format Master (Technical) Document - 20 printed copies only - Available electronically - 11” X 17” foldout maps Companion (Reference) Document - Approximately 2000 copies - Also available electronically - No pullout or foldout maps
How can you be involved? • What are the important issues that you would like to see addressed in the report? • What are the water management issues in your municipality? • Need your input on the indicators – do you feel that appropriate indicators have been chosen? • Do you have any data that you would like included in the SoW? • Attend open houses in the fall for presentation of draft report • Contact RDRWA for any educational materials you made need to assist with understanding the process Your Participation is KEY in Watershed Management!!!
Next Steps • Draft the State of the Watershed (SoW) Report • Stakeholder review of SoW • Finalize SoW • Work to fill data gaps identified in the SoW • Integrated Watershed Management Plan (IWMP) Terms of Reference • Final IWMP • Implement IWMP
Indicators
Indicators • Indicators are measures of environmental quality that are used to assess the status and trends of the physical condition of the watershed • A good environmental indicator will simplify large amounts of complex information into a concise, easily understood format • After researching indicators used in other reports and in peer reviewed literature, a list of 25 indicators was chosen in consultation with experts from government, industry, and the private sector
Indicators used in the North Saskatchewan River State of the Watershed Report Indicator Category Metric Land Use Riparian Health Linear development Land use inventory Livestock density Wetland inventory Water Quality Surface water quality index E. coli Phosphorus (TP, SRP) Pesticides Biological Indicator Aquatic macrophytes Fish (population estimates) Vegetation types Benthic invertebrates
NSWA Indicators cont’d… Other information included: • Stream flows and discharges • Surface water and groundwater use • Effluent point sources and inputs • Population distribution • Land classification • Protected areas • Fertilizer and pesticide sales • Description of biota
Indicators for the RDRWA SoW • Land Use Indicators: • Wetland Inventory • Wetlands serve many important functions on the landscape, including improving water quality, flood attenuation, wildlife habitat and groundwater recharge • Loss of wetlands can have serious implications on water quality and quantity • Riparian Health • Transition zones between uplands and water • Act as buffer zones, removing pollutants and attenuating floods • As with wetlands, loss of riparian zones or a decline in riparian health can negatively impact water quality
Indicators • Land Use Indicators • Metrics: • Area (ha) of intact, natural wetlands • Area (ha) of reclaimed/restored wetlands • Area (ha) of drained wetlands • Aerial videography of riparian areas • Cows and Fish Riparian Health Assessments
Indicators • Land Use Indicators: • Livestock and grazing leases • Areas of higher livestock density are expected to have greater impacts on downstream water quality • Can be a source of excess nutrients and fecal bacteria, which can lead to water quality issues and the potential for public health risks • This indicator will show areas of high livestock density that may require extra attention to riparian and wetland preservation, enhanced water treatment, or changes to land use management practices
Indicators • Land Use Indicators • Metrics: • No. of head/ha • Manure production (tonnes)
Indicators • Land Use Indicators: • Urban, rural and recreational development • The expansion of urban, rural and recreational areas results in the loss of large areas of wetlands, riparian areas, intermittent streams and wildlife habitat • Increases in impervious areas leads to larger volumes of stormwater runoff; this can have negative effects on receiving water bodies • This indicator will determine exactly how much area within the watershed has been lost to development
Indicators • Land Use Indicators: • Metrics: • Urban vs. rural population statistics • % or ha of watershed/subwatershed developed as urban area, rural subdivision or for recreational purposes
Indicators • Land Use Indicators: • Linear Development • Linear developments include seismic lines, pipelines, roads, railways and utility right of ways • Can lead to interruption of wildlife corridors, negative impacts on water quality, and alteration of natural drainage patterns • This indicator will quantify how much linear development has occurred in the watershed
Indicators • Land Use Indicators • Metrics: • No. of road crossings in a given area • % or ha of watershed that has linear development (i.e. % covered by roads, pipelines, etc.)
Indicators • Land Use Indicators: • Oil and gas activity • Can result in loss of wetlands and riparian areas, contamination of groundwater and surface water, habitat fragmentation and many other impacts • Measurement of this indicator will include an inventory of coal bed methane activity • This will show areas of high drilling activity and will identify areas at risk of groundwater and surface water contamination
Indicators • Land Use Indicators: • Metrics: • Number of wells (active, decommissioned and abandoned) per given area. Includes natural gas, oil and coal bed methane • Carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen isotope fingerprinting
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