Water Quality Monitoring and Research in Somenos and Quamichan Lake - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Water Quality Monitoring and Research in Somenos and Quamichan Lake Dave Preikshot, PhD, RPBio Aquatic Ecosystems Scientist Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society

Focus subjects of this presentation are water quality and fish habitat • Historic monitoring and research • Current monitoring and research • Water quality trends • Fish habitat trends • Management and research options 9 April 2019 2

Meet the neighbors • Coho Salmon • Rainbow Trout • Cutthroat Trout • Chum Salmon • Three-Spined Stickleback • Peamouth Chub • Sculpin • Pumpkinseed Sunfish 9 April 2019 3

Our Shared Watersheds • Heavily impacted by forestry, agriculture and urban development 9 April 2019 4

Historic (1859) water courses and land use 9 April 2019 5

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How did we get here? • Changes to water courses • Changes in land cover • Changes in climate • Changes in land use practices To find a way out we need to monitor and conduct research that informs effective management decisions 9 April 2019 11

Jul, Aug, Sep is now warmer mean temperature ( ° C) 18 Jul Aug Sep mean 1940-1957 15.7 1958-1984 16.1 16 1985-2016 17.0 2010-2016 17.4 14 1940 1960 1980 2000

Summer dry season is now longer Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1940 1960 1980 2000 Start End Days mean 1940-1983 29-Apr 14-Sep 138 mean 1984-2016 19-Apr 23-Sep 157 mean 2010-2016 14-Apr 27-Sep 166

Cowichan/Koksilah E. coli water quality targets • primary contact: ≤ 77 CFUs/100 mL • secondary contact: ≤ 385 CFUs/100 mL 9 April 2019 14

E. coli (CFU/100ml) vs primary and secondary contact guidelines 2018: mostly creeks 400 geomean E. coli 781 ! 300 1º contact 2º contact 200 100 0 Koksilah R. @ Averill Ck. @ Bings Cr. @ Cowichan R. Quamichan Quamichan Richards Ck. Somenos Ck. TCH TCH Phillip + Mary @ TCH Ck. head Lk. @ @ Herd Rd. @ Lakes Rd. St. Westlock Rd. 9 April 2019 15

E. coli (CFU/100ml) mean/max/min vs primary and secondary contact guidelines 2018: mostly creeks 700 600 mean E. coli primary contact secondary contact 500 phosphorus (mg/l) 400 300 200 100 0 CowR CowR GR CowR CowR Sto CowR Vi CowR Al CowR CowR Bings Tan Menz Cur Bings Phil Weir 7800 CLR TCH Dyke

Cowichan / Koksilah phosphorus objectives • Objectives set for low discharge period only • mean of 5 samples: 0.005 mg/L • max of 5 samples: 0.007 mg/L

Somenos/Quamichan phosphorus 2017: mostly lakes 0.6 Mean Obs 1.7 ! 8.0 ! 1.6 ! Max Obs total phosphorous (mg/L) Mean Std (0.005) 0.4 Max Std (0.007) 0.2 0 Richards Quamichan Quamichan Averill Ck. Somenos Bings Cr. @ Koksilah R. Cowichan R. Ck. @ Herd Ck. head Lk. @ @ TCH Ck. @ Phillip + @ TCH @ TCH Rd. Westlock Lakes Rd. Mary St. Rd. 9 April 2019 18

Somenos/Quamichan phosphorus 2018: mostly creeks 0.12 Mean Phosphorus 0.10 Mean Threshold phosphorus (mg/l) 0.08 Max Threshold 0.06 0.04 0.02 0.00 CowR CowR CowR CowR CowR CowR CowR CowR Bings Menz Bings Weir GR 7800 Sto Vi Al TCH Dyke Tan Cur Phil CLR 9 April 2019 19

Somenos Lake Monthly Mean, Maximum, and Minimum Lake Levels (2015-2018) 7 Mean 5m Lake Level (m GSC) 6 5 4 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Somenos Lake Monthly Mean, Maximum, and Minimum Lake Levels (early 1960s) 7 Mean 5m Lake Level (m GSC) 6 5 4 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Somenos Lake Daily Temperature from data loggers 2014-2018 0m 30 3m temperature (°C) 6m 20 10 0 2014-Jul 2015-Jan 2015-Jul 2016-Jan 2016-Jul 2017-Jan 2017-Jul 2018-Jan 2018-Jul

Somenos Lake Water Quality Monitoring Data for Salmon and Trout Habitat • light blue = good for fish health • yellow = marginal for fish health • red = lethal to fish • Data collected once a week from April 1 to October 31 and once per month from November 1 to March 31 • Samples at 0,1,2,3,4,5,and 6m for T, DO, pH, conductivity and total dissolved solids • Samples collected at 0, 3, 5m for total phosphorous

Temperature 2015-2018 0m 1m 2m 3m 4m 5m 6m 2015-Jan 2015-Jul 2016-Jan 2016-Jul 2017-Jan 2017-Jul 2018-Jan 2018-Jul

Oxygen 2015-2018 0m 1m 2m 3m 4m 5m 6m 2015-Jan 2015-Jul 2016-Jan 2016-Jul 2017-Jan 2017-Jul 2018-Jan 2018-Jul

pH 2015-2018 0m 1m 2m 3m 4m 5m 6m 2015-Jan 2015-Jul 2016-Jan 2016-Jul 2017-Jan 2017-Jul 2018-Jan 2018-Jul

Combined 2015-2018 0m 1m 2m 3m 4m 5m 6m 2015-Jan 2015-Jul 2016-Jan 2016-Jul 2017-Jan 2017-Jul 2018-Jan 2018-Jul

Solutions Are Possible • Create wetlands where possible as point source remediation of pollutants, e.g. , Beverly Wetland • Encourage riparian vegetation buffers to slow water movement and storage in the soil, e.g ., Clean Water Action Plan • Develop water storage to protect and enhance stream habitat for salmon and trout, e.g ., Crofton Lake weir • Work with land owners to minimize discharges of nutrients and pollutants, e.g ., Clean Water Action Plan

Acknowledgements and thanks to our funders and partners SMWS sponsors for SMWS partners for water quality sampling water quality sampling The Olivia Niven Estate