implementation of kiwqm eavan o’connor and sara rawski lake simcoe region conservation authority...

Implementation of KiWQMEavan O’Connor and Sara Rawski

Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority

November 26, 2015 Credit Valley Conservation Authority Office

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Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority A Watershed for Life

Presentation Outline- Introduction – Lake Simcoe- The sampling programs- Water quality data – WISKI 6- Water quality data – WISKI 7- Data analysis & reporting- Agents & Scripts- Tips- Discussion

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Lake Simcoe

- 60 km north of Toronto- Watershed: 3,307 km2

▫ Lake: 722 km2

- Depth max: 42 m (mean = 15 m)- 435,500 residents

▫ (+50,000 seasonal)

- $200 million recreational fishery

Map: Wilson 2008

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Lake Simcoe – Environmental Stressors

Photo: Google Earth

-Phosphorus loading: 2007-2011 average = 91 tonnes (LSPP target = 44 tonnes)

- Deepwater Oxygen: <5 mg/L (LSPP target = 7mg/L)

-Invasive species

-Climate change

- Watershed development▫Road salt!!!!

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Routine WQ monitoring programs- LSPP (Lake Simcoe Protection Plan) sites▫ 28 sites (one autosampler) + quality control samples▫ Sampled every two weeks, every three weeks in winter▫ Plus extra event sampling, especially during spring freshet

- PWQMN sites▫ 12 sites (8 overlap with LSPP)▫ Sampled monthly during ice-free season (8X per year)

- LSPP atmospheric sampling▫ 7 sites (3 sites in winter) + QC samples▫ Weekly (every three weeks in winter)

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Other WQ monitoring programs- Limnology water quality and sediment- Groundwater- Turbidity (4 sites)- Conductivity (6 sites)- LSCUF and LSGBCUF projects▫ Autosamplers at three sites (temporary)

- Subwatershed plans, Biocriteria, Toxic Screening- Historic sites

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Historical data – WISKI 6

- Migrated water quality data from WISKI 6 to 7- Tried three times▫ Units were ignored

e.g. PPUT value of 50 µg/L was listed as 50 mg/L

▫ Date artifact that could not be fixed▫ Gave up!

- Remained in limbo for a long time- Blessing in disguise!▫ Recreated everything from scratch▫ And improved the structure

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Historical data – WISKI 6- Loss of all scripts▫ Different scripting language▫ Decided not to have Kisters re-write them for us▫ Better to write in-house with assistance from Kisters

For two reasons: cost and data knowledge

- Still have not caught up with historic data imports!▫ From WISKI 6 and excel files

- House cleaning still required!▫ Artifact parameters need to be deleted ▫ Requires care and attention to detail

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Water Quality Data – WISKI 7- Five Measuring programs

1. LSPP_Atmospheric2. LSPP_Tributaries3. PWQMN_Tributaries4. Limnology5. Limnology_Sediment

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Flow Chart – Setting things up using KiWQM Configuration

- Parameters ▫ Parameter type (PPUT, CLIDUR, etc.)▫ Analysis methods▫ Parameter method combination

- Parameter Lists▫ Certain parameters assigned to each list

- Measuring Programs▫ Assign stations▫ Assign parameter list

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Water Quality Data – WISKI 7

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Water Quality Data – WISKI 7- Data QA/QC• Best done before data is in WISKI• Data format must match exactly to the import

configuration file• No blank values• Replicate values can be included in file• Correct Units

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Water quality in hydrology module

Continuous data:- Turbidity - Conductivity

Sampling status:- Up-to-date sampling points on the hydrograph

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Reporting- Phosphorus Loading Reports▫ Calculations using phosphorus, flows and

precipitation

- Watershed Report Cards▫ Grading using comparison of phosphorus to

PWQO (and benthic information)

- Subwatershed Plans▫ Comparison of several parameters to WQ

Objectives, trend analysis (long and short-term)

- Environmental Monitoring Report- Science Newsletters (e.g., Turbidity and TP)- Research

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Data Analysis- Most data analysis is done outside of WISKI▫ Became a habit when we were in limbo

- Quality control of turbidity/conductivity▫ Range related editing, amplitude tool

- “Quick” regressions in WISKI▫ TSS vs TP, for example▫ Times do not always match

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Scripts and agents- Purpose: Assist with phosphorus load calculations- Agent: Aggregate of phosphorus from all analytical

methods for each monitoring program- Agent: Merges together phosphorus concentrations

from both programs (LSPP and PWQMN) - Script: Midpoint method

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Aggregate

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Merger

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Midpoint ScriptMidpoint method (Scheider 1979)

▫Estimate concentrations for days between samples▫Half with first concentration,Half with second concentration

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Wish List - Loads- Tributary loads (TP, chloride, nitrogen, TSS)▫ Concentration X flow▫ Gauged, ungauged, unmonitored subwatersheds▫ Prorating to mouth required

- Bulk application of time series creation- Other loads (Polders, Atmospheric, WPCP, septic) - Midpoint method using linear interpolation- Use of turbidity for load estimates- Atmospheric, phosphorus outlier detection- Everything as automated as possible!

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Wish List - Other- Key Lists (sample descriptions)- Alarms (turbidity)- Comparator lists (WQ objectives)- Using turbidity or conductivity to determine WQ

objective exceedances - KPI (ecological health key performance indicators,

percentiles in WISKI)

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TipsFeeling Overwhelmed?- Tough learning curve, but gets better!- Keep trying, eventually things will make more sense!- Learn from others, ask Kisters questions- Time: Huge task, not for one person▫ Tricky to balance other work and make time for WISKI

Technical tips:- Alphabetical order (Parameters)- Static copies of calculated time series- Consistency (naming conventions, EST/EDT)- Be careful about updating versions (loss of integrity)- WISKI 7 is much more forgiving and flexible than WISKI 6

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Notes to the group- Consistent naming conventions among organizations

(for WQ parameters)▫ To ease potential grouping of data

- Central Hub or Conglomerate▫ Interested? ▫ Suggestions?

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Load

Monitored/gauged subwatersheds▫ Daily load time series uses:

flow (pro-rated) and concentration (midpoint) time series and a formula

▫ Annual load time series (sum of daily loads)

Monitored/ungauged subwatersheds▫ Flows estimated from gauged areas using a formula:▫ Sum of all gauged flows divided by gauged area multiplied by ungauged subwatershed area

Unmonitored/ungauged subwatersheds▫ Loads calculated outside of WISKI ▫ Annual load estimated on an areal basis

Loading Calculations

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Phosphorus sites

Lake Simcoe – Tributary Water Quality Monitoring

Turbidity and/or conductivity sites (6)

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Phosphorus Loads- Tributaries (67%), Atmospheric (19%), Polders (5%),

Septic Systems (5%), WPCP’s (4%)

implementation of kiwqm eavan o’connor and sara rawski lake simcoe region conservation authority...

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