Water Quality Monitoring and Research in Somenos and Quamichan Lake

Dave Preikshot, PhD, RPBioAquatic 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

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Meet the neighbors

• Coho Salmon

• Rainbow Trout

• Cutthroat Trout

• Chum Salmon

• Three-Spined Stickleback

• Peamouth Chub

• Sculpin

• Pumpkinseed Sunfish

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Our Shared Watersheds

• Heavily impacted by forestry, agriculture and urban development

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Historic (1859)water courses and land use

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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

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Jul, Aug, Sep is now warmer

14

16

18

1940 1960 1980 2000

mean tem

pera

ture

(°C

)

Jul Aug Sep

mean

1940-1957 15.7

1958-1984 16.1

1985-2016 17.0

2010-2016 17.4

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

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• primary contact: ≤ 77 CFUs/100 mL

• secondary contact: ≤ 385 CFUs/100 mL

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0

100

200

300

400

Koksilah R. @TCH

Averill Ck. @TCH

Bings Cr. @Phillip + Mary

St.

Cowichan R.@ TCH

QuamichanCk. head

QuamichanLk. @

Westlock Rd.

Richards Ck.@ Herd Rd.

Somenos Ck.@ Lakes Rd.

geomean E. coli

1º contact

2º contact

781 !

E. coli (CFU/100ml) vs primary and secondary contact guidelines 2018: mostly creeks

E. coli (CFU/100ml) mean/max/min vs primary and secondary contact guidelines 2018: mostly creeks

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

CowRWeir

CowR GR CowR7800 CLR

CowR Sto CowR Vi CowR Al CowRTCH

CowRDyke

Bings Tan Menz Cur Bings Phil

phos

phor

us (m

g/l)

mean E. coli primary contact secondary contact

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

0.2

0.4

0.6

RichardsCk. @ Herd

Rd.

QuamichanCk. head

QuamichanLk. @

WestlockRd.

Averill Ck.@ TCH

SomenosCk. @

Lakes Rd.

Bings Cr. @Phillip +Mary St.

Koksilah R.@ TCH

Cowichan R.@ TCH

tota

l phosphoro

us (

mg/L

)

Mean Obs

Max Obs

Mean Std (0.005)

Max Std (0.007)

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1.7 ! 8.0 ! 1.6 !

Somenos/Quamichan phosphorus 2018: mostly creeks

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0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

CowRWeir

CowRGR

CowR7800CLR

CowRSto

CowRVi

CowRAl

CowRTCH

CowRDyke

BingsTan

MenzCur

BingsPhil

phosphoru

s (

mg/l)

Mean Phosphorus

Mean Threshold

Max Threshold

Somenos Lake Monthly Mean, Maximum, and Minimum Lake Levels (2015-2018)

4

5

6

7

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Lake L

evel (m

GS

C)

Mean 5m

Somenos Lake Monthly Mean, Maximum, and Minimum Lake Levels (early 1960s)

4

5

6

7

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Lake L

evel (m

GS

C)

Mean 5m

Somenos Lake Daily Temperature from data loggers 2014-2018

0

10

20

30

2014-Jul 2015-Jan 2015-Jul 2016-Jan 2016-Jul 2017-Jan 2017-Jul 2018-Jan 2018-Jul

tem

per

atu

re (

°C)

0m

3m

6m

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

6m2015-Jan 2015-Jul 2016-Jan 2016-Jul 2017-Jan 2017-Jul 2018-Jan 2018-Jul

Oxygen 2015-2018

0m

1m

2m

3m

4m

5m

6m2015-Jan 2015-Jul 2016-Jan 2016-Jul 2017-Jan 2017-Jul 2018-Jan 2018-Jul

pH 2015-2018

0m

1m

2m

3m

4m

5m

6m2015-Jan 2015-Jul 2016-Jan 2016-Jul 2017-Jan 2017-Jul 2018-Jan 2018-Jul

Combined 2015-2018

0m

1m

2m

3m

4m

5m

6m2015-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

The Olivia Niven Estate

SMWS sponsors for

water quality sampling

SMWS partners for

water quality sampling

Acknowledgements and thanks to our funders and partners