State of the Red Deer River Watershed Report Red Deer River - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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

• f 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

• f the Saskatchewan

River Basin Plan only 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

• r 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

Indicators

• Water Quality:
• Nutrient Levels
• Excess nutrients result from stormwater runoff,

agricultural activities, sewage, overuse of fertilizers and others

• Can come from point and non-point sources
• Excess nutrients can lead to eutrophication, which

can cause a decrease in oxygen levels in surface waters, resulting in fish kills

• Results in excess algal growth and may cause the

growth of toxic algal species (i.e. cyanobacteria)

Indicators

• Water Quality Indicators
• Metrics:
• Concentrations of:
• Total phosphorus
• Total dissolved phosphorus
• Total nitrogen
• Nitrate-nitrite
• Ammonia

Indicators

• Water Quality:
• Microbiology
• Includes fecal coliforms (E. coli) and total coliforms,

found in animal and human wastes

• Can cause human illness if ingested
• Presence indicates contamination by wildlife,

livestock or human sewage

• Sources can include agricultural and municipal

runoff, septic fields, faulty septic systems and wildlife

Indicators

• Water Quality Indicators
• Metrics:
• Concentrations of:
• Total coliforms
• E. coli

Indicators

• Water Quality:
• Pathogens
• Disease causing organisms such as Cryptosporidium

and Giardia

• These are aquatic parasites found in almost all

aquatic environments, including lakes, rivers, reservoirs and groundwater

• Sources are the feces of rodents, birds, cows, pigs

and humans

• Highly infectious and can cause serious

gastrointestinal illness

Indicators

• Water Quality Indicators
• Metrics:
• Concentrations of:
• Giardiaspp.
• Cryptosporidium spp.
• Cyanobacteria

Indicators

• Water Quality:
• Pesticides
• Include herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides and

fungicides

• Are a common contaminant in streams and dugouts

in high intensity agricultural areas of Alberta and are detected in many Alberta rivers and lakes

• Presence will indicate the need for adoption of

improved best management practices

Indicators

• Water Quality Indicators
• Metric:
• Frequency of pesticide detections in water

bodies

Indicators

• Water Quality:
• Point Source Inputs
• Includes effluents from wastewater treatment

plants, stormwater outfalls and industrial effluents

• Can introduce materials such as pharmaceuticals,

nutrients, solids, metals, hydrocarbons, etc., into aquatic environments

• Presence may indicate need for improved water

treatment or loading limits to receiving environments

Indicators

• Water Quality Indicators
• Metrics:
• Volume, timing and quality of water

released

• Nutrient loading rates

Indicators

• Water Quantity:
• Water Volume
• The amount of water flowing past one point at a

given time, or the total amount of water present in a water body, such as a lake

• Varies seasonally and annually
• An increase in consumptive water withdrawals has

lead to concerns over water supply and has lead to the closure of some basins in the province

Indicators

• Water Quantity Indicators
• Metrics:
• River/creek flow volume
• Lake level
• Lake volume

Indicators

• Water Quantity:
• Minimum Flows to Maintain Ecological

Integrity

• The lowest flows or volumes required to sustain

native aquatic species and natural ecosystem functions

• Minimum flows must be determined before

allocations can be made in order to preserve ecological functionality

Indicators

• Water Quantity Indicators
• Metrics:
• Flow volume
• Lake level

Indicators

• Water Quantity:
• Contributing Areas to Watershed
• Areas of the watershed from which runoff flows

into surface water bodies within the watershed

• Useful for estimating annual volumes contributed

within the watershed

Indicators

• Water Quantity Indicators
• Metrics:
• Area of land that contributes water to the

Red Deer River and other major water bodies in the watershed

Indicators

• Water Quantity:
• Allocation
• Quantified by surface and groundwater withdrawal

permits; includes information on consumption and return flows

• Can be used along with volumetric data to identify areas
• f potential future constraints on surface water

availability

• Will indicate areas facing development limitations

Indicators

• Water Quantity Indicators
• Metrics:
• # of licensed withdrawals

Indicators

• Water Quantity:
• Groundwater Discharge/Recharge
• Groundwater discharge and recharge areas indicate

porous soils and a groundwater table within close proximity to the surface

• These areas are at greater risk from contamination

by development, agricultural or industrial activities

• Will indicate regions requiring special protection or

development/land use limitations

Indicators

• Water Quantity Indicators
• Metrics:
• Identification of areas of groundwater

discharge and recharge

• Sensitivity of recharge areas to

contamination

Indicators

• Biological Indicators:
• Wildlife Biodiversity (aquatic and terrestrial)
• Will indicate environmental changes such as habitat

fragmentation, loss of nesting and breeding sites, etc.

• A loss of biodiversity can cause an ecosystem to become

less stable and more vulnerable to environmental change

• May affect nutrient cycling and energy flow through an

ecosystem

Indicators

• Biological Indicators
• Metrics:
• Species richness
• Species abundance
• Simpson’s Diversity Index

Indicators

• Biological Indicators:
• Fish
• Increases or declines in fish populations will indicate

changes in environmental conditions or the presence of introduced species

• Indicator species, such as bull trout, are sensitive to

environmental pollution, therefore their presence or absence will give a general indication of conditions in that area

• Will give an indication of overfishing and may show areas

requiring regular monitoring

Indicators

• Biological Indicators
• Metrics:
• Index of Biological Integrity
• Species richness/diversity

Indicators

• Biological Indicators:
• Land Cover
• Land cover is the types of materials covering the

landscape, i.e. trees, shrubs, pavement, bare ground, etc.

• Changes in vegetation populations may indicate

changes in environmental conditions or land use

• Areas in need of restoration or conservation will be

identified

• Not the same as “land use”

Indicators

• Biological Indicators
• Metrics:
• Alberta Vegetation Inventory
• Native Vegetation Inventory
• Grassland Vegetation Inventory
• % of trees, shrubs, grassland (natural and

cultivated), bare soil, etc.

Indicators

• Biological Indicators:
• Species at Risk
• Will help to determine sensitive areas in need of

protection and limitations to development

• Will involve identification and classification of species

listed under the Species at Risk Act

• Will assist in preventing species from becoming

extirpated or extinct

Indicators

• Biological Indicators
• Metrics:
• Number of species at risk within watershed and

their distribution

• Bull trout occurrence and habitat
• Leopard frog occurrence and habitat

What we would like to know from you:

• 1. Are there any questions about the State of the

Watershed and Integrated Watershed Management Plan process?

• 2. Are there any questions about the indicators we have

chosen?

• 3. Have we missed anything?
• 4. Have we properly conveyed how these initiatives fit in

with municipal planning needs and objectives?

• 5. Is there anything else you would like to share with us

regarding the indicators or the State of the Watershed Report?

Thank you!