Notikewin and Keg Rivers Water Quality Monitoring Program 2017

Transcription

1 Notikewin and Keg Rivers Water Quality Monitoring Program 2017 The County of Northern Lights and the North Peace Applied Research Association (NPARA) Prepared for: County of Northern Lights th Avenue NW Box 10 Manning, Alberta T0H 2M0 and North Peace Applied Research Association th Avenue SW Manning, Alberta T0H 2M0 March 12, 2018 Prepared by: Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd. #204, 7205 Roper Road NW Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6B 3J4

2 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 1 Notikewin and Keg Rivers Water Quality Monitoring Program 2017 The County of Northern Lights and the North Peace Applied Research Association (NPARA) Signature Page Prepared by: Reviewed and Approved by: Joshua Haag, B.Sc., P.Biol. Senior Biologist Corey Stefura, B.Sc. P.Biol. Senior Aquatic Biologist, Operations Manager

3 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 2 Contents Table of Contents Contents... 2 Table of Contents...2 List of Figures...3 List of Tables Introduction Methods Sampling Sites Water Quality Parameters River Water Quality Index Calculations Background Climate and Flow Information Climate Information River Flow Information Results Routine Water Quality ph Total Suspended Solids (TSS) Hardness Nutrients Total Nitrogen (TN) Total Phosphorus (TP) Metals Bacteria Herbicides and Pesticides River Water Quality Index Discussion Routine Nutrients Metals Bacteria Pesticides Overall Water Quality Conclusions and Recommendations References Appendix A - Detailed Water Quality Parameter Lists Routine Water Quality Parameters Nutrient Water Quality Parameters Bacteria Water Quality Parameters Pesticides Water Quality Parameters Metals Water Quality Parameters Appendix B - River Water Quality Index Calculations Overview Objectives Used in the Water Quality Index... 39

4 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 3 List of Figures Figure 1. Water quality monitoring program sample sites, including 2017 and historical locations Figure 2. Notikewin River levels in From Water Survey of Canada (Gauging Station 07HC001; Environment Canada, 2017a) Figure 3. Keg River levels in From Water Survey of Canada (Gauging Station 07HF002; Environment Canada 2017b) Figure 3. Summary of surface water ph at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year Figure 5. Summary of total suspended solids (mg/l). Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year Figure 4. Summary of surface water hardness (mg/l CaCO3). Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year Figure 6. Total Nitrogen (mg/l) in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year Figure 7. Total Phosphorus (mg/l) in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate range of values for each site within the given year Figure 8. Total Dissolved Phosphorus (mg/l) in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate range of values for each site within the given year Figure 9. Total Coliforms in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate range of values for each site within the given year Figure 10. E. coli in the surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate range of values for each site within the given year

5 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 4 List of Tables Table 1. Sample sites in the Notikewin and Keg rivers, Table 2. Average air temperature and total precipitation conditions for Peace River (Climate ID ) from 1983 to 2017 compared to Data from Environment Canada (2017) Table 3. Summary of routine water quality parameters for sites on the Notikewin River and Keg River in samples taken in ns = not sampled Table 4. Summary of nutrient parameters for sites on the Notikewin River and Keg River in samples taken in Table 5. Metals concentrations for sites on the Notikewin and Keg rivers from 2011 to Only metals with at least one historical exceedance are included. Highlighted values indicate a guideline exceedance. bdl = below detection limits Table 6. Pesticide detections in the Notikewin and Keg rivers from 2011 to bdl = below detection limits; ns = not sampled Table 7. River water quality ranking categories Table 8. Water Quality Index and sub-index scores from all sites, 2011 to Grey shaded values were not analyzed due to exceedance of hold times for these parameters

6 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 5 1 Introduction In October 2011, the County of Northern Lights ( the County ) and the North Peace Applied Research Association ( NPARA ) retained Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd. ( Aquality ) to design and carry out a pilot water quality study on the Notikewin River. The purpose of the study was to gather baseline water quality information for a complete suite of parameters, for future planning of land use and environmental management activities on the Notikewin River. The results of the study provided a basis for more comprehensive monitoring by identifying candidate sites and determining parameters of interest for future water quality monitoring. In 2012, the study continued, and four sites were monitored during the Spring, Early Summer, Late Summer, and Fall, to determine if the results from 2011 were representative and to determine the seasonal patterns of various parameters. Sampling continued at the same sites in 2013, with the addition of a single site on the Keg River to provide a comparison between the two rivers. A reduced subset of sites and seasons was selected in 2014, to reduce the overall cost of the monitoring program. Based on seasonal and spatial trends observed from 2011 to 2014, only Site 1 (at the Green White Area boundary) and Site 4 (at the confluence with the Peace River) on the Notikewin River and the Keg River site were selected. Sampling of the full suite of parameters was reduced to twice per year in the Spring and Fall, based on seasonal patterns observed in previous years. In 2015, a second sampling site was added on the Keg River, bringing the total number of sampling site to four. In 2016, sampling continued with the two sites on the Notikewin and two on the Keg, with samples collected during the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Summer sampling was conducted following regional summer storm events. Sampling in 2017 continued at the same sites and frequencies as in 2016 to continue monitoring for any significant issues or changes within the two river systems.

7 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 6 2 Methods The surface water quality sites on the Notikewin and Keg rivers were sampled on 02 May, 26 July, and 30 October, Samples were collected by the County/NPARA staff following methods provided by Aquality, adhering to Alberta Environment s 2006 Aquatic Ecosystems Field Sampling Protocols and laboratory-recommended sample-handling practices. Samples were preserved based on the sampling protocols, immediately stored on ice, and transported to the Exova laboratory in Edmonton. Sample condition, including temperature and sample bottle integrity, were verified by Exova staff upon receipt. 2.1 Sampling Sites Sampling was conducted at sites previously established in the Notikewin (Sites 1and 4) and Keg (Sites 5 and 6) rivers (Table 1 and Figure 1). Table 1. Sample sites in the Notikewin and Keg rivers, Site Description Site Location Years Sampled Latitude Longitude 1 Upstream of the Town of Manning just east of the White/Green Area N W boundary 4 Approximately 0.5 km upstream of the confluence of the Notikewin N W and Peace Rivers 5 Keg River near Keg River (unincorporated area) N W Keg River near end of Township Road 104A N W

8 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 7 Figure 1. Water quality monitoring program sample sites, including 2017 and historical locations.

9 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE Water Quality Parameters Surface water quality was sampled at two sites on the Notikewin River and two sites on the Keg River. The suite of analyses included: Routine Water Chemistry Nutrients Bacteria Pesticides Total and Dissolved Metals For a detailed list of parameters included in each suite, please see Section 0: Appendix A - Detailed Water Quality Parameter Lists. All parameters were sampled at every collection event in The water quality parameters included in the monitoring program were used to provide the County and NPARA with an assessment of current water quality conditions on the Notikewin and Keg rivers. Selected parameters were compared to environmental quality guidelines to identify water quality risks. Guidelines used for comparison in this study include the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Freshwater Aquatic Life (CEQG-FAL) or Protection of Agricultural Water Uses (CEQG-AWU) (CCME 2013), and the Environmental Quality Guidelines for Alberta Surface Waters (EQGASW) (Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, 2014). The EQGASW includes site-specific objectives, which in some instances have not been determined for these basins (i.e., nitrogen and phosphorus); the Alberta Surface Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Freshwater Aquatic Life (ASWQG-FAL) (Alberta Environment, 1999) were included to provide a guideline for these parameters. Additionally, water quality was assessed using a modified version of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development s River Water Quality Index (see Section 2.3: River Water Quality Index Calculations), to facilitate easy visualization of patterns in water quality over time and between sites. 2.3 River Water Quality Index Calculations A modification version of the Alberta River Water Quality Index was applied to the 2017 results. This index, first applied to the results of this program in 2013, is used to quantify overall health of major rivers in Alberta based on a suite of core indicators. These indicators reflect watershed health and allow for consistent reporting and enables stakeholders and authorities to effectively compare and incorporate the overall findings of other watershed assessments (ESRD 2012). The indicators also simplify the large suite of measured parameters down to four simple sub-indices of water quality for an overall index score, creating easily-interpretable summaries of an otherwise unwieldy number of water quality parameters. Higher scores for the overall index and sub-indices indicate higher water quality and fewer potential impairments to aquatic health.

10 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 9 The guidelines for some parameters were updated with the release of the Environmental Quality Guidelines for Alberta Surface Waters (Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, 2014), so the model has been updated to reflect the new guidelines in calculating exceedances, with results for previous years recalculated using the new model to make direct comparisons possible. 2.4 Background Climate and Flow Information Climate Information The nearest climate monitoring station with complete records required for determining climatic norms (at least 30-year continuous data collection) is at Peace River, approximately 80 km south of the Town of Manning (Table 2) was overall slightly warmer and had slightly less precipitation than the historical averages; however, April and May had higher precipitation than those periods in the historical record. Table 2. Average air temperature and total precipitation conditions for Peace River (Climate ID ) from 1983 to 2017 compared to Data from Environment Canada (2017). Month Average Average Minimum Average Maximum Total Precipitation Temperature ( C) Temperature ( C) Temperature ( C) (mm) Historical 2017 Historical 2017 Historical 2017 Historical 2017 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual River Flow Information Environment Canada s Water Survey of Canada maintains one hydrometric station on the Notikewin River at the Town of Manning (Station number 07HC001) and one on the Keg River at Highway 35 (Station number 07HF002). Levels on both the Notikewin and Keg Rivers peaked in mid-may following snow melt and higher than average precipitation in May (Figure 2 and Figure 3). Levels largely declined from that point onwards throughout the season, with the exception of a few storm events causing transient peaks. Based on comparisons to historical levels and flows from Alberta Environment and Parks (2017), flows in both rivers were below seasonal expectations throughout most of the summer and fall.

11 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 10 Figure 2. Notikewin River levels in From Water Survey of Canada (Gauging Station 07HC001; Environment Canada, 2017a). Figure 3. Keg River levels in From Water Survey of Canada (Gauging Station 07HF002; Environment Canada 2017b).

12 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 11 3 Results 3.1 Routine Water Quality Routine water quality parameters provide a general overview of the ionic compounds that dominate water chemistry. They include compounds that contribute most strongly to salinity, conductivity, water hardness, and can be indicative of certain land-use practices. Routine parameters can often influence the severity of the impacts of other parameters, such as ph influencing the toxicity of ammonia and certain metals, and water hardness influencing the toxicity of a number of metals and also buffering against changes in ph due to acidic precipitation. Some metals, such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium, are considered as routine water quality parameters due to their close association with water hardness, alkalinity, and salinity. Routine water quality also includes parameters related to suspended particles and the turbidity of surface water, which can impact light penetration, aquatic plant growth, and siltation of fish spawning habitats ph ph values did not differ substantially between sites in 2017, and the values fell within the EQGASW guideline range of 6.5 to 9.0 for all sites and seasons (Figure 4; Table 3). Values exhibited a minor seasonal fluctuation, likely due to inputs of lower ph water during the springtime from snowmelt. Values remained consistent with previous year s results and have not shown a consistent trend from year to year. Overall, ph values in 2017 were slightly below historical averages, likely driven by the abnormally low precipitation and water levels through the latter half of the year. Figure 4. Summary of surface water ph at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year.

13 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 12 Table 3. Summary of routine water quality parameters for sites on the Notikewin River and Keg River in samples taken in ns = not sampled Year Season Site ph Hardness (mg/l) Total Suspended Solids (mg/l) Total Dissolved Solids (mg/l) Chloride (mg/l) Conductivity (µs/cm) Calcium -Total (mg/l) Iron -Total (mg/l) Magnesium -Total (mg/l) Sodium -Total (mg/l) Potassium -Total (mg/l) FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY ns 167 ns ns ns ns SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE ns 195 ns ns ns ns SITE 5 - KEG RIVER ns 224 ns ns ns ns LATE SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER EARLY SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY ns ns SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE ns ns SITE 5 - KEG RIVER ns ns SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY ns ns SITE 5 - KEG RIVER ns ns FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY LATE SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE EARLY SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE TRIP BLANK FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE

14 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE Total Suspended Solids (TSS) Total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations were generally similar to previous years, excluding the extremely high concentrations exhibited in the spring of The TSS was generally higher in the spring due to runoff. Elevated concentrations were also seen in the summer (Figure 6), but the number of summer samples collected historically is low, so discriminating patterns from the available data is difficult. Figure 5. Summary of total suspended solids (mg/l). Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year Hardness Water hardness in 2017 generally agreed with previously reported values, classified as hard overall with an average of 127 mg/l in the Notikewin River and 169 mg/l in the Keg River. Spring concentrations were lower than fall concentrations for all sites in 2017, which follows the trend from previous years. In both spring and fall, the concentrations were slightly above their seasonal averages, possibly due to lower precipitation and higher temperatures in 2017, relative to other years, resulting in evaporative concentration within the rivers (Figure 6). Summer concentrations in 2017 were lower than the summer data for the period of record, but there is high variability in summer values due to the small historical sample size.

15 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 14 Figure 6. Summary of surface water hardness (mg/l CaCO3). Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year. The patterns exhibited for most other routine water quality parameters (including calcium, magnesium, and sodium) tracked those of water hardness closely and continued to be characterized by reduced concentrations during the spring due to elevated runoff from low-concentrations snowmelt, and increased concentration in the fall due to lower precipitation inputs and evaporative concentration. Concentrations tended to be higher downstream than upstream in each river, though this was not universal across all parameters. The only significant deviation from this pattern was for potassium, which has generally showed higher concentrations in the spring and reduced concentrations in the fall across all years and sampling sites. Within a given sampling period, concentrations for the majority of routine ions tended to be higher in the Keg River than in the Notikewin River, a pattern which remained consistent throughout yearly monitoring (Table 3). 3.2 Nutrients The analysis of nutrients focused on various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, as these are generally the most impacting nutrient pollutants in aquatic systems. Both nitrogen and phosphorus can contribute to eutrophication, where elevated nutrient levels result in elevated plant and algal growth. Eutrophication in aquatic systems has several negative impacts on the ecosystem including reduced visibility underwater (which can affect the ability of predators to capture prey and the ability of light to penetrate deeper water regions) (US EPA 2011) and diminished oxygen levels causing fish death (FAO 1996). Phosphorus is usually considered to be the limiting nutrient in aquatic ecosystems that is the primary driver of eutrophication (FAO 1996; Sharpley et al. 2003; Schindler 2006) Total Nitrogen (TN) Total nitrogen (TN) concentrations were generally at or below seasonal values in 2017 across all sites, with no exceedances of the ASWQG-FAL for TN detected (Figure 7) concentrations of TN were below historical averages at all sites, largely driven by lower-than-normal concentrations during the spring sampling season.

16 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 15 Figure 7. Total Nitrogen (mg/l) in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year. Dissolved forms of nitrogen (ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite; Table 4) generally made up an insignificant fraction of total nitrogen, indicating that most sources of nitrogen entering both systems are either bound to soil particles or contained within suspended organic particulate matter Total Phosphorus (TP) In 2017, total phosphorus (TP) concentrations were above the guideline of 0.05 mg/l at all Notikewin and Keg rivers sites in the spring (Figure 8). Concentrations were also above the guidelines in the summer at Sites 1 and 4 in the Notikewin River. Concentrations in the Keg River were below guidelines in the summer and fall. The seasonal pattern of concentrations and the average overall concentrations in 2017 were in line with historical trends. However, 2014 remains an anomalous year with extremely high concentrations of total phosphorus. Figure 8. Total Phosphorus (mg/l) in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate range of values for each site within the given year.

17 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 16 The dissolved fraction of total phosphorus was generally higher in 2017 than in previous years, dominated by high concentrations in the spring and summer (Figure 9). In the spring, dissolved phosphorus concentrations made up nearly half of the total phosphorus in the water in both river systems. This contrasts with previous years, where dissolved phosphorus was generally a minor component of total phosphorus. Figure 9. Total Dissolved Phosphorus (mg/l) in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate range of values for each site within the given year.

18 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 17 Table 4. Summary of nutrient parameters for sites on the Notikewin River and Keg River in samples taken in YEAR SEASON SITE Ammonia, Total (mg/l) Nitrate and Nitrite (mg/l) Total Nitrogen (mg/l) Total Dissolved Phosphorus (mg/l) Total Phosphorus (mg/l) FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl bdl 0.38 bdl bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl bdl SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW bdl bdl SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW bdl bdl SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW bdl FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl bdl 0.71 bdl bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl bdl 0.64 bdl bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl bdl 0.10 SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW bdl bdl SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl bdl 0.51 bdl bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl bdl 0.64 bdl bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl bdl 0.86 bdl 0.08 SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW bdl bdl 0.74 bdl bdl 1. SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl 0.07 SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl 0.11 SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW bdl bdl FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW bdl SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY ns SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE ns SITE 5 - KEG RIVER ns LATE SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl EARLY SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl bdl 0.46 bdl bdl 3. LATE SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl bdl 0.52 bdl bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl bdl 0.53 bdl bdl 2. EARLY SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl bdl 0.40 bdl bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl bdl 0.48 bdl SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY bdl bdl 2.78 bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE bdl bdl 0.82 bdl 0.026

19 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE Metals Metals includes a large number of parameters with a wide range of effects on aquatic life, ranging from essential micronutrients that are required in low concentrations (but may become toxic at higher concentrations), to those which are non-nutritive (and may be harmful at extremely low concentrations). Water samples were analyzed for 34 different metals. Seven metals exceeded their respective guidelines on at least one occasion (Table 5), and included cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead and mercury. Chromium and lead exceeded the guidelines with the greatest frequency in 2017 across all four sample sites. Iron values had reduced concentrations compared to the previous year, whereas mercury concentrations had increased. Exceedances were most frequent in the spring, and absent in the fall. Guideline exceedances for aluminum and iron were determined against dissolved forms rather than the total forms which had been used in previous years due to the specification of the new guidelines, resulting in no exceedances for these parameters in Both aluminum and iron are both major natural constituents of clay and soil particles, and so are often abundant in particulate form, but tend not to exhibit high toxicity except when dissolved in the water at lower ph values than are generally observed in these systems. Concentrations of total (particulate + dissolved) forms were generally much higher than dissolved fractions across all metals. The majority of exceedances across all sites and sampling seasons have historically occurred in the spring (68% of exceedances). Taken together, these two findings indicate that the majority of metal loadings into these systems are the result of sediment-laden runoff entering the systems during spring runoff conditions. The frequency of exceedances observed from 2016 to 2017 is much lower than the frequencies from 2011 to 2015, indicating that there has been improvement in water quality for metal parameters in recent years.

20 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 19 Table 5. Metals concentrations for sites on the Notikewin and Keg rivers from 2011 to Only metals with at least one historical exceedance are included. Highlighted values indicate a guideline exceedance. bdl = below detection limits Year Season Site Aluminum (Al)-Diss. Arsenic (As)-Total Cadmium (Cd)-Total Chromium (Cr)-Total Cobalt (Co)-Total Copper (Cu)-Total Iron (Fe)-Diss. Lead (Pb)-Total Mercury (Hg)-Total Nickel (Ni)-Total Selenium (Se)-Total Silver (Ag)-Total Zinc (Zn)-Total GUIDELINE FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl Bdl bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl Bdl bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER bdl SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW Bdl bdl bdl Bdl SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER Bdl SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW bdl Bdl SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER Bdl SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW Bdl SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER Bdl SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW Bdl Bdl Bdl SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER Bdl SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW Bdl Bdl FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER Bdl SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW Bdl SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER SITE 6 - KEG RIVER NEW FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER Bdl Bdl Bdl SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE SITE 5 - KEG RIVER FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl LATE SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl EARLY SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl SITE 5 - KEG RIVER FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl LATE SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl 2. EARLY SUMMER SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl Bdl SPRING SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl FALL SITE 1 - GREEN-WHITE BOUNDARY Bdl Bdl bdl Bdl Bdl bdl Bdl bdl SITE 4 - PEACE RIVER CONFLUENCE Bdl Bdl bdl Bdl Bdl bdl Bdl bdl

21 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE Bacteria Bacteria are naturally abundant in aquatic systems. Coliform bacteria are a general class of bacteria that may be associated with soil or decaying organic matter, whereas E. coli is almost always associated with fecal matter from warm-blooded organisms that has entered the aquatic ecosystem. E. coli can be naturally occurring as a result of wildlife, but high concentrations are generally indicative of contamination from anthropogenic sources such as raw sewage release, livestock, or pets. Total coliforms did not exceed the guidance limit (1000 MPN/100 ml) at any of the sites in 2017, with values generally falling below seasonal and historical averages (Figure 10). Concentrations in the summer were generally higher than in either the spring or fall sampling periods. E. coli concentrations exceeded guidelines at the Peace River confluence (Site 4) in the summer sampling period (Figure 11) but were below guidelines and comparable to historical values for all other sites and seasons. Historically, E. coli levels have been low, with this event representing the first exceedance over the course of the monitoring program (Figure 11). There has not been a consistent seasonal or spatial trend for either total coliforms or E. coli, with similar ranges of concentrations in levels between seasons and years. Figure 10. Total Coliforms in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate range of values for each site within the given year.

22 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 21 Figure 11. E. coli in the surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate range of values for each site within the given year.

23 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE Herbicides and Pesticides Herbicides and pesticides are anthropogenic in origin, and their presence in aquatic systems is usually linked to indirect application, such as runoff from crop residues or wind-borne drift during spraying. Known impacts can range from mild to severe, and due to the number of different types of pesticides and their varied modes of application, they can impact nearly all aspects of aquatic life. Many of the pesticides and herbicides sampled do not have a guideline. Water samples were analyzed for 155 herbicides and pesticides in 2017, with only four having been detected across all years of sampling (Table 6). The only compound detected was 2,4 DB (2,4- dichlorophenoxy butyric acid) at sites 5 and 6 on the Keg River in the Fall period (Table 6). Concentrations at both sites were 0.4 µg/l, which is below the EQGASW guideline concentration of 25 µg/l. No other herbicides or pesticides were detected in 2017.

24 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 23 Table 6. Pesticide detections in the Notikewin and Keg rivers from 2011 to bdl = below detection limits; ns = not sampled. Year Season Site 2,4-DB ug/l Glyphosate ug/l Malathion mg/l Methidathion mg/l EQGASW FALL SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE bdl bdl bdl SITE bdl bdl bdl 3. SUMMER SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 5 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 6 bdl bdl bdl bdl 1. SPRING SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 5 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 6 bdl bdl bdl bdl FALL SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 5 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 6 bdl bdl bdl bdl 3. SUMMER SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 5 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 6 bdl bdl bdl bdl 1. SPRING SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 5 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 6 bdl 10 bdl bdl FALL SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl ns SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl ns SITE 5 bdl bdl bdl ns SITE 6 bdl bdl bdl ns 1. SPRING SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl ns SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl ns SITE 5 bdl bdl bdl ns SITE 6 bdl bdl bdl ns FALL SITE 1 bdl 0.51 bdl ns SITE 4 bdl 0.52 bdl ns SITE 5 bdl 0.52 bdl ns 1. SPRING SITE 1 bdl 1.3 bdl ns SITE 4 bdl 1.44 bdl ns SITE 5 bdl 1.33 bdl ns FALL SITE 1 bdl 0.72 bdl ns SITE 4 bdl 0.94 bdl ns SITE 5 bdl 0.78 bdl ns 3. LATE SUMMER SITE 1 bdl 0.36 bdl ns SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl ns SITE 5 bdl 0.4 bdl ns 2. EARLY SUMMER SITE 1 bdl ns ns ns SITE 4 bdl ns ns ns SITE 5 bdl ns ns ns 1. SPRING SITE 1 bdl ns ns ns SITE 5 bdl ns ns ns FALL SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl 3. LATE SUMMER SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl bdl 2. EARLY SUMMER SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl SPRING SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl FALL SITE 1 bdl bdl bdl bdl SITE 4 bdl bdl bdl bdl

25 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE River Water Quality Index Water quality index calculations were performed for all sites and seasons separately to identify spatial and temporal trends in overall water quality. Results were calculated for four groups of parameters (Nutrients and Related Compounds, Bacteria, Metals, and Pesticides), as well as a combined overall score. Individual and overall scores were ranked according to the criteria listed in Table 7. Table 7. River water quality ranking categories. Percent Score Rating Excellent Guidelines are always met, best quality Good Guidelines are occasionally exceeded, but usually by small amounts Fair Guidelines are sometimes exceeded by moderate amounts; occasionally water quality is undesirable Marginal Guidelines are often exceeded, sometimes by large amounts Poor Guidelines are always exceeded by large amounts, water quality is below desirable levels, worst quality Overall index scores averaged Fair to Excellent across all parameters at all sites in 2017 (Table 8). Scores were lower in the spring, with reduced scores for the Nutrients and Metals sub-indices driving this pattern, as has been the case in previous years. Scores for these categories recovered by summer for the Keg River sites, but remained low at the Notikewin River sites. By fall, all sites received scores of excellent for Nutrients and Metals. The Bacteria and Pesticides sub-indices showed occasional impairment, with the Bacteria sub-index falling in the summer at Site 4 and the Pesticides sub-index decreasing in the fall at Sites 5 and 6. This follows the historical pattern of only sporadic exceedances for either bacteriological or pesticides. Overall, both seasonal trends and averages for 2017 were representative of the patterns and values seen in previous years.

26 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 25 Table 8. Water Quality Index and sub-index scores from all sites, 2011 to Grey shaded values were not analyzed due to exceedance of hold times for these parameters. Year Sampling Period Site Nutrients Bacteria Metals Pesticides Average SPRING Site Site Site Site SUMMER Site Site Site Site FALL Site Site Site Site SPRING Site Site Site Site SUMMER Site Site Site Site FALL Site Site Site Site SPRING Site Site Site Site FALL Site Site Site Site SPRING Site Site Site FALL Site Site Site SPRING Site Site EARLY SUMMER Site Site Site LATE SUMMER Site Site Site FALL Site Site Site SPRING Site Site EARLY SUMMER Site Site Site Site FALL Site FALL Site Site