Rags to Riches - The RVCA Story of Science to Stewardship

Rideau Valley Conservation Authority Eastern Ontario On Shield off Shield Large Urban population (Ottawa) Rideau Canal connecting St Lawrence to Ottawa River

Monitor Act Engage Analyze Report

Monitoring Programs Monitoring Programs

Watershed Science Engineering Services Watershed Reports plans Surface Water Quality Hydrometric Monitoring Forecasting Groundwater Aquatic Terrestrial Habitat Watershed Information Management System Water Control Infrastructure Operations Flood, Erosion Drought Studies

Surface Water Quality Provincial Water Quality Monitoring Network (PWQMN) Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Watershed Watch

PWQMN Partner in provincial network 10 sites monitored monthly from April November Rideau River (6) Jock River (1) Kemptville Creek (1) Tay River (2) Data set from 1964 present Numerous parameters including chloride, nutrients metals

Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Network of streams sites follows methodology timing to PWMQN 1998 to present Objectives: To assess the contributions of tributary streams to the Rideau River upper watershed lakes To monitor ambient conditions at locations on major tributary streams

Baseline Water Quality 56 sites monitored for 40 variables (bacteria, nutrients, dissolved solids, cations/anions, field measurements) 21 at or near the mouth of small tributaries 35 sites on major tributaries (Kemptville Creek Tay River) Sampled over 3 consecutive days in three runs

Watershed Watch Network that monitors 39 lakes throughout watershed Deep points Shoreline sites at possible pollution sources reference sites

Watershed Watch Objectives: Intensively sample watershed lakes on a regular cycle to help identify trends in water quality Partnership with Ontario Federation of Hunters Anglers determine the spread distribution of invasive species Sample methodology Deep point Composite sample from euphotic zone Deep water taken 1m above bottom Dissolved oxygen/temperature profile at 1m intervals Plankton net tow Shoreline sites Grab sample at 0.5 m in 1 m depth of water Record water chemistry site characteristics

Hydrometric Monitoring

Hydrometric Monitoring RVCA Hydrometric Activities RVCA benefits from having access to 15 streamgauge stations in the watershed owned /or operated by others (Water Survey, MNRF, Parks Canada) that provide realtime data which we use for drought flood analyses. We also use data from Environment Canada climate stations in those analyses. Parks Canada has heated tipping bucket precipitation gauges on four of their streamgauge stations which piggyback on the telemetry at those stations. RVCA uses the data to supplement that from EC climate sites. RVCA has six precipitation monitoring sites in field locations in the upper half of the Rideau watershed equipped with heated tipping bucket gauges. Installation of telemetry is pending the data will be used as mentioned in the previous point. Data from fifteen Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network stations several nearby in neighbouring watersheds are beginning to be used in drought analyses. Twenty Onset Hobo pressure transducer loggers have been deployed in streams lakes throughout the watershed recording water levels water temperatures. The intention is that the data will be accumulated for an extended period (>10 years) to be used to characterize the variations that occur in each of these waterbodies for both biological hydrological analyses.

Partner in the Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network (PGMN) 13 sites monitored annually Exploring better in house uses for data in the future Valuable ground water information is also provided thought aquatic habitat monitoring programs Thermal Classification Stream Characterization Headwater Drainage Features Groundwater

Aquatic Monitoring Programs Aquatic Monitoring Programs Stream Characterization Stream Characterization City Stream Watch City Stream Watch Thermal Regime Classification Thermal Regime Classification Municipal Drain Classification Municipal Drain Classification Ontario Benthos Biomonitoing Program Ontario Benthos Biomonitoing Program Headwater Monitoring Headwater Monitoring Biocriteria Program Biocriteria Program Beaver Dam Monitoring Beaver Dam Monitoring

Stream Characterization Goal: to collect information on the physical biological attributes of surveyed streams (habitat surveys, fish sampling, thermal regime). Surveys 100 meter sections from the headwaters of the watercourse to where it empties into the lower system Luse along both banks Anthropogenic alterations Instream morphology (type, flow, habitat features, substrate, etc) Instream vegetation type abundance Bank Erosion, steepness vegetation soil composition, etc Agricultural impacts, pollution observations, invasive species presence

Stream Characterization Fish community structure is assessed using various collection methods (seine nets, windemere trap, elecotrofishing, hoop fyke nets) along the system at different times of year 3427 stream surveys (100 meter intervals) have been completed in the Jock River, Tay River, Kemptville Creek, Middle Rideau, Rideau Lakes Watersheds. Thermal regime is assessed using temperature probes at multiple locations along the system

City Stream Watch Goal: to obtain, record, manage valuable information on the physical biological characteristics of creeks streams in the City of Ottawa, while ensuring that they are respected valued natural features of the communities through which they flow Relies on encourages the interest commitment of volunteers from the community, guided by an experienced coordinator Follows same protocol as stream characterization 1668 stream surveys (100 meter intervals) have been completed on 25 creeks in the City of Ottawa

SM1

Slide 22 SM1 Can be taken out if too dated Sarah Macleod, 11/6/2014

Thermal Regime Classification Goal: to underst the thermal classification for various streams creeks in the Rideau Valley watershed. Temperature probes are installed at various locations along a watercourse. Water temperature maximum air temperature (Stoneman Jones method) used to classify a watercourse as either warm water, cool water or cold water. The data collected is used to report on thermal regime for each system in the RVCA catchment reports. A total of 200 thermal sampling sites have been sampled across the RVCA watershed.

Municipal Drain Classification Program The Municipal Drain Classification (MDC) System was developed by DFO, Conservation Authorities other partners to strike a balance between the requirements of the Federal Fisheries Act the Provincial Drainage Act by streamlining the review approval process related to impacts of drain maintenance activities on fish habitat. There are six drain types that result from the assessment (Type A, B, C, D, E, F) each type has varying sensitivities with respect to drain maintenance work. Assessment of: flow type, temperature, fish species, aquatic habitat conditions. RVCA has a total of 415 municipal drains across the watershed

Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network Goal: to determine water quality habitat quality using a biological method which compliments water chemistry sampling programs, the OBBN protocol samples bottom dwelling bugs (benthic invertebrates) 48 stream sites in the spring fall 2 lake sites in the spring Sampling is done using a stard kick sweep method with a D net Three replicates are collected at each sample location; they are preserved brought back to the lab for identification Samples identified to the family level several indices are run to assess water quality overall aquatic habitat health

Headwater Monitoring Protocol Goal: to provide stard datasets to support science development monitoring for headwater drainage features RVCA is working with TRCA MNR to develop implement the protocol which measures zero first order headwater drainage features A rapid assessment method characterizing the amount of water, sediment transport, storage capacity within headwater drainage features (HDF) This protocol also characterizes the connectivity, form, unique features associated with the HDF 600 sites sampled by RVCA staff from 2011 2014

Headwater Monitoring Field Work Sites are sampled at road crossings Various parameters are measured including the following: Flow measurements upstream downstream of the water crossing Feature type (natural, wetl, channelized, braided, buried, swale, roadside ditch, on line pond, etc) Sediment transport volume Riparian vegetation Site features (nutrient sources u/s, point non point u/s, channel hardening, barriers/dams, springs/seeps, dredging of channel, evidence of channel scouring/erosion, etc)

Eastern Region Biocriteria Program Goal: to increase knowledge awareness of aquatic species at risk (SAR) throughout South Eastern Ontario Collaboration with South Nation Conservation, City of Ottawa, Rideau Valley Conservation, Mississippi Valley Conservation, Cataraqui Region Conservation, Quinte Conservation, Ontario Ministry of Environment Climate Change Stream surveys are conducted at minimally impacted sites across each partners respective watershed. Ontario Stream Assessment Protocol (OSAP) the Ontario Benthos Bio Monitoring Network (OBBN) are used All SAR mussels, fish invertebrates are inventoried at each sample location. Water quality parameters measured at each site: ph, total phosphorus, nitrates, alkalinity metals.

Beaver Dam Monitoring Program Since 2003, each year at the request of member municipalities Survey records beaver dam characteristics: width, height, amount of water being held back, age, materials used to build the dam, breached, submerged, UTM, photos looking upstream, downstream, a cross section of the dam Creation of a database to log lowner flooding concerns as a result of beaver activity Trapping program to remove dam building nuisance beaver Beaver dam removal/breaching that balances flooding concerns aquatic ecosystem needs Stewardship services biology staff work together to determine which beaver dams require trapping removal work

How information is used RVCA Watershed Report Cards Catchment reports Internal reports e.g. Haggart Isl Dam Aquatic Habitat Existing Conditions Technical Memo RVCA Planning Regulations Review RVCA Stewardship Services e.g. Science to Stewardship targeting Non Government Agencies e.g. Otty Lake Management Plan External Agencies/Consultants e.g. Cardinal Creek Sub Watershed Study Academics e.g. Relationships between non point source pollution, l use water quality in the Kemptville Creek Subwatershed