Sylvan Lake Water Quality Assessment and Watershed Management Considerations

S YLVAN L AKE W ATER Q UALITY A SSESSMENT AND W ATERSHED M ANAGEMENT C ONSIDERATIONS PREPARED FOR: LACOMBE COUNTY RED DEER COUNTY TOWN OF SYLVAN LAKE SUMMER VILLAGE OF BIRCHCLIFF SUMMER VILLAGE OF HALF MOON BAY SUMMER VILLAGE OF JARVIS BAY SUMMER VILLAGE OF NORGLENWOLD SUMMER VILLAGE OF SUNBREAKER COVE ALBERTA ENVIRONMENT ALBERTA SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA P REPARED BY: AXYS ENVIRONMENTAL C ONSULTING LTD. C ALGARY, ALBERTA I N A SSOCIATION W ITH: N ORTH/SOUTH C ONSULTANTS I NC. C ALGARY, ALBERTA AND W ESTWATER E NVIRONMENTAL LTD. C ALGARY, ALBERTA JULY 2005 POGDS1250 AXYS Environmental Consulting Ltd. Sylvan Lake Water Quality Assessment and Watershed Management Considerations Prepared for: Lacombe County Lacombe, Alberta Prepared by: AXYS Environmental Consulting Ltd. Calgary, Alberta In Association with: North/South Consultants Inc. and Westwater Environmental Ltd. Calgary, Alberta July 2005 POGDS 1250 Sylvan Lake Water Quality Study Authorship • Dave Brescia and Ross Eccles, AXYS Environmental Consulting (Calgary, AB) were responsible for project management and land use. • Megan Cooley and Elaine Irving, North/South Consultants Inc. (Calgary, AB), were responsible for the surface water components of the study. • Patricia Mitchell (BC) was responsible for surface water quality components of the study. • Gord McClymont and Martin Ortiz, Westwater Environmental Ltd. (Calgary, AB), were responsible for the groundwater components of the study. • Dr. Frank Schwartz, Professor, Ohio State University, provided assistance with the groundwater components of the study. • Brian Bodnaruk, KGS Group (Winnipeg, MB), was responsible for water balance modeling. AXYS Environmental Consulting Ltd. July 2005 Page i Sylvan Lake Water Quality Study July 2005 AXYS Environmental Consulting Ltd. Page ii Sylvan Lake Water Quality Study Table of Contents 1 Introduction....................................................................................................................1-1 1.1 Background...................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Study Objectives.............................................................................................................. 1-1 1.3 Report Organization.........................................................................................................1-5 2 Baseline Characterization of Lake Water Quality, Sediment Quality and Limnology .......................................................................................................................2-1 2.1 Introduction...................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Methods............................................................................................................................ 2-1 2.3 Results and Discussion.................................................................................................... 2-1 2.3.1 Water Balance...................................................................................................... 2-7 2.3.1.1 Lake Physical Characteristics .................................................................. 2-7 2.3.1.2 Total Inflows (Water Entering the Lake)................................................. 2-7 2.3.1.3 Total Outflows (Water Leaving the Lake)............................................... 2-8 2.3.1.4 Major Findings of the Constructed Water Balance................................ 2-11 2.3.2 Nutrient Balance................................................................................................ 2-12 2.3.2.1 Nutrient Inputs ....................................................................................... 2-12 2.3.2.2 Nutrient Outputs (Losses)...................................................................... 2-15 2.3.2.3 Major Findings of the Nutrient Balance for Sylvan Lake...................... 2-15 2.3.3 Lake Mass Balance Model................................................................................. 2-15 3 Implications for Watershed Planning and Development ........................................... 3-1 3.1 Lake Sensitivities to Land Development ......................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Short-term Management Recommendations for Residential Developments................... 3-2 3.2.1 Effective Protection of Surface Water Courses and Wetlands ............................ 3-2 3.2.2 Use of Communal Sewage Holding Tank Systems ............................................. 3-3 3.2.3 Landscaping Restrictions on Lawns and Gardens ............................................... 3-3 3.2.4 Storm Water Ponds and Monitoring Systems...................................................... 3-4 3.3 Medium- to Long-term Management Recommendations................................................ 3-4 3.3.1 Broader Protection of Surface Watercourses and Wetlands................................ 3-7 3.3.2 Maintenance Of Lake Water Balance.................................................................. 3-7 3.3.3 Septic Field Performance Monitoring.................................................................. 3-8 3.4 Additional Data Needs and Monitoring Requirements.................................................... 3-8 3.5 Adaptive Management..................................................................................................... 3-9 3.5.1 The Adoption of Adaptive Management ........................................................... 3-10 3.5.2 Summary............................................................................................................ 3-12 3.6 Summary of Recommendations..................................................................................... 3-12 3.6.1 Immediate Term................................................................................................. 3-12 3.6.2 Medium to Long-Term ...................................................................................... 3-13 3.6.3 Best Management Practices ............................................................................... 3-13 4 References....................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Literature Cited................................................................................................................ 4-1 Appendix A Detailed Water Quality Assessment and Watershed Management Considerations Appendix B Hydrogeology Baseline and Modelling Studies AXYS Environmental Consulting Ltd. July 2005 Page iii Sylvan Lake Water Quality Study Appendix C Bathymetry, Water Quality, Sediment Chemistry, and Phytoplankton in Sylvan Lake: September, 2004 Appendix D Detailed Water Balance for Sylvan Lake List of Tables Table 3-1 Residential Property BMPs ........................................................................................... 3-14 Table 3-2 Stormwater Management BMPs ................................................................................... 3-15 Table 3-3 Agriculture and Livestock Operation BMPs ................................................................. 3-17 Table 3-4 Golf Course Operation BMPs ....................................................................................... 3-18 Table 3-5 Educational BMPs......................................................................................................... 3-18 List of Figures Figure 1-1 Sylvan Lake Watershed and Surrounding Area .............................................................. 1-3 Figure 2-1 Land Cover Classes within the Sylvan Lake Watershed................................................. 2-5 Figure 2-2 Bathymetric Map of Sylvan Lake.................................................................................... 2-9 Figure 3-1 Recommended Buffers to Waterbodies and Proposed Developments ............................ 3-5 Figure 3-2 Adaptive Management: A six-step cyclic process......................................................... 3-10 July 2005 AXYS Environmental Consulting Ltd. Page iv Sylvan Lake Water Quality Study Abbreviations %................................................................................................................................percent <...............................................................................................................................less than >..........................................................................................................................greater than ~......................................................................................................................approximately ºC..................................................................................................................degrees Celsius µg/g ......................................................................................................microgram per gram µg/kg ..............................................................................................microgram per kilogram µg/L ...................................................................................................... microgram per Litre AB .............................................................................................................................Alberta AENV..................................................................................................Alberta Environment AES ...............................................................................

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