The RVCA Story of Science to Stewardship  Rideau Valley Conservation Authority

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 and Engage Analyze

Report Monitoring Programs Monitoring Programs Watershed Science and Engineering Services

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

Provincial Water Baseline Water Quality Quality Monitoring Watershed Watch Monitoring Network (PWQMN) 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 and metals Baseline Water Quality Monitoring

• Network of streams sites follows methodology and timing to PWMQN – 1998 to present • Objectives: – To assess the contributions of tributary streams to the Rideau River and 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 and 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 and 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 and Anglers determine the spread and 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 and site characteristics Watershed Science and Engineering Services

RVCA Hydrometric Activities

‐ RVCA benefits from having access to 15 streamgauge stations in the watershed owned and/or operated by others (Water Survey, MNRF, Parks Canada) that provide realtime data which we use for drought and 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 and the data will be used as mentioned in the previous point. ‐ Data from fifteen Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network stations and several nearby in neighbouring watersheds are beginning to be used in drought analyses. ‐ Twenty Onset Hobo pressure transducer loggers have been deployed in streams and lakes throughout the watershed recording water levels and 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 and hydrological analyses. Watershed Science and Engineering Services

• 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 Watershed Science and Engineering Services

Ontario Stream Thermal Municipal City Stream Benthos Headwater Biocriteria Beaver Dam Regime Drain Character‐ Watch Biomonitoing Monitoring Program Monitoring Classification Classification ization Program Stream Characterization • Goal: to collect information on the physical and 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 – Landuse along both banks – Anthropogenic alterations – Instream morphology (type, flow, habitat features, substrate, etc) – Instream vegetation type and abundance – Bank Erosion, steepness vegetation and 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 and 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, and manage valuable information on the physical and biological characteristics of creeks and streams in the City of Ottawa, while ensuring that they are respected and valued natural features of the communities through which they flow • Relies on and encourages the interest and 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 understand the thermal classification for various streams and creeks in the Rideau Valley watershed. • Temperature probes are installed at various locations along a watercourse. • Water temperature and maximum air temperature (Stoneman and 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 and other partners to strike a balance between the requirements of the Federal Fisheries Act and the Provincial Drainage Act by streamlining the review and 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) and each type has varying sensitivities with respect to drain maintenance work. • Assessment of: flow type, temperature, fish species, and aquatic habitat conditions. • RVCA has a total of 415 municipal drains across the watershed Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network • Goal: to determine water quality and 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 and fall and 2 lake sites in the spring • Sampling is done using a standard kick and sweep method with a D‐net • Three replicates are collected at each sample location; they are preserved and brought back to the lab for identification • Samples identified to the family level and several indices are run to assess water quality and overall aquatic habitat health Headwater Monitoring Protocol

• Goal: to provide standard datasets to support science development and monitoring for headwater drainage features • RVCA is working with TRCA and MNR to develop and implement the protocol which measures zero and first order headwater drainage features • A rapid assessment method characterizing the amount of water, sediment transport, and storage capacity within headwater drainage features (HDF) • This protocol also characterizes the connectivity, form, and 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 and downstream of the water crossing – Feature type (natural, wetland, channelized, braided, buried, swale, roadside ditch, on line pond, etc) – Sediment transport and volume – Riparian vegetation – Site features (nutrient sources u/s, point and 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 and 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, and Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change • Stream surveys are conducted at minimally impacted sites across each partners’ respective watershed. – Ontario Stream Assessment Protocol (OSAP) and the Ontario Benthos Bio‐Monitoring Network (OBBN) are used – All SAR mussels, fish and invertebrates are inventoried at each sample location. • Water quality parameters measured at each site: pH, total phosphorus, nitrates, alkalinity and 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, and a cross section of the dam • Creation of a database to log landowner flooding concerns as a result of beaver activity • Trapping program to remove dam building nuisance beaver • Beaver dam removal/breaching that balances flooding concerns and aquatic ecosystem needs • Stewardship services and biology staff work together to determine which beaver dams require trapping and removal work How information is used • RVCA Watershed Report Cards and Catchment reports • Internal reports e.g. Haggart Island Dam Aquatic Habitat Existing Conditions Technical Memo • RVCA Planning and 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, land use and water quality in the Kemptville Creek Subwatershed