THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED Monitoring Water Quality Summer 2015

Edward Berkelaar Darren Brouwer Janelle Vander Hout Nitrogen (N) & Phosphorous (P)

THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED Nitrogen (N) & Phosphorous (P)

www.redeemer.ca/academics/offices- and-departments/our-faculty/edward- berkelaar/ - links to a talk on the history and environmental issues of our use of nitrogen

THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED Nutrient Atmosphere Cycling N2

+ - Soil NH4 & NO3 + P fertilizers

THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED & Hamilton Harbor Stressed by high nutrient levels (among many other stressors)

THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED Water Quality Monitoring . Project-based learning in Analytical Chemistry course at Redeemer . Monitored multiple sites in Chedoke watershed . Fall 2012, Fall 2014, (Fall 2016)

. Expanded water quality monitoring project last summer (2015) . Expanded number of sites . Weekly sampling

THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED Redeemer Water Monitoring Project www.redeemer.ca/academics/offices-and-departments/academic-departments/chemistry- and-environmental-studies-department/research

THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED Water Quality Monitoring . At the sample sites… . Temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen . Estimates of creek depth, width flow

. In the lab… . Nitrate, phosphate, chloride . Organic matter (biological oxygen demand) . Bacteria (E. coli and total coliform)

THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED Phosphate

Nitrate + Nitrite

Scenic Falls Phosphate

Nitrate + Nitrite

Princess Falls Phosphate

Nitrate + Nitrite

Mountview Falls Phosphate

Nitrate + Nitrite

Sanatorium Falls Phosphate

Nitrate + Nitrite

Westcliffe Falls Phosphate

Nitrate + Nitrite

Cliffview Falls Phosphate

Nitrate + Nitrite

Chedoke Falls Phosphate

Nitrate + Nitrite

Princess Point Rain events Total Coliform Bacteria

E. coli Bacteria

Logarithmic scale Phosphate Total Coliform Bacteria

Nitrate + Nitrite E. coli Bacteria THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED Relative Flow Rates

Proportional Average Flow Rate of the 7 Waterfalls of the Chedoke Creek Subwatershed

10% 4% 0% 8% Mountview Falls

Sanatorium Falls 8% Westcliffe Falls

3% Cliffview Falls 67%

~180 L/s Total = ~ 270 L/s

THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED Nitrate and Phosphate Load

Proportional Nitrate Load Proportional Phosphate Load 2% 4% 1% 4% 3% 3% Scenic Falls 5% 8% Princess Falls 0% 7% Mountview Falls 11% Sanatorium Falls

Westcliffe Falls

77% Cliffview Falls 75%

Chedoke Falls

~ 60 mg/s ~ 35 mg/s Total = ~78 mg/s Total = ~47 mg/s

THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED Possible signs of improvement? Phosphate Total Coliform Bacteria

Nitrate + Nitrite E. coli Bacteria Conclusions . The Chedoke watershed adds N and P to Cootes Paradise . Mountview and Cliffview are most contaminated . Chedoke (due to its higher flow rate) is the largest source . Reducing the amounts of N and P added to this watershed would help improve water quality of Cootes Paradise and . Future monitoring is planned to track improvements

THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED