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 Cootes Paradise & 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% Scenic Falls 0% Princess Falls 8% Mountview Falls
Sanatorium Falls 8% Westcliffe Falls
3% Cliffview Falls 67% Chedoke Falls
~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 Hamilton Harbour . Future monitoring is planned to track improvements
THE STORY OF THE CHEDOKE WATERSHED