WATER and AIR MONITORING and REPORTING SECTION WATER, AIR and CLIMATE CHANGE BRANCH MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT Water Quality in British Columbia _______________ Objectives Attainment in 2004 Prepared by: Burke Phippen BWP Consulting Inc. November 2005 WATER QUALITY IN B.C. – OBJECTIVES ATTAINMENT IN 2004 Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Main entry under title: Water quality in British Columbia : Objectives attainment in ... -- 2004 -- Annual. Continues: The Attainment of ambient water quality objectives. ISNN 1194-515X ISNN 1195-6550 = Water quality in British Columbia 1. Water quality - Standards - British Columbia - Periodicals. I. B.C. Environment. Water Management Branch. TD227.B7W37 363.73’942’0218711 C93-092392-8 ii WATER, AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE BRANCH – MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT WATER QUALITY IN B.C. – OBJECTIVES ATTAINMENT IN 2004 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS......................................................................................................... III LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................. VI LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................ VII SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS....................................................................................................... 2 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 3 METHODS OF PRESENTING AND INTERPRETING THE DATA .............................................. 5 REPORTS ON OBJECTIVES................................................................................................. 5 TABLES OF RESULTS ........................................................................................................ 5 TEXT................................................................................................................................7 FIGURES........................................................................................................................... 8 GUIDE TO RANKING FUTURE MONITORING...................................................................... 8 QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM....................................................................................... 9 PROVINCIAL OVERVIEW OF RESULTS ............................................................................... 10 PRESENTATION OF RESULTS .......................................................................................... 10 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS ............................................................................................... 10 EIGHTEEN-YEAR WATER QUALITY ATTAINMENT OVERVIEW ....................................... 12 WATER QUALITY INDEX .................................................................................................... 14 VANCOUVER ISLAND REGION.......................................................................................... 15 COWICHAN-KOKSILAH RIVERS...................................................................................... 15 MIDDLE QUINSAM LAKE, AND QUINSAM RIVER BASIN ................................................. 15 OYSTER RIVER............................................................................................................... 16 ELK AND BEAVER LAKES............................................................................................... 16 TSOLUM RIVER .............................................................................................................. 17 HOLLAND CREEK AND STOCKING LAKE ........................................................................ 17 QUATSE LAKE................................................................................................................ 18 SKEENA REGION ............................................................................................................... 19 BULKLEY RIVER ............................................................................................................ 19 WATER, AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE BRANCH – MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT iii WATER QUALITY IN B.C. – OBJECTIVES ATTAINMENT IN 2004 KATHLYN, SEYMOUR, ROUND, AND TYHEE LAKES ....................................................... 19 LOWER KITIMAT RIVER AND ARM................................................................................. 20 LAKELSE LAKE .............................................................................................................. 20 YAKOUN RIVER ............................................................................................................. 21 OMINECA-PEACE REGION................................................................................................ 22 CHARLIE LAKE .............................................................................................................. 22 BULLMOOSE CREEK....................................................................................................... 22 NECHAKO RIVER............................................................................................................ 22 PINE RIVER .................................................................................................................... 24 POUCE COUPE RIVER AND DAWSON CREEK .................................................................. 24 PEACE RIVER ................................................................................................................. 25 UPPER FINLAY RIVER SUB-BASIN.................................................................................. 25 LOWER FINLAY RIVER SUB-BASIN ................................................................................ 26 FRASER RIVER FROM THE SOURCE TO HOPE .................................................................. 26 CARIBOO REGION ............................................................................................................. 28 WILLIAMS LAKE ............................................................................................................ 28 SAN JOSE RIVER ............................................................................................................ 29 SOUTHERN INTERIOR REGION.......................................................................................... 30 BONAPARTE RIVER ........................................................................................................ 30 OKANAGAN VALLEY LAKES .......................................................................................... 30 TRIBUTARIES TO OKANAGAN LAKE NEAR WESTBANK .................................................. 31 TRIBUTARIES TO OKANAGAN LAKE NEAR KELOWNA .................................................... 32 TRIBUTARIES TO OKANAGAN LAKE NEAR VERNON ....................................................... 32 SIMILKAMEEN RIVER ..................................................................................................... 32 CAHILL CREEK............................................................................................................... 33 BESSETTE CREEK........................................................................................................... 34 HYDRAULIC CREEK........................................................................................................ 34 CHRISTINA LAKE ........................................................................................................... 35 THOMPSON RIVER.......................................................................................................... 35 KEREMEOS CREEK ......................................................................................................... 36 iv WATER, AIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE BRANCH – MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT WATER QUALITY IN B.C. – OBJECTIVES ATTAINMENT IN 2004 KOOTENAY REGION.......................................................................................................... 36 COLUMBIA AND WINDERMERE LAKES........................................................................... 36 TOBY CREEK AND UPPER COLUMBIA RIVER.................................................................. 37 COLUMBIA RIVER FROM KEENLEYSIDE TO BIRCHBANK ................................................ 38 COLUMBIA RIVER FROM BIRCHBANK TO THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER........................ 39 ELK RIVER..................................................................................................................... 40 LOWER MAINLAND REGION ............................................................................................ 41 FRASER RIVER FROM HOPE TO KANAKA CREEK ............................................................ 41 FRASER RIVER FROM KANAKA CREEK TO THE MOUTH.................................................. 41 BOUNDARY BAY ............................................................................................................ 42 BURRARD INLET ............................................................................................................ 42 BURRARD INLET TRIBUTARIES....................................................................................... 43 NORTH SHORE LOWER FRASER TRIBUTARIES................................................................ 44 PENDER HARBOUR........................................................................................................