Improving Water Quality in the Shediac and Scoudouc Rivers Final Report By: The Shediac Bay Watershed Association Inc. Jolyne Hébert Mélissa Tremblay March 1, 2017 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Shediac Bay Watershed Association Board of Directors sends thanks to the numerous groups and individuals that contributed to making our programs a success again this year. In particular, the SBWA extends its appreciation to following individuals and organizations for their interest and involvement with the Shediac Bay Watershed Association during the 2015-2016 fiscal year. New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund . New Brunswick Wildlife Trust Fund . Fisheries and Oceans Canada . Environment Canada . Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation . New Brunswick Department of the Environment and Local Government . TD friends of the Environment . Shediac Market in the Park . Groupe de développement durable du pays de Cocagne . South-eastern Anglers Association . Vision H2O . Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance . New Brunswick Environnemental Network . Town of Shediac . Communauté Rural Beaubassin Est . Regional service district # 9 . Shediac Bay Marina . Pointe-du-Chêne Marina . Dupuis Printing . Branch Design . Encorp Atlantic . Coop Atlantic, Shediac . Ecole Mgr-Francois Bourgeois . Shediac Cape School . Homarus, Maritime Fishermen’s Union . University of Moncton . Acadie-Nouvelle . CBC News . Times &Transcript . Amis de la Kouchibouguacis . Southern Gulf of St-Lawrence Coalition . Miramichi River Environmental Assessment Committee . Bassin versant de la baie de Caraquet . Home Hardware Grande-Digue . Maximum Signs and Time 2 Shine . Nature NB . Club les ami(e)s de la nature du Sud-est . Scoudouc River Canoë Club i Improving Water Quality in the Shediac and Scoudouc Rivers Final Report March 2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 Description of the Shediac Bay Watershed Association ............................................. 1 Overview of the Shediac Bay Watershed .................................................................... 1 Water Quality Monitoring and Restoration program ................................................... 2 SHEDIAC AND SCOUDOUC RIVERS WATER QUALITY MONITORING .................................. 3 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 Material and Methods .................................................................................................. 4 Water Quality ................................................................................................... 4 Macro-invertebrate .......................................................................................... 4 Results.......................................................................................................................... 5 Shediac and Scoudouc Rivers Physico-chemical Characteristics ................... 5 2.3.1.1 Water Temperature .............................................................................. 5 2.3.1.2 Thermograph Data ............................................................................... 6 2.3.1.2.1 Thermograph monitoring station ShdM ........................................................ 7 2.3.1.2.2 Thermograph monitoring station ShdB ......................................................... 8 2.3.1.2.3 Thermograph monitoring station ScdB ......................................................... 9 2.3.1.3 Dissolved Oxygen .............................................................................. 10 2.3.1.4 Potential Hydrogen (pH) .................................................................... 11 2.3.1.5 Conductivity ....................................................................................... 12 2.3.1.6 Nitrate-Nitrogen ................................................................................. 14 2.3.1.7 Phosphates.......................................................................................... 15 2.3.1.8 Total Coliform ................................................................................... 16 2.3.1.9 Escherichia Coli ................................................................................. 17 2.3.1.10 Macro-Invertebrate Survey .............................................................. 19 Discussion .................................................................................................................. 21 HABITAT AND WATER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT.............................................................. 23 Habitat Restoration .................................................................................................... 23 McQuade Brook ......................................................................................................... 23 Alder Thinning and Debris Removal ............................................................. 23 Deflectors ....................................................................................................... 24 Tree Planting .................................................................................................. 28 Fish Ladder .................................................................................................... 29 Unnamed Brook Boudreau-Ouest Clean-Up ............................................................. 29 Scoudouc River Bank Stabilization (Dionne Brook) ................................................. 31 Weisner Brook ........................................................................................................... 32 Scoudouc River Canoe Run ....................................................................................... 33 CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATIONS ....................................................................................... 35 MAPPING DATABASE WITH QGIS ...................................................................................... 36 NEW SBWA WEBSITE ........................................................................................................ 37 ii Improving Water Quality in the Shediac and Scoudouc Rivers Final Report March 2017 CLOSING COMMENTS ......................................................................................................... 38 7 APPENDIX A – CABIN DATA 2016 ................................................................................... 39 APPENDIX B – WATER CHEMISTRY METHODOLOGY ....................................................... 48 iii Improving Water Quality in the Shediac and Scoudouc Rivers Final Report March 2017 TABLE OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: MAP OF SHEDIAC BAY WATERSHED INCLUDING WATER QUALITY SAMPLING SITE LOCATIONS ................. 2 FIGURE 2: WATER TEMPERATURES FOR THE SCOUDOUC RIVER, 2016 ........................................................................ 5 FIGURE 3: WATER TEMPERATURES FOR THE SHEDIAC RIVER, 2016 ............................................................................. 6 FIGURE 4: MAP OF TEMPERATURE LOGGER PLACEMENT, SBWA 2016 ........................................................................ 7 FIGURE 5: THERMOGRAPH DATA CHART FOR MONITORING STATION ID SHDM, WEISNER BROOK 2016 ................... 8 FIGURE 6: THERMOGRAPH DATA CHART FOR MONITORING STATION ID SHDB, MCQUADE BROOK 2016 .................. 8 FIGURE 7: THERMOGRAPH DATA CHART FOR MONITORING STATION ID SCDB, SCOUDOUC RIVER 2016 ................... 9 FIGURE 8: LEVELS FOR THE SCOUDOUC RIVER, 2016 .................................................................................................. 10 FIGURE 9: DO LEVELS FOR THE SHEDIAC RIVER, 2016 ................................................................................................. 11 FIGURE 10: PH LEVELS FOR THE SCOUDOUC RIVER, 2016 ........................................................................................... 12 FIGURE 11: PH LEVELS FOR THE SHEDIAC RIVER, 2016 ............................................................................................... 12 FIGURE 12: CONDUCTIVITY LEVELS FOR THE SCOUDOUC RIVER 2016 ........................................................................ 13 FIGURE 13: CONDUCTIVITY LEVELS FOR THE SHEDIAC RIVER 2016 ............................................................................ 13 FIGURE 14: NITRATE LEVELS FOR THE SCOUDOUC RIVER, 2016 ................................................................................. 14 FIGURE 15: NITRATE LEVELS FOR THE SHEDIAC RIVER, 2016 ...................................................................................... 14 FIGURE 16: PHOSPHATES LEVELS FOR THE SCOUDOUC RIVER, 2016 .......................................................................... 15 FIGURE 17: PHOSPHATES LEVELS FOR THE SHEDIAC RIVER, 2016 .............................................................................. 16 FIGURE 18: TOTAL COLIFORM COUNT FOR THE SCOUDOUC RIVER, 2016 .................................................................. 16 FIGURE 19: TOTAL COLIFORM COUNT FOR THE SHEDIAC RIVER, 2016 ....................................................................... 17 FIGURE 21: E.COLI LEVELS FOR THE SCOUDOUC RIVER, 2016 ..................................................................................... 17 FIGURE 22: E.COLI LEVELS FOR THE SHEDIAC RIVER, 2016.......................................................................................... 18 FIGURE 23: RCA MODEL ASSESSMENT – OBSERVED VS. EXPECTED RICHNESS, CABIN 2015 .....................................