Notikewin and Keg Rivers Water Quality Monitoring Program 2017 The County of Northern Lights and the North Peace Applied Research Association (NPARA) Prepared for: County of Northern Lights 600-7th Avenue NW Box 10 Manning, Alberta T0H 2M0 and North Peace Applied Research Association 116-4th Avenue SW Manning, Alberta T0H 2M0 March 12, 2018 Prepared by: Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd. #204, 7205 Roper Road NW Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6B 3J4 NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 1 Notikewin and Keg Rivers Water Quality Monitoring Program 2017 The County of Northern Lights and the North Peace Applied Research Association (NPARA) Signature Page Prepared by: Reviewed and Approved by: Joshua Haag, B.Sc., P.Biol. Corey Stefura, B.Sc. P.Biol. Senior Biologist Senior Aquatic Biologist, Operations Manager ©2018 Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd. NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 2 Contents Table of Contents Contents ............................................................................................................................... 2 Table of Contents ...........................................................................................................................2 List of Figures .................................................................................................................................3 List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................4 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 5 2 Methods .................................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Sampling Sites .....................................................................................................................6 2.2 Water Quality Parameters ...................................................................................................8 2.3 River Water Quality Index Calculations ................................................................................8 2.4 Background Climate and Flow Information ..........................................................................9 2.4.1 Climate Information .............................................................................................................. 9 2.4.2 River Flow Information ......................................................................................................... 9 3 Results ..................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Routine Water Quality....................................................................................................... 11 3.1.1 pH ........................................................................................................................................ 11 3.1.2 Total Suspended Solids (TSS) .............................................................................................. 13 3.1.3 Hardness ............................................................................................................................. 13 3.2 Nutrients .......................................................................................................................... 14 3.2.1 Total Nitrogen (TN) ............................................................................................................. 14 3.2.2 Total Phosphorus (TP) ......................................................................................................... 15 3.3 Metals .............................................................................................................................. 18 3.4 Bacteria ............................................................................................................................ 20 3.5 Herbicides and Pesticides .................................................................................................. 22 3.6 River Water Quality Index ................................................................................................. 24 4 Discussion ................................................................................................................ 26 4.1 Routine ............................................................................................................................. 26 4.2 Nutrients .......................................................................................................................... 26 4.3 Metals .............................................................................................................................. 27 4.4 Bacteria ............................................................................................................................ 28 4.5 Pesticides .......................................................................................................................... 28 4.6 Overall Water Quality ........................................................................................................ 29 5 Conclusions and Recommendations .......................................................................... 31 6 References ............................................................................................................... 32 Appendix A - Detailed Water Quality Parameter Lists........................................................... 35 Routine Water Quality Parameters ............................................................................................... 35 Nutrient Water Quality Parameters .............................................................................................. 35 Bacteria Water Quality Parameters ............................................................................................... 35 Pesticides Water Quality Parameters ............................................................................................ 36 Metals Water Quality Parameters ................................................................................................. 37 Appendix B - River Water Quality Index Calculations ............................................................ 38 Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 38 Objectives Used in the Water Quality Index .................................................................................. 39 ©2018 Aquality Environmental Consulting Ltd. NOTIKEWIN AND KEG RIVERS WATER QUALITY 2017 PAGE 3 List of Figures Figure 1. Water quality monitoring program sample sites, including 2017 and historical locations. .......... 7 Figure 2. Notikewin River levels in 2017. From Water Survey of Canada (Gauging Station 07HC001; Environment Canada, 2017a). .................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 3. Keg River levels in 2017. From Water Survey of Canada (Gauging Station 07HF002; Environment Canada 2017b). ........................................................................................................................................... 10 Figure 3. Summary of surface water pH at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year. ................. 11 Figure 5. Summary of total suspended solids (mg/L). Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year. .................................. 13 Figure 4. Summary of surface water hardness (mg/L CaCO3). Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year. ........ 14 Figure 6. Total Nitrogen (mg/L) in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate standard deviation of measurements for each site within the given year. ........ 15 Figure 7. Total Phosphorus (mg/L) in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate range of values for each site within the given year. ........................................... 15 Figure 8. Total Dissolved Phosphorus (mg/L) in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages by site across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate range of values for each site within the given year. ....................... 16 Figure 9. Total Coliforms in surface water at all sites. Left: bars represent 2017 values, points indicate seasonal averages across all years. Right: bars represent average values for each site by year, error bars indicate range of values for each site within the given year. ....................................................................