Southern Ontario Stream Monitoring and Research Team - Project Update Please use this chart to highlight and projects (monitoring/research) that your organization has been involved in during the past field season. Identify the methods or protocols used and the type of data collected. Challenges and opportunities could include information on how your work could benefit the SOSMART or how you feel the SOSMART could assist. Organization Contact Monitoring/Research Watershed(s) Methods/Protocol Brief Summary/Status Challenges/Opportunities Activity Dr Douglas Holdway Caged fish study in Oshawa Creek Caged rainbow In progress, MSc student analyzing his data and Chemical analyses – Received data set Faculty of 905 721 8668 x2606 Oshawa Creek; passive trout; various another just starting assessment of toxicity of on previous chemistry from CLOCA Science, UOIT Douglas.Holdway@uoit. samplers deployed in enzymatic Harmony Road waste dump leachate ca another branch to biomarkers being assess waste dump assessed leachate impacts. Jeff McNeice and Ian Stream electrofishing Black, Harmony OSAP Revisiting sites sampled in 2002. Kelsey and Farewell CLOCA Creeks Jeff McNeice and Ian Spring spawning Black, Harmony Visual Majority of effort directed at Rainbow trout and white sucker were Kelsey survey and Farewell observations, GPS, Black/Harmony/Farewell documented. When comparing CLOCA Creeks, Lynde Photos information with OSAP data it appears Creek, Pringle that rainbow trout continue to spawn Creek, Robinson in Harmony Creek (heavily urbanized, Creek, Darlington lack of SWM) but we see little to no Creek, Tooley recruitment. Creek, Westside Plans to also conduct brook trout spawning survey in the coming weeks. Jeff McNeice and Ian Temperature Black, Harmony Temperature 74 temperature loggers were deployed. The Lack of thermal classification Kelsey Monitoring and Farewell Loggers majority of loggers were used in the methodology for Ontario. STATE CLOCA Creeks, Black/Harmony/Farewell watershed and the seems to be the leading resource. Bowmanville headwaters of Bowmanville Creek. Loggers are Creek still in the stream, will be left in until December (headwaters), to detect groundwater contributions Pringle Creek, Soper Creek, Oshawa Creek (pond), Bennett Creek, Warbler Creek Jeff McNeice and Ian Biological Water Black, Harmony OBBN Data collected, need to analyze Kelsey Quality and Farewell CLOCA Creeks, Bowmanville Creek Jeff McNeice and Ian Barrier Survey CLOCA with Adding to existing information Kelsey emphasis on BHF CLOCA CLOCA Jeff McNeice and Ian Durham Region Coastal Wetlands Boat Electrofishing Kelsey Coastal Wetland in CLOCA, Monitoring TRCA, GRCA, and Bay of Quinte Citizens’ Joyce Chau Changing Currents Various (Credit, Adapted TRCA • Program includes training, teacher-led in class • Getting the equipment/data back Environment Program: Don, Duffins, benthic monitoring lesions, monitoring event, and individual data • Opportunity to partner with local Watch water quality Etobicoke, protocol analysis CAs for schools and individuals monitoring (BMI) with Humber) • This program will continue in 2009 with • Reporting on disparate data from high schools in spring schools different locations and fall Citizens’ Joyce Chau Check Your Watershed Cobourg Creek & OSAP/CYWD • 2007 – The technical report is near finished • Opportunity to applying CYWD to Environment Day: Bronte Creek protocol • 2008 – The data needs to be prepped for and all ORM watersheds Watch Low flow survey of entered into the discharge data sheet • Inconsistencies with site codes (in partnership small streams with • 2009 – Looking for partners for 09 • Opportunity to be applied to OSIS with GRCA, volunteers during • Opportunity for assistance with CH, CSSP) summer low flow data entry/analysis/facilitation between partners • Securing funding/sustainability Citizens’ Joyce Chau Ontario Lakes for the District Developed by Dr. • The technical and summary report for the • Starting to measure P from streams Environment Future: Municipality of Neil Hutchinson at 2008 sampling season is near completion feeding into the lakes – assistance Watch Lake water quality Muskoka Gartner Lee and will be posted on the following with some standardized protocols (Working with monitoring (TP, T Limited website: is appreciated. the Muskoka Coliform, E.Coli, http://www.citizensenvironmentwatch.org/wqi/m • Opportunity to expand to other Lakes Clarity) with cottagers uskoka_lakes/ cottage associations Association) from May to September • We intend on continuing this program next year with the MLA. OMNR Science Les Stanfield Analyzing headwater Duffins, new procedures for Geology and land use are the most important Expand methods to other areas but Information data on discharge Harmony, use of Crest Stage predictors of stream response. The amount of require validation of Manning’s Section following storm events Oshawa and gauges and rainfall is less important equation in headwater streams in varying geology and Ganaraska Rivers techniques to land use conditions attribute Manning’s equation coefficients for each stream Mark S. Poos (Ph.D Redside dace research Rouge River, Fish community Near completion. Scheduled for completion as of Opportunities: Currently investigating University of candidate) in and monitoring done Humber River, assessments done September 2009. pilot project in new techniques for Toronto, collaboration with Don River, using depletion visualization of 3D stream Department of Toronto Region Duffins Creek. surveys with seine morphology and statistical testing of Ecology and Conservation Authority nets. Habitat suitability of various stream forms to Evolutionary (C. Tu, D. Lawrie) assessment done redside dace. If this project advances Biology using OSAP. well, it could eventually be expanded to other species and into a new OSAP module. Rachel Martens Headwater (benthic 14 Mile, OSAP – hydraulic We collected the info for the study and sent it to Chopping through ice. SO much rain. [email protected] drift/hydraulic response McCraney Ck response TRCA and Uof W. Odum is currently looking Access to sites. Lots of data collected. Conservation 905 336-1158 x 275 study) – in conjunction Stationary benthic through samples. Time requirement. Too much flow so Halton with TRCA, MNR and nets nets flow off or overfill. It was really U of W interesting to see the changes in the 4 stations from winter to fall. Lots of great data. Rachel Martens Check your Watershed Bronte OSAP Big contrast from 2007. 2007 we had a lot of dry Volunteers not showing up. The Conservation [email protected] Day stations. 2008 only a few. biggest rainfall of the year – almost Halton 905 336-1158 x 275 flood conditions an hour after the event finished. Crews getting to the right stations Rachel Martens Long term Urban Burlington OSAP and OBBN So much water – not baseflow, turbid Conservation [email protected] environmental and Oakville and -channel conditions. Fit in some extra fishing Halton 905 336-1158 x 275 monitoring annual stations morphology for Master Plans studies. Urban throughout CH -site ID stations are really flashy and change -Fishing so quickly. Accessing Private -Benthic property. Rachel Martens Temperature analysis Urban stations STATE and Debris jams washing away temp Conservation [email protected] Stoneman methods loggers. Lost a few. Halton 905 336-1158 x 275 Conservation Rachel Martens WWTP monitoring – 16 Mile Creek Electrofishing – Data will be worked up in the winter. All the benthic boxes were found this Halton [email protected] effluent study – Multi OSAP year. The concrete channel /WWTP Conservation 905 336-1158 x 275 year study Benthic boxes really alters the conductivity so its Halton hard catching the fish Conservation Rachel Martens Reservoir Kelso Lake, Boat fishing – 1000 New species observed. Kelso fishing was for a Getting the boat down into Hilton Halton [email protected] electrofishing Mountsberg, second transects dam repair EA and Parks Master Plans for the Falls – very steep and rocky. 905 336-1158 x 275 Hilton Falls Mountsberg and Hilton Falls Conservation Areas. Conservation Rachel Martens Spawning Surveys 16 Mile Creek Walking sections of Lots of Chinook this fall. Lots of Rainbows in Only found 1 brown trout redd. Halton [email protected] Bronte Creek the creek the spring. Chinook seemed to start earlier this 905 336-1158 x 275 fall than normal. Conservation Rachel Martens Red Side Dace 16 Mile Seining Checking old RSD sites Seineing is not always very easy to do Halton [email protected] monitoring in narrow and bushy reaches. Fish get 905 336-1158 x 275 through seine net. Beth Gilbert Paul Helm Monitoring Humber, Rouge, Storm event based -Tributaries ongoing since 2006 Determining relative contributions of MOE, U of T contaminant Etobicoke, sampling and grab - Air ongoing since 2007 contaminants from tributary, air and TRCA, City of concentrations in 6 Mimico, Don, sampling for rivers -STPs new for 2008 STP sources Toronto GTA tributaries, 3 Highland and STPs Large volume sampling is required to STPs and ambient air STPs: Highland, Polyurethane foam achieve level of detection Ashbridges, disk for passive air Humber sampling MOE & CAs Pradeep Goel Provincial Water 36 Conservation -8 samples per year; -Ongoing since 1964 Provincial scale program with design Quality Monitoring Authorities ice free season -Reviewing suitability of network to address based on site specific water quality Network >400 monitoring -grab sampling climate change considerations stations approach