monitoring at credit valley conservation · look at trends/changes – e.g. integrated watershed...

Monitoring at Credit Valley Conservation

Presented by Jackie Thomas and Luke Harvey

Where are we?

WHAT IS MONITORING?

• Long-term sampling of the same point or reach to track changes over time/space

• Short Term Sampling vs Long Term Monitoring

a) Long Term Monitoring: repeated sampling to look at trends/changes

– e.g. Integrated Watershed Monitoring Program, Effectiveness Monitoring, Impact Monitoring

b) Short Term Sampling: sampling to characterize an area or determine baseline conditions

– e.g. Subwatershed studies, Erin SSMP, In these studies, we sample typically for only 1-2 years

Basic Questions

WHAT IS THE CURRENT CONDITION?

i.e. what state are we in now?

IS THERE A TREND?i.e. improving? degrading? stable?

WATERSHED HEALTH

WHY DO WE MONITOR?

• To measure progress in our watershed corporate goal of “ensuring an environmentally healthy river for economically and socially healthy communities”

• To provide an early warning system

• To effect change

Importance of Monitoring

• Permits to Take Water• Studies and Strategies (subwatershed, SSMPs, Fish

Management Plans, Terrestrial Ecosystem Enhancement Model)

• Flood Forecasting• Modelling (water quality and quantity, terrestrial) • Certificates of Approval (sewage works and waste

management)• Plan Review• Plan Input• Municipal EAs• Report Cards

Parameters we measureDiscipline Area of Focus Indicator

Meteorology Weather Air Temperature, Precipitation

Hydrogeology Baseflow and groundwater levels Recharge rates

Hydrology Flow regimes Temporal trends

Terrestrial • Forests and their flora and fauna• Wetlands and riparian

communities

Forest HealthSpecies HealthWetland and riparian health

Fluvial Geomorphology

Stream form and channel shape Stream stability

Water Quality • Water and sediment chemistry• Benthic macroinvertebrates

species, populations and communities

Parameters of Concern

Community composition

Biology Fish species, populations and communities

Index of Biotic Integrity

Meteorology• Key indicators are air

temperature and precipitation• Four weather stations

throughout watershed plus an additional 5 Environment Canada weather stations in and around the watershed

• An additional 16 tipping bucket rain gauges and 1 Geonor T-200B weighing precipitation gauge

• Six additional air temperature sensors

Hydrogeology

• Key indicator is recharge rates

• Several shallow and deep groundwater monitoring wells in various geology throughout the watershed help determine recharge rates

• Drive point piezometersand baseflow data also help characterize the groundwater

Hydrology

• Key indicator is temporal trends

• Continuous levels and discharge rates from 11 stations partnered with WSC

• Longest active station is Credit at Cataract since 1915, most recent is 2005

Terrestrial Monitoring

• Key indicator is forest health, species health, wetland and riparian health

• 25 forest plots, 19 wetland plots across Credit watershed

• Plus 3 forest and 1 wetland effectiveness monitoring plots in NW Brampton

• Riparian monitoring program initiated in 2009

FOREST HEALTH MONITORINGCategory Indicator Protocol Frequency Years of Data

Ground Vegetation

Annual 2002 (start),2004 – 2009

Regeneration Annual 2002 (start),2004 – 2009

Tree Health Annual 2002 (start) - 2009

Forest Birds Annual 2002 (start) – 2009

Salamanders Annual 2003-2009

BioticIndicators

2002 (start), 2007Every 5 yearsSoil Chemistry

2005 (start) – 2009Annual Decomposition

2005 (start) – 2009AnnualSoil Temperature

AbioticIndicators

Category Indicator Protocol Frequency Years of Data

WetlandVegetation

Annual 2003 (start) – 2009

Anurans (frogs and toads)

Annual 2003 (start) – 2009

BioticIndicators

Wetland Health Monitoring

Fluvial Geomorphology

• Key indicator is stream stability• 6-8 sites assessed per year• 10 cross-sections including 3 permanent

done at each site• Data collected includes longitudinal profile,

bank information, substrate type and size, sub-pavement data, Rapid Assessments

Water Quality• Key indicators are parameters

of concern for water and sediment chemistry, community composition for benthics, mean daily maximums for water temperature

• Water chemistry grab samples collected monthly for PWQMN. Autosamplers utilized for Effectiveness and Impact programs

• Stationary kick and sweep method to collect benthics once annually

Biology• Key indicator is the Index of

Biotic Integrity (IBI)• Looking at fish species,

populations and communities• Values are assigned to fish

depending on tolerance ratings• The higher the IBI the better

the site condition• Utilize active (seine nets,

backpack, punt unit and boat electrofishers) and passive (hoop nets) techniques to sample fish communities

WHO IS INVOLVED at CVC?

Terrestrial Ecosystem Component

Terrestrial Specialist

Terrestrial Monitoring Specialist

Terrestrial Monitoring Technician

Director,Water Resources

Water-based Component

HydrogeologistsGeomorphology TechniciansWater Quality EngineersBenthics SpecialistWater Resources Engineers

Supervisor, Watershed Monitoring & Reporting

3 Watershed Monitoring Specialists

3 Water Resource Technicians

GIS

Summer Staff

Stewardship

Volunteers

Reception

Central Services

Data Management Technician

Manager, Natural Heritage

Aquatic Component

Fish - Manager, Natural Heritage

Partnerships

MOE

MNR

Volunteers

OBBNPGMN

EMAN

PWQMN

Universities

Water Survey of Canada

Municipalities

Landowners

NGOs

Environment CanadaOther Conservation Authorities

CVC MONITORING PROGRAMS

Integrated Watershed Monitoring Program (IWMP)

• Purpose: to help determine progress in achieving the Watershed Corporate goal of “ensuring an environmentally healthy river for economically and socially healthy communities”.

• Area: watershed-wide• Timeframe: ongoing• Initiation date: 1999• Funding: Member Municipalities• Reports: annual report, every 5 yr trend analysis

(incl. watershed report card)• Currently working on 10 year data analysis

Fletchers Creek Monitoring

• Purpose: To establish baseline conditions, measure temporal changes and assess the effectiveness of stormwater control measures on a subwatershed basis.

• Area: Fletchers Creek• Timeframe: ongoing• Initiation date: 1998• Funding: City of Mississauga, City of Brampton• Reports: annual report, 7 yr trend analysis

produced 2007

Effectiveness Monitoring Strategy

• Purpose: To monitor the effects of urbanization as they are balanced by BMPs and to demonstrate benefits of current BMPs. Also, to learn the most effective means of mitigating the impact of urbanization and land use changes on the natural systems from past and current activities.

• Area: Huttonville, Fletchers and Springbrook Creeks• Initiation date: 2003• Funding: Initial 5 years was developer funded, currently funded by

Region of Peel• Timeframe: ongoing for next few years

• Reports: annual report, 5 yr program review in progress

Credit River Trib Monitoring

• Purpose: To collect background information in order to characterize the current condition of the study area prior to expected development.

• Area: tributaries north of Credit River between Winston Churchill and Mississauga Rd.

• Timeframe: 2007-2009, with intentions of continuing next 2+ years

• Initiation date: 2007• Funding: Developers and Landowners• Reports: annual reports and currently working on 3

year analysis

Impact Monitoring

• Purpose: To monitor cause and effect relationships in deteriorated natural systems.

• Area: currently in Cooksville and Sheridan Creek. Will expand in future to focus on other urban or stressed watersheds.

• Timeframe: ongoing• Initiation date: 2007• Funding: Region of Peel• Reports: annual report

Summary

• Monitoring at CVC is important to help answer the questions of the various programs

• Data from several different disciplines is utilized to help answer these questions

• This wouldn’t be possible without the help and support of the member municipalities.

Member Municipalities

• Region of Halton • Region of Peel • City of Brampton • City of Mississauga • Town of Caledon• Town of Erin• Town of Halton Hills• Town of Mono• Town of Oakville• Town of Orangeville • Township of Amaranth• Township of East Garafraxa

Contact

• Questions?• jthomas@creditvalleyca.ca• lharvey@creditvalleyca.ca