Community Watershed Monitoring

Updated on October 26, 2020

Community Watershed Monitoring

What is the Community Watershed Monitoring Network?

It's a partnership between the RDN's Drinking Water and Watershed Protection (DWWP) program, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV), Island Timberlands LP (managed by Mosaic Forest Management), and many amazing community watershed stewardship groups in our region. The RDN provides the equipment and works with ENV to complete annual training and data analysis. ENV contributes expertise in water quality testing, deciphering gathered data and guidance in program direction. Island Timberlands sponsors the lab analysis costs for Quality Assurance and Quality Control, loans volunteers' safety gear and provides access to the upper watersheds. Dedicated community groups donate their time, attending annual training sessions, calibrating equipment and getting out on their local streams to collect and monitor water quality data.

Additional Resources for Stewardship Organizations

Stewardship Seed Funding Website - discover if your project is eligible for seed funding

2021 Stewardship Seed Funding Application - accepting applications starting Jan. 1, 2021

Tool Lending Library - list of available restoration tools for borrowing

Important Documents

PDF of June 18, 2020 Results Session Presentation of 2019 CWMN Data

June 18, 2020 Results Session Presentation of 2019 CWMN Data - 80 minute recording

2011 - 2017 Surface Water Quality Trend Analysis

Why?

To expand on the provincial database, collect enough data to see watershed trends and raise watershed health awareness in local communities. The long term objective is to use multiple years of data to determine which watersheds require more detailed monitoring and/or improved watershed management and to assist in land use planning. Data is collected for turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature and conductivity for 71 sites in 27 watersheds across our Region. Additional lab analysis is being completed to further investigate what potential contaminants are associated with turbidity exceedances observed in the first three years of data collection. In 2014 eleven sites in northern RDN waterways were sampled for E.coli and Phosphorus and in 2015 eleven sites in southern RDN waterways were sampled for E.coli, Phosphorous and metals. Further analysis was completed in 2019, with nine sites sampled for Chloride (as a proxy for road run-off) and twelve sites sampled for Phosphorus (as a proxy for agricultural run-off).

When?

Monitoring occurs once a week for 5 weeks in the summer low flow period (August - September) and once a week for 5 weeks in the fall flush period (October - November).

Who?

The 16 environmental stewardship organizations and streamkeepers currently involved are:

Stewardship Organizations	Maps
Fanny Bay Salmonid Enhancement Society	Map of monitoring sites for FBSES
Nile Creek Enhancement Society	Map of monitoring sites for NCES
Qualicum Beach Streamkeepers Society	Map of monitoring sites for QBS
Friends of French Creek Conservation Society	Map of monitoring sites for FFCCS
Mid Vancouver Island Habitat Enhancement Society	Map of monitoring sites for MVIHES
Nanoose Streamkeepers	Map of monitoring sites for NSk
Island Waters Fly Fishers	Map of monitoring sites for IWFF
Departure Creek Streamkeepers	Map of monitoring sites for DCS
Walley Creek Streamkeepers	Map of monitoring sites for WCS
VIU Coastal Hydrology and Climate Change Research Lab	Map of monitoring sites for VIU
Nanaimo and Area Land Trust	Map of monitoring sites for NALT
Gabriola Streamkeepers	Map of monitoring sites for GSk
Wexford Creek Streamkeepers - for more information email bcopeland3(at)gmail.com	Map of monitoring sites for WxCS
Quennell Lake Watershed Stewardship Society - for more information contact Ecoforestry Institute via email cheryl.bancroft(at)ecoforestry.ca	Map of monitoring sites for QLWSS

Where?

There are 41 streams currently monitored by trained volunteers, these include:

Rosewall Creek
Cook Creek
Deep Bay Creek
Thames Creek
Nile Creek
Big Qualicum River
Annie Creek
Upper Cameron River
Cameron River
Little Qualicum River
Whiskey Creek

Harris Creek
Grandon Creek
Beach Creek
French Creek
Morningstar Creek
Morison Creek
Swayne Creek
Shelly Creek
Upper Englishman River
Englishman River

Centre Creek
South Englishman River
Craig Creek
Nanoose Creek
Knarston Creek
Bloods Creek
Walley Creek
Beaver Creek
Millstone River
McGarrigle Creek

Departure Creek
Cottle Creek
Chase River
Beck Creek
Richards Creek
Cat Stream
Holden Creek
Nanaimo River
Mallett Creek
Wexford Creek

After three years of sampling, each site's results are reviewed and testing at sites with consistently good water quality is suspended for three to five years. This allows resources to be used to expand the network, adding sampling at new sites where needed.

Results - Reports and Presentations