Cheakamus River Water License Requirements ... - BC Hydro

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Cheakamus River Benthic Community Monitoring, Progress Report 17 and Corwin’s (1965) potassium persulfate method. SRP is analysed using the molybdenum blue method (Murphy and Riley 1962). NH4-N and NO3-N are analysed using a Technicon autoanalyzer (Stainton et al. 1977). The sum of NH4-N and NO3-N is called dissolved inorganic N (DIN). QAQC procedures include tests of field blanks and duplicates. All analyses not run at the Cultus lab are run at the Pacific Environmental Science Centre (North Vancouver, B.C.). A 1 L poly bottle is submitted for analysis of these analytes. All analyses at PESC are run using standard methods (APHA 2007). Other habitat attributes that will be used as predictor variables in modeling are measured at the start and/or finish of each sampling series. Digital photographs are taken at the end of the sampling series to provide a visual record of site conditions and the appearance of the artificial samplers. A visual estimate is made of the percent of the stream reach that is comprised of pool, a combination of glide and run, riffle, and cascades. Measurements of the wetted and bankfull width is taken from three well spaced locations at each site using an Opti-Logic (Tullahoma, TN) rangefinder. A visual ranking (1=none to 4=abundant) of the wetted surface area that contains each of the following cover types: woody debris, boulders, undercut banks, deep pools, and overhanging vegetation is made. A ranking is applied to each cover type. Dominant riparian vegetation is identified where 1=barren, 2=grass/herb, 3=shrub, 4=deciduous tree, 5=conifer, 6=mixed forest, 7=mixed shrub and forest. A ranking of the structural stage of forest is made where 1=non-vegetated or initial stage following disturbance with
Cheakamus River Benthic Community Monitoring, Progress Report 18 measured at each sampler using a Swoffer Instruments (Seattle, WA) velocity sensor and meter stick respectively. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is measured at the water surface and at the sampler depth using an irradiance meter that specifically measures PAR and is equipped with an underwater quantum sensor. Other weekly measurements include conductivity, total dissolved solids, DO, pH, and turbidity that are measured in-situ using a YSI 6920 multiparameter Sonde that is calibrated on the day of measurement. The average value of these weekly measurements for each variable will be used in subsequent statistical analysis and modeling. This means that loss of some measurements perhaps due to adverse site conditions that prevents sampling due to safety concerns or unexpected instrument error will not cause problems with the ultimate data used for later analyses. It only means the average values that make up single observations for modeling will be based on different numbers of measurements during a sampling time series. Difference in sample size for these weekly habitat measurements is not a problem for later statistical analyses. Temperature is logged in hourly intervals over the complete sampling time series each season using a StowAway submersible temperature logger (Onset Computer Corp. Pocasset, MA) attached to a basket or plate at each of the five sites. Reach-specific flows are being acquired from Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (NHC) Ltd. as part of data sharing among consultants working on the Cheakamus water use plan. NHC is presently constructing site specific rating curves for locations close to those sampled in this project. Once complete, those rating curves will be used to determine daily mean flow at each sampling site using measurements of flow released from Daisy Dam and gauged flow at Brackendale. Limnotek is presently waiting for flow data dating back to the start of the project in August 2008. Laboratory analyses and compilation of biological and habitat data are in different stages of completion from the sampling in summer 2008 and winter 2009 (Table 1). All lab work on biological and chemical samples collected in summer is complete and resulting data is presently being appended to data from the earlier projects. It will then be uploaded to an Access database that is under development. Data describing other habitat attributes from the summer is compiled in spreadsheets awaiting upload to the database. An exception is the flow data described above, which will be compiled and uploaded to the database once it is received from NHC. Laboratory analyses are underway on samples collected in winter. This lab work is expected to be completed in July 2009. It will be followed by compilation of the resulting data into the database in late summer or fall 2009. 3.6 10BFish Stomach Content Analysis Two batches of fish stomach samples are being supplied by people working on other Cheakamus WLR projects. Rainbow trout stomachs have been received from Limnotek/InStream November 2009
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Cheakamus River Water License Requirements ... - BC Hydro

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