Burrard Inlet Ambient Environmental Monitoring Program Results Overview
Presentation Abstract
The Metro Vancouver region’s Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan (ILWRMP) includes a regulatory requirement to conduct ambient monitoring programs to assess, forecast and evaluate the effects of wastewater and stormwater discharges to ambient environments. Ambient monitoring entails measuring conditions in the immediate environment surrounding, but not directly affected by discharges.
Metro Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet Ambient Monitoring Program was initiated in 2007. The program is designed to operate on a five-year cycle, and includes three components: water column, sediment and fish. Ambient water quality monitoring occurs at seven sites and two depths on an annual basis, while sediments are monitored every two-to-three years, and fish tissues and health are monitored once every five years at the same seven sites. The objectives of the Burrard Inlet Ambient Monitoring Program are to: provide baseline environmental quality data; characterize changes in water, sediment and biota quality parameters in Burrard Inlet; evaluate long term temporal and spatial trends within the monitoring area; identify changes in parameters that might indicate environmental changes; and act as a measure of performance for Metro Vancouver’s ILWRMP.
This presentation provides an overview of results for all three components of the program.
Monitoring and assessment was targeted to parameters that are potential indicators of wastewater discharges. Results are compared to site specific objectives and applicable environmental quality guidelines. Additionally, a Water Quality Index rating based on the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment WQI tool was calculated for separate sub-basins and the overall inlet.
Session Title
Salish Sea snapshots
Conference Track
Salish Sea Snapshots
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Water quality--British Columbia--Burrard Inlet; Water quality management--British Columbia--Burrard Inlet; Environmental monitoring--British Columbia
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Burrard Inlet (B.C.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Burrard Inlet Ambient Environmental Monitoring Program Results Overview
2016SSEC
The Metro Vancouver region’s Integrated Liquid Waste and Resource Management Plan (ILWRMP) includes a regulatory requirement to conduct ambient monitoring programs to assess, forecast and evaluate the effects of wastewater and stormwater discharges to ambient environments. Ambient monitoring entails measuring conditions in the immediate environment surrounding, but not directly affected by discharges.
Metro Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet Ambient Monitoring Program was initiated in 2007. The program is designed to operate on a five-year cycle, and includes three components: water column, sediment and fish. Ambient water quality monitoring occurs at seven sites and two depths on an annual basis, while sediments are monitored every two-to-three years, and fish tissues and health are monitored once every five years at the same seven sites. The objectives of the Burrard Inlet Ambient Monitoring Program are to: provide baseline environmental quality data; characterize changes in water, sediment and biota quality parameters in Burrard Inlet; evaluate long term temporal and spatial trends within the monitoring area; identify changes in parameters that might indicate environmental changes; and act as a measure of performance for Metro Vancouver’s ILWRMP.
This presentation provides an overview of results for all three components of the program.
Monitoring and assessment was targeted to parameters that are potential indicators of wastewater discharges. Results are compared to site specific objectives and applicable environmental quality guidelines. Additionally, a Water Quality Index rating based on the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment WQI tool was calculated for separate sub-basins and the overall inlet.
