Watershed Assessment Report 2

Coquitlam downstream watershed

Introduction:
Coquitlam Watershed is a special watershed as the upper stream of Coquitlam watershed is in the
recreation protection park, and downstream is in the Coquitlam city area. Coquitlam city acts as
the urban core of northeast Metro Vancouver, sacrificing its abundance of parks, trails, cultural
facilities, and high population density communities (Uren, 1998). Therefore, Coquitlam
downstream watershed water quality might affect by different factors from human activities.
This report will focus on the parameter of indicators affect water quality in the Coquitlam
downstream watershed.

Water Quality Assessment:

In the Coquitlam downstream watershed, critical water quality parameters of concern could be
paying more attention to the water quality indicators: PH value, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen.
These indicators might be highly affected by human activities. Figure 1 indicates the data trend
for three indicators in different sampling location from 1990 to 2012. From 1990 to 2012,
turbidity has experienced a considerable improvement in Coquitlam City. Turbidity is under a
reasonable level that does not meet goal conditions but has potential intervention from 1990 to
2003. There is no data recording in 2012 in kerr wood leidal, but the turbidity level changed to
good in 2013. Coquitlam down watershed has an excellent PH value in 22 years. However,
figure 2, figure 3, and figure 4 show that three sampling locations in downstream Coquitlam
watershed in 2018. The PH value is under a satisfactory level and needs attention level during
the wet season in three sampling locations. That might cause by a higher precipitation rate and
higher leaching rate for the soil around the watershed. In addition, the average PH value
downstream is under a safety range. Dissolved oxygen is facing a massive challenge from 1990
to 2012 expect 1993. In 1993, dissolved oxygen was under a good condition, but dissolved
oxygen had a poor rate in 2012 that might be because of human behaviors. Both of PH value and
dissolved oxygen do not have data recorded as turbidity in 2012 in kerr wood leidal.

Figure 1: Demonstrate water quality indicators trends from 1990 to 2012.

Figure 2: Demonstrate Partington Greek water quality indicators data in 2018.

Figure 3: Demonstrate Smiling Greek water quality indicators data in 2018.

 Figure 4: Demonstrate Star Greek water quality indicators data in 2018.

Table 1 shows the aquatic life water quality guidelines for dissolved oxygen in different life
stages. The average dissolved oxygen for three life stages is 9 mg/L O2 in a long-term average.
Compared to figure 1, the dissolved oxygen in 2012 is 9.8 mg/L O2, higher than the average
aquatic life living conditions. The dissolved oxygen under a challenge range might cause by
highly urbanization and impervious surface development (Doody, 2014).).

Table 1: Demonstrate aquatic life Water quality guidelines for dissolved oxygen (DO).
https://www.gaea.ca/public/Regulations/BC-water-quality-guidelines.pdf

Table 2 indicates the aquatic life water quality guidelines for pH. Figure 1 tells the information
about PH value in 2012 is 7.2. specifically, the most common aquatic life species are salmon in
Coquitlam (2021). Thus, the PH value could be used as a sample to compare with the salmon's
required PH value from 6.5 to 8(Kroglund et al., 2008). Compared to figure 1, table 2 and
salmon required PH value. PH value in Coquitlam is under a safety range for salmon species.
 Table 2: Demonstrate aquatic life water quality guidelines for pH.
https://www.gaea.ca/public/Regulations/BC-water-quality-guidelines.pdf

Table 3 shows the turbidity level for aquatic life water quality. Compared to figure 1, turbidity is
1 NTU for the downstream Coquitlam watershed, which is lower than the aquatic life stander.
That might cause harmful damage to aquatic life by reducing food supplies, degrading spawning
beds, and affecting gill function (Bash et al, 2001). One of the reasons might cause turbidity
level decrease is the BC government limited the gravel mining behaviours in recent year
(MEMPR, 2008).

Table 3: Demonstrate aquatic life water quality guidelines for turbidity and suspended and benthic
sediments. https://www.gaea.ca/public/Regulations/BC-water-quality-guidelines.pdf
Land use:

Therefore, urbanization and gravel could be the main human behaviors that might affect the
water quality indicators in the Coquitlam downstream watershed.

During the research, the aggregate business began operating gravel activities in Coquitlam River
in the 1950s (Decker et al, 2010). The gravel operations are still operating in the Coquitlam
River watershed (Decker et al, 2010). Thus, primary sediment in the lower Coquitlam watershed
is contributed by tributary inputs, mass wasting of glaciolacustrine deposits, and gravel mining
activities (Decker et al, 2010). Especially for the human graveling activities that will bring long-
term adverse effects for the watershed. The majority of the gravel mine debris discharged to the
river was fine sand, silt, and clays, resulting in regular turbidity events (Decker et al, 2010). The
gravel behaviors will cause heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, copper, cyanide, zinc, or
mercury to flow into the watershed, reducing the PH value and damaging the downstream
aqualfic life ecosystem (Ferrari, 2009). Heavy metals flow into the watershed will lead to oxygen
depletion, which means dissolved oxygen rate will rise, and most aqualfic life faces a huge
breath challenge (Mol & Ouboter, 2004). At the same time, heavy metals and sediment will
increase the turbidity level of the watershed (Mol & Ouboter, 2004).

The Coquitlam River is a salmon-bearing watershed downstream (Uren,1998). The gravel

activities might cause a find sediment deposit in the Coquitlam River downstream (Uren,1998).
Thus, gravel activities might raise concerns about how fine sediment affects salmonid habitat
quality (Uren,1998). Fine sediment will increase turbidity, limit light penetration, and decrease
primary production, which will lead to salmon's lack of food and change chemical and physical
living conditions (Uren,1998). Fine sediment will also decrease the egg-born rate by declining
the oxygen delivery and exchange of the by- metabolic products (Uren,1998). Besides, heavy
metal flow into the watershed will result in the salmon population dead by heavy metals poison
(Ali et al., 2014). The heavy metals will manifest themselves first in the blood and affect the fish
by altering blood components, rendering the fish weak, anemic, and susceptible to disease (Ali et
al., 2014).

Figure 5 and Figure 6 indicate land use changing for Coquitlam city from 2006 to 2020.
Compared to the two figures, Coquitlam city experienced a massive change in urbanization.
Parks and open areas were established as a community’s block in 14 years. That means
Coquitlam city has a significant population growth. The population growth rate is 1.97 % per
year from 2006 to 2020 in Coquitlam city (2021). Thus, higher population growth will lead
urbanization to develop faster and bring many negative effects on watershed water quality. At
the same time, the impervious surface will also increase, followed by urbanization establish.
Urbanization and the impervious surface will contribute to acidified precipitation. The direct acid
rain deposition will directly follow into the watershed, leading to pH value decrease and
affecting sensitive ecosystems (Doody, 2014). The rise of impervious surfaces in the urban area
will cause the potential pollutant input to increase stream turbidity (Uriarte et al., 2011).
Urbanization also leads to increased primary production or breakdown of organic matter, which
can be enhanced due to a higher percentage of impervious surfaces and nonpoint source pollution
or in-stream production that affects dissolved oxygen concentrations in watersheds (Melissa et
al.). The dissolved oxygen turbidity and PH value not only affect water quality, but also are
important factors for aquatic life living (Doody, 2014). The higher level of dissolved oxygen
means aquatic life will face lack of oxygen and higher turbidity and PH value might lead aquatic
life death by chemical poison (Doody, 2014).

The hydroelectric dam established in Coquitlam in 1905 is a typical example of how

urbanization affects aquatic life in different ways. Hydroelectric dams in aquatic systems
frequently present an impenetrable barrier to migratory fish and can have a negative impact on
their persistence (Samarasin et al., 2017). Before the dam construction, sockeye salmon will be
back to the Coquitlam River and fish spawning behaviors (Samarasin et al., 2017). As
construction progressed and the dam was improved, the fish ladder was eventually removed, and
the salmon could no longer return to the river (Samarasin et al., 2017). Therefore, sockeye
salmon dropped drastically and even reached an extinction level (Samarasin et al., 2017).

Figure 5: Demonstrate Land use for Coquitlam city in 2006

Figure 6: Demonstrate Land use for Coquitlam city in 2020

Recommendations for monitoring

The Coquitlam downstream watershed faces a vast data gap monitoring. During the research, the
Coquitlam downstream watershed data are mainly from 20 years ago or not continually in recent
years. For instance, figure one indicates the Coquitlam downstream watershed water quality
indicators from 1990 to 2012. However, dissolved oxygen, PH value, and turbidity do not have
data recorded in 2012 in kerr wood leidal sample lactation. That might cause data uncertainty
and hard-to-find watershed problems. Besides, the measure sample locations were picked
randomly that might cause measurement uncertainty for a different location. And also, it might
lead people to harm to compare the data change in the watershed at the same location. Workers
might also face a challenge in evaluating the effeminacy of water quality improvement.

The Coquitlam government could increase the measure times of water quality indicators like
setting a specific time in the dry and wet seasons. That could reflect the water quality indicators
affected by different factors like precipitation. Moreover, it could help the government solve
water quality problems on time and avoid sharply declining aquatic life. Besides, continuous data
could also help scientists analyze indicators data change and easily find different factors that
affect the affect quality in each season.
Reference:

Ali, A. S., US, S. A., & Ahmad, R. (2014). Effect of different heavy metal pollution on
fish. Research Journal of Chemical and Environmental Sciences, Res. J. Chem. Env.
Sci, 2(1), 74-79.

Bash, J., Berman, C. H., & Bolton, S. (2001). Effects of turbidity and suspended solids on
salmonids. University of Washington Water Center.

Coquitlam. (2021). Census & National Household Survey Data. Census & National Household
Survey Data | Coquitlam, BC. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from
https://www.coquitlam.ca/233/Census-National-Household-Survey-Data. 

Doody, T. (2014). Potential Impacts of Anthropogenic Impervious Surfaces on Alkalinization in

Urban Watersheds

Decker, S., Macnair, J., & Lewis, G. (2010). Coquitlam/Buntzen Project Water Use Plan Lower
Coquitlam Fish Productivity Index–.

Ferrari, J. R., Lookingbill, T. R., McCormick, B., Townsend, P. A., & Eshleman, K. N. (2009).
Surface mining and reclamation effects on flood response of watersheds in the central
Appalachian Plateau region. Water Resources Research, 45(4).

Kroglund, F., Rosseland, B. O., Teien, H. C., Salbu, B., Kristensen, T., & Finstad, B. (2008).
Water quality limits for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) exposed to short term reductions in pH
and increased aluminum simulating episodes. Hydrology and Earth System
Sciences, 12(2), 491-507.

MEMPR, B. (2008). Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia. Victoria, C.-B.:
ministère de l’Énergie, des Mines et des Ressources pétrolières de la Colombie-Britannique
(MEMRP C.-B.), Division des mines et des minéraux.

Melissa, M. G., Kaushal, S. S., Newcomer, T. A., Findlay, S. E., & Groffman, P. M. Effects of
urbanization on variability in temperature and diurnal oxygen patterns in streams.

Mol, J. H., & Ouboter, P. E. (2004). Downstream effects of erosion from small‐scale gold
mining on the instream habitat and fish community of a small neotropical rainforest
stream. Conservation Biology, 18(1), 201-214.

Samarasin, P., Shuter, B. J., & Rodd, F. H. (2017). After 100 years: hydroelectric dam-induced
life-history divergence and population genetic changes in sockeye salmon
(Oncorhynchus nerka). Conservation Genetics, 18(6), 1449-1462.

Uriarte, M., Yackulic, C. B., Lim, Y., & Arce-Nazario, J. A. (2011). Influence of land use on
water quality in a tropical landscape: a multi-scale analysis. Landscape
ecology, 26(8), 1151–1164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-011-9642-y
Uren, S. L. (1998). Spawning gravel quality within the Coquitlam River: potential impacts from
gravel pit mining(Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia).