The meeting reviewed the Shuswap Lake Integrated Planning Process (SLIPP) Long Term Water Quality Monitoring Plan and associated Annual Water Quality Monitoring Plans for 2011-2014. The purpose was to gain feedback and support for the plans. Presentations were given on the background, progress to date, and details of the long term and annual monitoring plans. There was also discussion on engaging the public in plan implementation.

1. Shuswap Lake Integrated Planning Process (SLIPP)
Water Quality and Waste Management
Public Advisory Committee Meeting
February 8, 2011
Quaaout Lodge, Chase BC
1

2. Overview
Overview
 The purpose of this meeting is to review, receive feedback and gain support for
the SLIPP Long Term Water Quality Monitoring Plan and associated Annual
Water Quality Monitoring Plans for 2011 - 2014
 This meeting will include a range of presentations and interactive discussions
designed to review the Plans, receive your feedback and discuss how the
public can be engaged in Plan implementation
2

3. Agenda
Introductions 1:30 – 1:40 pm
Background and Progress Update 1:40 – 1:50 pm
Review and Discussion: LT Water Quality Monitoring Plan 1:50 – 2:30 pm
Review: Annual Water Quality Monitoring Plan 2:30 – 3:00 pm
Coffee Break 3:00 – 3:15 pm
Discussion: Annual Water Quality Monitoring Plan 3:15 – 3:45 pm
Discussion: Public Role in Plan Implementation 3:45 – 4:30 pm
Closure 4:30 pm
3

4. Background
Water quality is a critical component of the SLIPP vision to sustain the health and
prosperity of the Shuswap and Mara Lakes
4

5. Background
The Long Term Monitoring Plan is the foundational component of the SLIPP Water
Quality and Waste Management Strategies
SLIPP Water Eliminate boat discharges on the lakes
Quality and Waste
Management Develop an inter-agency water qualityquality
Develop and inter-agency water monitoring
monitoring and reporting program
and reporting program
Strategies
5

6. Progress Update
Achievements
 Recognized by the Premier of BC – received gold in the Partnership category
 Continued public, First Nations, political and agency engagement in SLIPP
 Strong contributions and support for the process by the public
 New SLIPP Steering Committee to convene in March 2011
 In discussions with SLIPP partners on a $1m, 3-year SLIPP pilot
Strategies and Activities
 Form an Inter-Agency Technical Committee to review development proposals
 Develop a coordinated water quality monitoring program
 Establish a coordinated education, compliance and enforcement planning process
 Create a site sensitivity map (initiated, 75% complete)
 Develop a model for assessing foreshore cumulative impacts (initiated, 40% complete)
 Completed a study on effects of boat discharges on the lakes
 Streamline the development application review process (initiated, 60% complete)
 Develop a recreation management plan for the Shuswap and Mara lakes
 Create a Professional and Scientific Advisory Group
 Engage stakeholders in education, compliance and enforcement initiatives
6

7. Public Advisory Committee Terms of Reference
Purpose
 Advise public agencies on the implementation of water quality and waste management
strategies
 SLIPP Strategic Plan as guiding document
Responsibilities
 Provide input on planning, implementation and reporting
 Review and provide feedback on technical documents and plans
 Collaborate with agencies and the public at large in the implementation of the Plan,
where appropriate
Membership
 Composed of stakeholders who represent a cross section of economic, social and
environmental perspectives of the Shuswap watershed, including residents, community
groups and business representatives
 Honorarium not provided
Meeting Process
 Approximately 2 meetings/year
 Meeting Chair, venue, refreshments, facilitator, experts provided, as needed 7

8. Shuswap Lakes Water Quality Monitoring Plan
Ken Ashley, Ph.D. and Ken Hall, Ph.D.
8

9. Presentation Outline
SLIPP Vision, Goal and Strategies for water quality
Shuswap Lakes water quality monitoring plan
Water Quality Monitoring Plan
Background
Lake and Tributary Monitoring Plan
Point and Non-Pont Source Monitoring Plan
Program Management
Public involvement
Questions
9

10. SLIPP Vision:
Vision Working together to sustain the health and prosperity of the Shu swap and
Mara lakes
Development that respects Water quality that supports Desirable recreational
Goals environmental, economic and experiences that are safe and
public and environmental health
social interests sustainable
Strategies Strategies Strategies
• Create a comprehensive foreshore • Develop an inter -agency water quality • Develop a recreation management
and upland area site sensitivity map monitoring program plan for the Shuswap and Mara lakes
for Shuswap and Mara lakes
• Eliminate boat discharge on the lakes • Develop a recreation use monitoring
• Form the Inter -Agency Technical program
Committee to manage cross -agency
development applications and lake
issues
• Improve the development application
review process
• Create a model for assessing
cumulative impact
Cross -Cutting Strategies
• Create the Professional and • Establish a coordinated annual • Create the Shuswap Lake • Engage stakeholders in
Scientific Advisory Group education, compliance and integrated response process education, compliance and
enforcement planning process enforcement initiatives
10

11. SLIPP Goals:
Water quality that supports public and
environmental health
• Good water quality is critical to public and environmental
well being
• As human density in Shuswap + Mara lakes increases,
so too have demands on water for people, fish and wildlife
• The ability of the lakes to provide high quality water is
threatened by discharges from numerous sources, and
increasing lake shore and upland development 11

12. • Official Community Plans and Liquid Waste
Management Plans will some provide direction for
waste management on the lakes and foreshore
• But – more needs to be done to protect lake water
quality – requires a coordinated plan = SLIPP
12

13. SLIPP Strategies
• Develop an inter-agency water quality
monitoring and reporting program
Professional and
Scientific
Advisory
Committee
Annual water Ongoing Water Quality
Annual plan Monitoring Annual
Agency quality
LONG -TERM and review and
Resources, monitoring
MONTORING monitoring report out
Priorities, PLAN program
Authorities timetable (public and
planning
meeting
formalized Ongoing updating of Central internal)
Results Repository
Governance
Body
13

14. Expectations from this strategy:
• Improved access to credible scientific information to
support decision making
• Increased efficiency and coordination of monitoring
activities
• Increased knowledge of water quality issues and
trends to support decision making
• Increased collective access to water quality data
14

15. Water Quality Monitoring Plan
Background
15

16. Morphometric features of Shuswap, Little Shuswap, Adams and
Mara Lake.
Shuswap Little
Adams Lake Mara Lake
Lake Shuswap
Surface area (ha) 30,960 1,813 13,760 1,942.6
Drainage basin area (km2) 15,354 Incl. 4,144 9,065
Drainage basin/surface area
49.7 n/a 30.1 466.6
ration
Maximum depth (m) 161.5 59.4 397 45.7
Mean depth (m) 61.6 14.3 169 18.3
Elevation (m) 347 347 407 347
Volume (m3) 19.13 x 109 260.66 x 106 23.19 x 109 357.75 x 106
Thermocline depth (m) 10 n/a 7.5 n/a
Residence time (years) 2.1 0.03 10 0.13
Shoreline length (km) 1,430 21.2 149.5 42.3
50o 56’ 51o 15’
Location 00 00 N; 000 00 W
119o 17’ 119o 30’ 16

17. Major arms and tributaries of Shuswap Lake
Shuswap Lake basin Major tributaries
Salmon Arm Salmon River, Tappen Creek, White
Creek, Canoe Creek
Sicamous Arm Shuswap River, Eagle River
Anstey Arm Anstey River, Four Mile Creek, Queest
Creek, Hunakwa Creek
Seymour Arm Seymour Creek, Two Mile Creek, Five
Mile Creek, Blueberry Creek, Celista
Creek
West Arm Adams River, Scotch Creek, Ross Creek
17

18. Summary of Shuswap Lake potable use water licenses
No. of active and pending
Type of water license licenses
Domestic 576
Waterworks – local 30
authority
Waterworks - other 8
18

19. Summary of trophic status and water quality trends in Shuswap
and Mara lakes deep water stations
Lake Area Deep water trophic status Trend direction
Anstey Arm Oligotrophic Increasing total nitrogen and
total phosphorus
Salmon Arm/Tappen Bay Mesotrophic to eutrophic Slightly increasing total
nitrogen and total
phosphorus
Seymour Arm Oligotrophic Increasing total nitrogen and
total phosphorus
Sicamous Arm Oligotrophic Increasing total nitrogen and
total phosphorus
West Arm Oligotrophic Slightly increasing total
nitrogen, total phosphorus
constant or increasing
slightly over time
Mara Lake Oligotrophic Increasing total nitrogen and
total phosphorus in some
areas
19

20. In summary, most deep water stations in Shuswap Lake
remain oligotrophic, with the exception of Salmon
Arm/Tappen Bay, which has been mesotrophic/eutrophic
since at least the 1970s.
However, the trend analysis indicates the concentration
of limiting nutrients is increasing lake-wide, even in the
deep water stations, which have previously been
unaffected.
This finding is alarming given the large volume and rapid
flushing rate in Shuswap Lake, and indicative of the
requirement for a more intensive, proactive water quality
monitoring program.
20

21. Threats to water quality
Point source pollution from outdated
wastewater treatment plants and
storm sewers
Non-point source diffuse pollution from
activities in the watershed
Pollution defined as: nutrients,
chemicals, harmful microorganisms
21

22. Sources of Contaminants to Shuswap Lake
Sewage Treatment Plant Houseboat Discharge
Urban Stormwater
Agricultural Runoff Septic Tank Drainage
22

23. Contaminant Loading Information-1
 Sewage Treatment Plants
 Location, treatment type.
 Flow.
 Effluent quality.
 Rainwater infiltration.
23

24. Contaminant Loading Information-2
 Urban Stormwater Runoff
 Land uses in watershed.
 Traffic intensity.
 Rainfall intensity and duration.
 Antecedent dry days.
 Runoff quality from different land uses.
 Runoff quality, variability seasonally.
 Runoff volume from different land uses, different
seasons.
24

25. Contaminant Loading Information-3
 Agricultural Runoff
 Agricultural land use in watersheds.
 Animal units in watershed – nutrient loads.
 Crops grown in watershed- nutrient
requirements.
 Commercial fertilizers used.
 Excess nutrients in watershed to runoff.
25

26. Contaminant Loading Information-4
 Houseboats
 Number and size of houseboats.
 Areas and period of mooring.
 Volume and quality of discharges.
 Holding tanks and pump facilities.
26

27. Contaminant Loading Information-5
 Septic Systems
 Location and installation dates, GIS data
base.
 Servicing records, cleanout frequency.
 Dye tracer studies, operational efficiency.
27

28. Emerging concerns in wastewater
Endocrine disruptors – Bisphenol A, Triclosan
Personal care products – musks, insect repellants
POPs – PCBs, Toxaphene, PBDEs (fire retardant)
Pharmaceuticals
Nanoparticles – nanosilver, nanotitanium,
nanocarbon
Silver nanoparticles from Samsung's SilverCare washing machine
will soon have to be registered with EPA as a pesticide.
28

29. 29

30. Too many nutrients results in ‘eutrophication’
What does eutrophication look like?
Is this real, or just something to keep academics
entertained?2
30

31. N and C
added
N, C and
P added
Lakes that are deeper, and have faster
flushing rates can tolerate higher P loads
before water quality problems develop
31

32. 32

33. 33

34. 34

35. 35

36. Nutrient Sources and Loadings:
- need to assess the impact of the following nutrient sources:
Watershed and tributary loading
Land use and agricultural trends
Septic systems
Sewage treatment plant contaminant loadings
Boat and houseboat discharges
36

37. Point and Non-Point Source Tracking of Contaminants:
Nitrogen monitoring: stable nitrate isotopes
Chemical tracers of sewage and grey water contamination
Microbial source tracking (MST)
37

38. Contaminant Source Tracking
 Stable Isotopes
 Chemical Tracers
 Microbial Source Tracking
38

39. Source Tracking-Stable Isotopes
 Stable Isotopes of Nitrate (N-15, O-17, 18).
 Separate animal wastes from inorganic
fertilizers.
 Cannot separate animal and human wastes.
39

40. Source Tracking-Chemical Tracers
 Caffeine
 Optical Brightners
 Detergents, (MBAS)
 Personal Care Products –antibiotics
 -hormones
 -fragrances
40

41. Source Tracking-Microbial Source
Tracking (MST)
 Phenotypic Methods (Whole Cells)
 -antibiotic resistance
 -immunological methods
 Genotypic Methods
 -determine DNA fingerprints
41

42. Program Management
Integration with Public Health and permit discharge monitoring
It is important to integrate water quality monitoring programs that are being
conducted by Regional Districts or municipalities within the Shuswap
basin.
Central water quality data base
The data collected from the monitoring program should be made widely
available to the public once the raw data has been checked for errors and
omissions.
Reporting and web-based information access
A “State-of the Lakes” water quality report should be issued annually, once
all of the current years monitoring data has been reviewed, interpreted and
disseminated in a standard reporting format.
42

43. Public involvement
It is crucial to involve the public and Shuswap and Mara lake NGO’s in
the development and implementation of the Shuswap lakes monitoring
program.
An excellent example of public involvement in lake monitoring was the
CSRD funded Shuswap Lake Secchi disk project, originally conducted
from late June to September, 1986.
43

44. SLIPP-Water quality that supports public and environmental
health
Questions?
44

45. Coffee
15 minute coffee break
45

46. Annual Water Quality
Monitoring Plan Shuswap
Lake Watershed 2011-1013
SLIPP Water Quality Committee Meeting
Feb 08, 2011
Quaaout Lodge, Chase, BC
Gabi Matscha
46

47. OUTLINE
1. Brief History of Monitoring in Shuswap Lake
2. Proposed Annual Monitoring Plan for the
Shuswap Watersheds – 2011-2013
• Monitoring Categories
• What information will the program provide us?
• What do we know so far?
• What do we propose to measure
47

48. 1. Brief History of Monitoring in Shuswap Lk.
 Water quality assessment in Shuswap Lake has been
conducted with only a few breaks since 1971 (e.g. by MoE,
DFO, CSRD, BC Parks, Interior Health, water purveyors and
a lot of volunteers).
 15 water quality reports about lake water quality since then.
 Lake has become one of the two main study areas for MoE in
Thompson Region over last 20 years.
48

49. 2. Proposed Annual Monitoring Plan for the
Shuswap Watersheds – 2011-2013
Based on the Long Term Plan and previous results
a) Deep Station Monitoring
b) Near Shore Monitoring
c) Effects of Specific Activities
d) Watershed Monitoring
49

50. What information will each category provide?
50

51. a) Deep Station Monitoring
 Deepest location: - full depth of a lake (lake profiles)
- usually in open water
- well mixed and representative
 Information to determine Lake Productiveness
 Information on general lake water quality (vs. local)
51

52. b) Near Shore Monitoring
 Shallow sites: - surface water
- often sheltered
- reduced mixing, not representative for entire
lake, local influences
- used for single residential intakes + recreation
 Information to determine effects from local runoff,
discharges and seepages on local water use.
52

53. b) Near Shore Monitoring
 Deeper Sites: - both, surface water and deep water
- sometimes sheltered
- moderate to high mixing, but local influences
reduce representation for entire lake
- used for community intakes
- recreational use, boating
 Information to determine effects from local runoff,
discharges and seepages on community drinking water
users.
53

54. c) Effects of specific Activities
 Assessment of specific discharges/land use activities.
- measure effects of specific land uses (e.g. residential) or
discharges (e.g. sewage treatment plant) on water quality
- information can be used for contaminant loading models
54

55. d) Watershed Monitoring
 Loading Studies and Loading Models:
- determination of main sources of contaminants/nutrients
- outcome helps prioritize for source management
 Identify areas/locations/land use activities of high
contaminant/nutrient input upstream of the lake
- focus management on problem areas/land uses
55

56. What do we propose to measure?
What do we know so far?
56

57. a) Deep Station Monitoring
 Determination of Primary Lake Productivity (Carbon
uptake by algae) = Potential for floating algae production.
57

58. a) Deep Station Monitoring
Low Productivity Medium to Low Productivity58

59. a) Deep Station Monitoring
Very Low Productivity Low Productivity 59

60.  Continue algae bloom cause investigation.
60

61. a) Deep Station Monitoring
 Identify influence of salmon run and carcass
decomposition on Nutrient and Algae concentrations in
affected arms. 61

62. a) Deep Station Monitoring
 Continue long term data collection (Spring and Fall data)
to Mabel Lake. Add summer sampling for some years.
62

63. a) Near Shore Monitoring
63

64. NUTRIENTS/CONTAMINANTS NEAR SHORE
Seepage: High in nutrients and sewage indicators, but small flows
Receiving water:
Main Arm:
- No statistical and ecological difference between deep and shallow sites
- Blind Bay Shallow Site: slightly higher sulphate concentration than other
shallow sites in the main arm.
Salmon Arm:
- Significantly higher nutrient and sulphate levels at shallow site (Christmas
Island) than deep site.
64

65. a) Near Shore Monitoring
 Conduct grab sampling at new sites identified as
potentially affected by seepage or runoff, based on IHA,
CSRD, public concerns. 65

66. a) Near Shore Monitoring
INCLUDE MAP HERE ?????
66

67. WATER CLARITY SECCHI DISK PROJECT
67

68. 68

69. a) Near Shore Monitoring
 Want to extend secchi program to Little Shuswap Lake
and other Lakes, if volunteers available.
69

70. ATTACHED ALGAE GROWTH NEAR SHORE
70

71. a) Near Shore Monitoring
 Will continue attached algae program, if volunteers are
available.
71

72. a) Near Shore Monitoring
 CSRD will continue groundwater monitoring in Area C, E
and F and dye-testing where needed based on septic
system questionnaire. 72

73. a) Near Shore Monitoring
 Continue effluent and receiving water sampling to identify
effects from Salmon Arm Sewage Treatment Plant
discharge. 73

74. a) Near Shore Monitoring
 BC Parks, Regional Districts, Sicamous and Salmon Arm
continue to sample water quality for E.coli (intestinal
waste indicator) near beaches . 74

75. a) Near Shore Monitoring
 Large water purveyors continue
water sampling near large water
intakes.
Test for:
 E.coli and bacteria,
 parameters with Drinking Water
Guidelines,
 pesticides
 emerging constituents are being
reviewed.
75

76. b) Near Shore Monitoring
 Small water purveyors
76

77. c) Effects of specific Activities
77

78. In 2008: highest E.coli count at Nielson In 2009: highest E.coli count at
Beach was 7600 CFU/100mL. Nielson Beach was 290 CFU/100mL.
78

79. f) BOAT GREYWATER DISCHARGE IMPACT cont. (3)
RESULTS:
• 2009 results showed a significant
association between houseboat
numbers and the presence of
fecal bacteria from human intestines.
79

80. c) Effects of specific Activities
 Repeat the 2009 study to
confirm results and effects of
improvement measures by
houseboat companies.
 Collect more greywater from
collection tanks to better
characterize the greywater for
Ken Hall’s model.
80

81. c) Watershed Monitoring
81

82. c) Watershed Monitoring
82

83. d) NUTRIENT/CONTAMINANT LOADING cont.
RESULTS so far:
- Eagle and Salmon River provide highest Loadings of all measured
contaminants
- Highest nutrient loadings were TOC and Nitrogen.
83

84. c) Watershed Monitoring
 Conduct loading study for all significant tributaries around
Shuswap and Mara Lakes.
84

85. Summary
Deep Station Monitoring
 Overall lake productivity (potential for floating algae growth) in each arm/ Mara
and Mable Lake? - Influence of the salmon run.
 Complexity of factors that led to 2008/ 2010 algae blooms.
Near Shore Monitoring
 Drinking Water safety at water intakes.
 Safety for Swimmers near prominent beaches.
 Early warning system for the lake in local areas.
85

86. Summary (2)
Effects of Specific Activities
 Effect of septic seepages and shoreline run-off on near shore areas and risk to
recreational and drinking water users.
 Effects of regulated discharges on local areas and the lake.
 Identification of leaking septic systems that need management.
 Identification for needs to extend central sewage system near Salmon Arm.
 Effects of greywater discharge from boats on recreational water use and effects
of mitigation measures taken by houseboat companies so far.
 Information on Nutrient Loading from different sources – can support loading 86
models.

87. Summary (3)
Watershed Monitoring
 Role of tributaries in nutrient and contaminant loading. Prioritization of
tributaries for detailed source investigation and contaminant source
management.
 Nutrient/contaminant loading model for entire lake – identification of the most
significant sources/issues.
87

88. Ministry of Environment
1259 Dalhousie Drive
Kamloops, BC
Gabi Matscha Dennis Einarson
Env. Quality Section Head Env. Impact Assessment Biologist
Gabriele.Matscha@gov.bc.ca Dennis.Einarson@gov.bc.ca
(250)-371-6296 (250)-371-6308
88

89. Public Engagement in Water Quality Monitoring
Discuss current and future roles for public:
 Attached algae monitoring partnership with SPEC and SPCA
 Water clarity/Secci disk partnership with SPCA and SPEC
 Other opportunities?
How can we best engage the public to help achieve our water quality goals?
89

90. Next Steps
Next Steps for Water Quality and Waste Management Public Advisory Committee
 Submit feedback on plans or public engagement strategies by e-mail to:
sarah.evanetz@telus.net
 SLIPP 2011 plan implementation begins immediately
 Next PAC meeting in early 2012 to:
- Review 2011 Water Quality Monitoring Results Report
- Discuss 2012 Water Quality Monitoring Plan implementation and public partnerships
90

91. Confirmed Water Quality PAC Meeting Participants
 David Baxter
 Rob Bushnell, Three Buoys
 Howard Cowan
 Laura Jameson, Lower Shuswap Stewardship Society*
 Tina Keely, Swansea Point Community Association
 Dale Kerr, Shuswap Water Action Team Society (alternate for Ray Nadeau)
 Todd Kyllo, Twin Anchors (alternate attended in his place)
 Kelly Sheldon, water systems operator
 Neil Swaan
 Hugh Tyson
* unable to attend
91