Get our Web feed. Login (No account? Register!)
Location: Armstrong, BC Project Summary
University of British Columbia Okanagan will be conducting a three year study in the Fortune Creek watershed to fully understand surface water and groundwater interactions and assess the impacts of various water management strategies on fish protection and human needs. A scoping study of the Fortune Creek watershed occurred in January of 2007, and surface water and groundwater interaction was identified as the highest priority to be examined in the next stage of the project. Fortune Creek supplies water to 4,500 residents in Armstrong and the Spallumcheen Valley, and also provides important habitat for rainbow trout, juvenile Coho salmon, and juvenile Chinook salmon. Due to low flows in the summer, water temperature often becomes lethally warm for these fish species. This project will lead to a greater understanding of surface water and groundwater interactions, a critical step for constructing water budgets and designing sustainable water management strategies. The focus for the first year (2007/2008) is on understanding of surface water and groundwater interaction, while the objectives for the second and third years will be to assess the impacts of surface water and groundwater integration on fish population and physical habitat (temperature and DO). This project will significantly benefit salmon and their habitat, as it will quantify the critical relations between groundwater resource and fish habitat. Full understanding of surface and groundwater interactions will provide critical data to support water augmentation strategies in Fortune Creek so that fish needs can be met. This project will also bring together local communities, First Nations, government agencies, UBC, and others who are interested in protecting and restoring salmon habitat. |
EMAIL
PRINT
Be the first to leave a comment on this page!