Road Salt and Salmon Update

by | Sep 4, 2021 | Uncategorized

Electrical Conductivity Data loggers

The chloride or salt content of the creeks can be measured with electrical conductivity loggers. We now have 3 real-time conductivity loggers active, one in Stoney Creek, one in Eagle Creek, and one in the Brunette River at the Cariboo Dam. In addition, with a grant from the

Pacific    Salmon Foundation

we have purchased 6 more Solinst Levelloggers that record Electrical Conductivity, Water temperature, and Depth to add to the 3 purchased by the Pacific Science Enterprise Centre making 9 to be deployed in other creeks in the Lower Mainland.

Volunteers with the Road Salt and Salmon Project installed one of those conductivity loggers in Guichon Creek on the BCIT campus in early February, just in time to catch the response to a cold snap on February 12.

See how Guichon Creek compares to Tributary 3A of Stoney Creek:

More loggers

Over the summer, Solinst loggers have been deployed in Silver Creek, Burnaby and Waag Creek, North Vancouver. A HOBO electrical conductivity logger was moved from Stoney Trib 3A to below the Lougheed Hwy. on the main stem.

The Streamkeepers community has been very supportive. These are the groups that have expressed interest in having loggers in their creeks:

1. Alouette River Management Society (*)
2. Beecher Creek Streamkeepers
3. Burrard Inlet Marine Enhancement Society (*)
4. Cariboo Heights Forest Preservation Society (*)
5. Cougar Creek, Surrey
6. Eagle Creek, Burnaby
7. Hoy-Scott Watershed Society, Coquitlam (*)
8. Hyde Creek Watershed Society (*)
9. Jerry Rogers Creek Streamkeepers (*)
10. Kanaka Education & Env. Partnership Society (KEEPS), Maple Ridge
11. Langara College – Still Creek
12. Little Campbell River Watershed Society
13. Mossom Creek Hatchery
14. Peach Creek, Chilliwack (*)
15. Serpentine Enhancement Society
16. Seymour Salmonid Society (*)
17. Silver Creek, Burnaby (*)
18. Spanish Banks Creek, Wet Point Grey, Vancouver
19. Still Creek, East Vancouver (*)
20. Stoney Creek Environment Committee (*)
21. Wagg Creek, North Vancouver Streamkeepers (*)
22. West Vancouver Streamkeepers

23. Yorkson Watershed Enhancement Society, Langley

(*) We are continuing our collaboration with the scientists at the UBC Department of Zoology who are planning a 5-year $100,000/year study of the effects of salt on salmon. The project has expanded to include the laboratory study of of the effects of salt on their food source: the stream bugs (benthic macro invertebrates). with colleagues from Simon Fraser University Department of Environmental Toxicology. We are seeking collaboration with other streamkeepers to include some of their volunteer hours as an in-kind contribution. We currently have at least 12 Streamkeeping groups listed above who have indicated their support.
 

Water Ranger monitoring

Dillon Consulting donated money to buy 5 Water Ranger kits. These kits have a hand-held electrical conductivity and temperature meter and test strips to measure pH and other parameters. They have been distributed to Eagle Creek Streamkeepers, the Biology Club at Burnaby Mountain Secondary School, a teacher at Montecito Elementary School, and home-school teachers in Burnaby and North Vancouver. We have purchased 5 more kits to give to other schools this fall.