Water Quality Monitoring Program
Water Quality Sampling
The Township of Huron-Kinloss
has two water quality sampling programs which began in 2001 and
continue today. These are described below and the data presented
in chart form. The purpose of these programs is to develop a data
base of information about water quality in the Township. The data
is presented here for information purposes only. It is updated throughout
the sampling season as it is received from the consultants.
The Township is not conducting
a beach monitoring program for purposes of advising residents about
the safety of the water for recreational use. The results posted
on this site are dated and should not be relied on with respect
to swimming in the lake on any given day.
Pine River Water Quality
Monitoring
The Township of Huron-Kinloss
initiated a water quality sampling program of the Pine River Watershed
in 2001. The purpose of the program is to:
•
Allow the Township to establish and maintain a data base of water
quality information that will assist in the future evaluation
of development proposals and allow for the tracking of changes
over time.
•
Allow the Township to make decisions to protect the water resources
and the beach resources.
The 2004 sampling program
will begin in April and will continue until November. Sampling is
conducted monthly for E. coli, total phosphorus and nitrates at
34 sites. The parameters were chosen because of the potential for
agricultural activities to discharge them into the watercourse.
The sampling sites were selected based on sites sampled as part
of the Pine River Watershed Study prepared for the Saugeen Valley
Conservation Authority dated January 1991. This will provide some
historic data for comparative purposes. Additional sites were added
in order to monitor the beaches, which were not included in the
1991 study. In 2002, sites along Boyd Creek and the Eighteen Mile
River were added to the sampling program. These streams, are outside
of the Pine River watershed, and discharge into Lake Huron in Ashfield
Township. These results will be used to compare with those of
a similar monitoring program carried out in Ashfield Township. Two
added sites at inland Otter and Silver Lake were added to the program
in 2004.
Point Clark Water Quality
Monitoring
As a condition of the
approval of the Lakeshore Water Supply project, the Township undertook
a Risk Assessment Study for Continued Development on Septic Systems
in the Lakeshore Area. The study, completed in October 1997, identified
that the principal risk associated with the continued use of private
disposal systems is the potential for contamination of beach areas,
by harmful micro-organisms. Risk management guidelines that form
part of that document, included the establishment of a monitoring
program for surface water quality in the Point Clark North sub-area.
This program is meant to continue on an annual basis, which will
allow for the accumulation of a data base for comparative use.
2004 is the seventh year
of data collection. Sampling for E. coli has been carried out for
four lake sites and 3 inland sources. In 2002 additional sites,
along Jardine Creek, were added for investigative purposes. Water
quality in Jardine Creek has been consistently poorer than other
areas, over the life of the sampling program. Data is collected
every two weeks from April until November.
Water Sampling Maps
Water Quality Monitoring
Reports
|
