Water Quality and Quantity Monitoring
Water quality samples are taken twice a year by the CRD, Integrated Watershed Management Program staff. CRD staff sample for basic indicators of urban water quality such as nutrients, hydrocarbons, fecal coliforms (sewage) and metals. This ongoing sampling provides a baseline against which improvement can be measured. Water quantity (stream flow) is also measured on an ongoing basis in two locations.
This water quantity data was useful for the Master Drainage Plan and will also provide a baseline against which future changes could be measured. A new sampling method is now being evaluated - using the collection of stream-dwelling invertebrates to provide a more precise indicator of overall creek health.
Benthic Monitoring
The CRD also conducted benthic monitoring.
Fish Monitoring
The CRD experimented with placing fish boxes containing fish embryos in the creek at three sites (University of Victoria, Browning park and near the outlet at Beach Drive). THe purpose of the study is to examine the effect of pollution in the creek on the development of the fish embryos over a six week period.