Cowichan Watershed 2013 Monitoring Summary and Plans for 2014 Deborah Epps Section Head, Provincial Water Quality Ministry of Environment, Nanaimo, BC June 17, 2015

Items for Discussion Program review 2013 Sampling Summary – lake, river and marine sites 2014 Sampling Proposal Discussion

Three Year Plan 2012 – focus on lower watershed, from lake down (2012 summary report) 2013 – focus on upper watershed and hot spots from 2012 (2013 summary report) 2014 – address hot spots, 2013 reports: Cowichan lake and Cow/Kok rivers attainment, Cow Bay WQOS ), overall recommendations

2012 Recommendations: Monitoring and follow up action Further investigations required – Koksilah and Upper Cowichan Bay bench Site visits with farming community – Group Environmental Farm Plan Additional sampling: Allenby, FGA, Vimy, Cow Bay More microbial source tracking – Bacteroides (Env Can) vs MST library method (Asit) Busy Place Creek sampling

2013 Results Maps and Figures

Cowichan Lake Perimeter – E. coli

Cowichan Lake Tribs - Turbidity

Cowichan Lake Tribs – E. Coli

Cowichan River

Koksilah – E coli (385 and 77 CFU/100 mg/L geomean)

Cowichan Bay

Cowichan Bay - Enterococci

Cowichan Bay Fecal Coliforms

Next Steps – Lake Cowichan – E coli and turbidity in selected tribs (Beaver Creek, Heather, Oliver – Microbial Source Tracking in tribs – Sampling at dw intake in lake, marina – Links to shoreline work

Cowichan/Koksilah Rivers Koksilah – farm sampling 2013 – Update from Rodger Cowichan River – storm drain issues in fall (turbidity, E. coli, metals) – Allenby sources – Fish Gut Alley – sources – Busy Place Creek

Cowichan Bay and tribs Float Home areas – summer only Tribs – linked to farm plan work Shoreline sampling - VIHA

Island Health sampling for 2014 Cowichan Bay – nature centre, cherry point beach Cowichan River – Provincial park, bright Angel park, vimy park Lake Cowichan – Arbutus Park beach, Lakeview Park Beach

Somenos and tribs Averill, Bings and Richards Creek 5 weekly samples in 30 days summer and fall (E coli, turbidity, nutrients (TP), metals) Bings creek – looking upstream for sources Somenos - biweekly DO/temp profiles, secchi

Overall Recommendations: Water quality objectives have to be linked to Cowichan Watershed Board targets Stormwater Management Planning Local Government support – Land use planning, zoning and By-laws, – LWMPs, – Riparian areas Outreach and Education

Discussion…