Project Outline
Objectives:
The establishment of long-term water quality data record that will be used to assess status and trends and to support modelling activities and the interpretation of aquatic ecosystem based measures. Changes in water quality status and trends will inform assessments of potential impacts related to resource extraction.
The design of the program is adaptive in the sense that decision triggers that inform the management of the program will be integral to the program.
Key Outcomes:
Water quality data which will support a comprehensive assessment of changes in water chemistry related stressors and their ecological effects.
Geographic Scope:
The geographic scope extends north from the Athabasca Oil Sands area and includes enhancements to existing monitoring on the Peace and Slave Rivers. As per the Joint Oil Sands Monitoring Plan, the program includes Lower Athabasca River monitoring sites (M0-M9) from the Town of Athabasca (M0) to just upstream of the Athabasca River Delta (M9), about 36 monitoring sites on major tributaries to the Lower Athabasca River (including the Firebag, Muskeg, N. Muskeg, Jackpine, Wapasu, Steepbank, Clearwater, Hangingstone, Christina, Big, Calumet, Tar, Ells, Dover, Mackay, and Popular) and key low order tributaries, and key lakes in the Lower Athabasca (e.g., Kearl Lake). In addition, water quality is to be monitored in the downstream expanded geographical area (EGA) at M11A, M12, M10, SL1, SL2, BI1, RI1, QU1, MC1, BU1, BU2 as well as in deltaic wetlands linked to the Core Deltaic Monitoring project.