WATER QUALITY IN OTTAWA’S
RIVERS AND STREAMS
CITY OF OTTAWA
WATER ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION PROGRAM
MAY 2006
DISCLAIMER
This document has been prepared by the City of Ottawa, Water
Environment Protection Program, Environmental Programs and Technical
Support Division. It is intended to communicate the results of the Baseline
Water Quality Monitoring Program from 1998 to 2004. Every attempt has
been made to ensure that it accurately reflects the Program. Questions
regarding technical findings should be directed to the Water Environment
Protection Program.
City of Ottawa, 2006. Water Quality in Ottawa’s Rivers and Streams. Prepared by the Water
Environment Protection Program, Environmental Programs and Technical Support Division, Utility
Services Branch, Public Works and Services, City of Ottawa.
Copyright City of Ottawa, 2006
City of Ottawa
Public Works and Services
Water Environment Protection Program
655 Shefford Road, 2nd Floor
Gloucester (Ottawa), ON, K1J 8G8
Executive Summary
The City of Ottawa is blessed with an extensive network of rivers and streams. These provide many
benefits. They provide us with water for farms, industries, institutions and homes. They recharge
groundwater and support complex communities of wildlife. They provide beauty, unparalleled vistas
and a host of recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
Water Quality in Ottawa’s Rivers and Streams was prepared by the City of Ottawa’s Water
Environment Protection Program (WEPP) to provide up-to-date information on the condition of
Ottawa’s surface water resources. It describes the City’s network of rivers and streams and WEPP’s
role in maintaining them in a healthy state. It outlines the City’s ongoing Program to monitor water
quality -- the Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Program – and explains why we monitor, what we
monitor and how we do it. The document presents key findings from seven years of extensive water
quality monitoring representing some 6,000 samples taken from 6 rivers, 29 creeks, and 3 lakes.
The report focuses on four key pollutants – phosphorus, E. coli bacteria, copper and zinc.
The WEPP also carries out a Biological Assessment Program that looks at the biological health of
our surface waters. In this Program, our staff identify the number of fish species present in Ottawa’s
streams and rivers, monitor their health and determine the levels of contaminants present. Staff also
look at other factors that are critical to the health of aquatic communities such as stream
temperature, the diversity of benthic invertebrates (bottom-dwelling aquatic insects) and the levels of
dissolved oxygen, suspended solids, phosphorus and key metals in surface waters.
The Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Program, complemented by the Biological Assessment
Program, has given valuable insight into the current water quality in Ottawa’s rivers and streams.
The major conclusions drawn from the analysis of the monitoring data include the following:
Water quality in the City’s major rivers is generally good to excellent. This is good news for
City residents in general and for swimmers, boaters and anglers in particular.
Water quality tends to degrade as tributaries get smaller. This reflects the lesser ability of
small streams to tolerate pollution. Since these ultimately impact all receiving water, we need
to remember that it is important to protect water quality in the smallest of streams if we want
to continue to enjoy good water quality in our rivers.
Phosphorus levels are a concern City-wide except for in the main channels of the Ottawa
and Mississippi Rivers. This reflects the large number of point and non-point sources of this
universal pollutant. We need to continue to tackle the phosphorus issue in order to keep our
watercourses aesthetically pleasing, free of algae blooms and healthy for fish.
With the exception of a few localized areas, E. coli levels, on average, are not a concern in
the major rivers for body contact recreation. Average concentrations in urban creeks exceed
Federal and Provincial water quality targets. The majority of rural creeks meet the targets.
Metals (especially copper) tend to be a concern in smaller tributaries in urban areas,
reflecting the inputs from roads, parking lots, and other potential pollution sources. With few
exceptions, the smaller tributaries in rural areas meet Federal and Provincial targets.
Surrounding land uses can have significant impacts on water quality. While many people link
poor water quality to urbanization, our data show that poor water quality can be found in both
urban and rural streams.
Nine areas of concern were identified during the analysis of the data, mostly on particular
small tributaries.
i
Detailed, ongoing monitoring is necessary to understand interactions between the environment and
the waterways. This is the first step in improving and protecting their health. The City’s Water
Environment Protection Program has had a number of notable successes in terms of protecting and
enhancing the health of our rivers and streams. To build on these successes, WEPP plans to:
continue the Baseline Monitoring Program across the City to provide an ongoing assessment
of the health of the aquatic environment and identify areas of concern for further investigation
or rehabilitation;
investigate expanding the Baseline Monitoring Program to assess the bioaccumulation of
toxins such as heavy metals, to provide early identification of waterways that are subject to
this type of pollution;
enhance the water quality monitoring programs currently in place to provide information on
existing pollution sources in order that they may be targeted for elimination;
assess the impact of new developments, rehabilitative measures and changes to open
spaces on our waterways so that the information can be used for better watershed
management and decision making;
continue supporting the Public Health Branch in the investigation and elimination of sources
of contamination in an effort to minimize the number of beach closures;
use existing stream assessment data to provide the foundation for determining a stream
rehabilitation strategy for all City watersheds;
report regularly on water quality results and continue to make data available on request to
external agencies, organizations and individuals;
investigate the use of Web-based applications to make water quality information such as
beach survey results and fisheries assessments more accessible to the public; and
continue working with water quality partners to protect fish habitat and the fisheries
community.
ii
OUR RIVERS ARE IMPORTANT
The history of the City of Ottawa is inextricably
linked to its rivers. The first inhabitants of the area,
the aboriginal people, used the Ottawa River as a
transportation route. The first European explorer,
Samuel de Champlain paddled up the Ottawa
River in 1611 to explore the vast interior of New
France and opened the door to all those who
followed. In his wake came other explorers,
adventurers, fur traders, and later the loggers who
sent vast rafts of logs down the river to the mills of
Bytown and the ships of Montreal. The settlement
of Bytown (now Ottawa) was established at the
place where the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers meet.
The building of the Rideau Canal between 1826
and 1832 – an extraordinary feat of construction
for its time -- was a defining event in the City’s history.
The Ottawa of today is still very much influenced by the rivers and streams that run through it. The
City is blessed with an extensive network of watercourses that includes the Mississippi, South
Nation, Rideau and Ottawa Rivers and their tributaries. These watercourses -- all 4,500 km of them - are invaluable and irreplaceable resources. Like the arteries and veins in our bodies, they sustain
life in the City. They provide us with water for farms, industries, institutions and homes. They
recharge groundwater and support complex communities of wildlife. They provide beauty,
unparalleled vistas and a host of recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
The City’s Goal of Clean Water
A healthy environment is vital for quality of life and
the long term sustainability of communities. The
new City of Ottawa Growth Management Plan
(Ottawa 20/20) recognizes and endorses this idea.
One of Ottawa 20/20’s seven guiding principles is “A
Green and Environmentally Sensitive City” and one
of the goals under this principle is the goal of clean
water. In the City’s Environmental Strategy this goal
is defined as:
•
•
•
Why Should We Care about Rivers?
Healthy rivers provide a wide range of
benefits to society. They:
•
•
•
drinking water that is safe to consume;
healthy groundwater aquifers; and
rivers, creeks and lakes that support
healthy aquatic environments.
•
The Water Environment Protection Program is one
of the key internal departments charged with helping
to achieve the City’s goal of clean water. This
document explains how we do this.
1
•
sustain wetlands and provide habitat
for aquatic communities;
provide clean water for drinking,
agricultural and industrial use;
support recreational activities such as
angling, swimming, boating and
cottaging;
provide economic benefits from waterrelated investment, tax dollars and
visitor spending; and
provide aesthetic enjoyment.
About this Document
This document has been prepared by the City of Ottawa’s
Water Environment Protection Program (WEPP) to
provide up-to-date information on the condition of
Ottawa’s surface water resources. It describes the City’s
network of rivers and streams and WEPP’s role in
maintaining them in a healthy state. It also outlines the
City’s ongoing program to monitor water quality -- the
Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Program – and
explains why we monitor, what we monitor and how we do
it. The document presents key findings from seven years
of extensive water quality monitoring representing some
6,000 samples taken from 6 rivers and 29 creeks. From
these results, we draw conclusions about the health of our
rivers and streams, and we identify key issues and
problem areas that need to be addressed. The
document’s Appendix provides links to additional
resources for those interested in getting more information
on water quality or helping to protect our rivers and
streams. We invite you to join us on a tour of Ottawa’s
rivers and streams!
Surface Water Facts
Did You Know…
The City of Ottawa has more than 4,500
km of rivers, streams and creeks.
Large rivers make up only 3% of the
4,500 km of watercourses in the City.
47 different species of fish have been
identified by City staff in our waterways.
Three of our streams are classified as
coldwater streams, which means they
support brown trout and other sensitive
species.
Muskie, pike, smallmouth bass,
largemouth bass and walleye can be
found right in the heart of Ottawa in the
Rideau River.
Ottawa now has four lifeguardsupported urban swimming beaches.
The Rideau River is designated as a
Canadian Heritage River because of its
historical and ecological values.
Every year, some 90,000 boats pass
through the locks on the Rideau Canal.
The Rideau Canal is the oldest
continuously operated canal in North
America. Many of its hand-operated
locks use the original mechanisms
installed in 1832.
Ottawa’s lakes, streams and rivers
generate many millions of dollars in
economic benefits from tourism,
cottaging and angling.
2
THE WATER ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION PROGRAM
Who Are We?
The Water Environment Protection Program was
established in 1992 by the former Regional
Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton to protect
Ottawa’s streams and rivers and to ensure that
they remain healthy for future generations. It does
this by assessing the state of the City’s surface
waters and coordinating actions to protect and
improve their health. WEPP carries out
comprehensive water quality monitoring and
tracks changes in water quality over time. When
sources of pollution are identified, City staff
initiate corrective action and coordinate action
plans with conservation authorities and Provincial
and Federal agencies.
A key component of WEPP’s work is our Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Program that provides
ongoing information on the condition of surface waters. The Program tracks water quality in 6 rivers
and 29 creeks. The information gathered in the Program is used in three ways. It provides reference
information that is used for ongoing municipal planning and design purposes; it is also used to track
water quality changes over time, identify pollution threats and water quality problems; and it is used
to evaluate the success of rehabilitation or restoration efforts to make sure resources are used
wisely. This document reports on the results of water quality monitoring for the seven years between
1998 and 2004. More detailed information on the Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Program can be
obtained from WEPP staff.
The WEPP also carries out a Biological
Assessment Program that looks at the biological
health of our surface waters. In this Program,
our staff identify the number of fish species
present in Ottawa’s streams and rivers, monitor
their health and determine the levels of
contaminants present. Staff also look at other
factors that are critical to the health of aquatic
communities such as stream temperature, the
diversity of benthic invertebrates (bottomdwelling aquatic insects) and the levels of
dissolved oxygen, suspended solids,
phosphorus and key metals in surface waters.
The WEPP is also involved in long term planning
through the development of subwatershed studies, such as those done for the Carp River, Shields
Creek, Jock River Reaches 1 and 2 and Mud Creek. Subwatershed studies are developed to
protect, enhance and restore natural resources in a subwatershed over time.
3
Why Do We Monitor?
Water quality monitoring is important for many
reasons. It can help answer questions about
the condition of a body of water (i.e., the
levels of pollutants). It can also tell us about
the stresses on water (the loadings of
pollutants) and our responses (the
effectiveness of our protection, mitigation and
restoration programs). The data collected over
time in monitoring program locations can shed
light on trends, relating both to space and
time. Baseline information – such as that
reported on here -- can also be used as a
yardstick against which the condition of other
water bodies can be measured.
Water quality is both a fundamental component of a healthy natural environment and an indicator of
health. Understanding the health of our rivers and streams is a vital part of taking action to protect
the natural environment. The water quality data and information collected by the WEPP is used by
internal City departments to focus investigations, inform planning, and guide restoration and
remediation efforts where it is most needed. It is also used by external agencies, such as the
Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the three
Conservation Authorities in the area. The data and information collected by the WEPP augments
that collected by the Conservation Authorities, which is collected for different reasons and at a
different scale (watershed-wide rather than City-wide).
Good information is the cornerstone of good planning. Having a databank of good water quality
information allows WEPP to apply “adaptive management” strategies for Ottawa’s rivers and
streams. In simple terms, this means that through monitoring we can identify water quality problems,
and then develop strategies to address them. Ongoing monitoring allows us to see if our efforts have
been successful, and then adjust or adapt them if necessary to achieve our objectives.
4
What Have We Achieved?
The City’s Water Environment Protection Program has contributed greatly to the protection and
enhancement of water quality in our rivers and streams. Information collected has been used to
eliminate pollution sources and to help guide environmentally friendly development. Some of our
“success stories” include:
•
•
•
•
•
pinpointing and repairing hundreds of cross-connected sewers;
identifying and mitigating a wide range of pollution sources including illegal sewer connections
and industrial discharges;
identifying gulls as a source of contamination, resulting in the installation of gull wires at
Britannia and Mooney’s Bay beaches, reducing pollution from birds, improving water quality
and reducing beach closures;
in partnership with Parks Canada, changing how the levels in the Rideau River are altered to
reduce impacts on fish communities; and
monitoring stormwater management facilities after improvements are made to ensure that
water quality is protected.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE BASELINE WATER QUALITY
How We Measure Water Quality
In the City’s Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Program, water samples are evaluated against three
sets of criteria – the Provincial Water Quality Objectives (PWQO), the Canadian Water Quality
Guidelines (CWQG) for the Protection of Aquatic Life, and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the
Environment (CCME) Water Quality Index. The Provincial objectives and Federal guidelines are set
at levels that protect all forms of aquatic life and protect recreational uses based on public health
and aesthetic considerations. The CCME Water Quality Index is a useful communications tool that
translates complex water quality data into simple terms (e.g., excellent, good, poor) for reporting.
Like the Provincial Air Quality Index, the Water Quality Index gives information on overall water
quality without being specific.
Key Indicators of Water Quality
Phosphorus is a nutrient that is essential for life. However, in aquatic systems, too much
phosphorus can lead to excessive growth of aquatic plants, the creation of unsightly mats of
algae, and the depletion of oxygen, which limits the ability of fish to survive. Phosphorus comes
from many sources including sewage treatment plants, stormwater, industrial wastes and
fertilizers.
Escherichia coli (or E. coli)) is a bacterium that indicates the presence of human sewage and
animal manure. It can enter rivers through direct discharge from mammals and birds, from
agricultural and storm runoff carrying mammal wastes (manure), and from sewage leaked or
deliberately discharged into the water. E. coli are also indicators of the possible presence of
other disease causing organisms or pathogens.
Copper and zinc are naturally occurring metals that are essential for life in trace amounts. At
high concentrations, they can be hazardous to both humans and aquatic life. Copper and zinc
typically enter watercourses in stormwater, which picks up the metals from roads and parking
lots or through atmospheric deposition.
5
How We Monitor Water Quality
The City’s Baseline Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program is designed to monitor water quality
across the City and identify long term trends. The Program uses 91 sampling points that are sited to
give coverage of the major rivers, major tributaries and smaller tributaries. Sampling is done monthly
at each monitoring site unless conditions (such as ice cover) prohibit it. From 1998 to 2004, each
monitoring site was sampled between 56 and 84 times.
Each sample is analysed for 43 different parameters or water quality attributes. The results for four
key pollutants of concern – phosphorus, E. coli, copper and zinc – are provided in this report.
Algae blooms on the Rideau River at the Black Rapids
6
Figure 1: Major Watersheds and Tributaries
Constance Creek
Ottawa River
Green Creek
Bear Brook
Carp River
Castor River
Jock River
¹
Legend
Mississippi Watershed
Rideau Watershed
South Nation Watershed
Tributaries to Ottawa Watershed
City Boundary
0
Urban Area
7
5
10
20
30 Kilometers
INTRODUCING OTTAWA’S RIVERS AND STREAMS
Major Rivers
Within its boundaries, the City of Ottawa has portions of four watersheds – the Ottawa, the
Mississippi, the Rideau and the South Nation -- see Figure 1. Each of these watersheds has a
distinct identity that is shaped by geology and land use. While these large rivers are highly visible
and fairly well known, it is interesting to note that they make up only 3% of the 4,500 km of streams
and rivers in the City. This underscores the importance of the 97% of stream length that is made up
of a few large tributaries and hundreds of small streams.
Land Use in the Major Watersheds Within the City Limits
Watershed
Ottawa
Mississippi
Rideau
South Nation
Total Area
(km2)
146,222
4,059
3,935
4,184
Forest
%
75
70
44
35
Urban
%
<1
<1
4.5
1
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is over 1,200 km in length and
drains a huge area (over 140,000 km2). Only 2% of
the river lies within the City’s boundaries. From its
source in Lake Capimitchigama in western
Quebec, the Ottawa River flows to Lake
Temiskaming and then southeast to empty into the
St. Lawrence River at Montreal. The
characteristics of the Ottawa River reflect the
landscape through which it flows, which is
dominated by the forested Canadian Shield,
relatively little agricultural land use and less than
1% urbanization. This leads to river water that is
generally of good quality, but which is relatively
sensitive to pollutants.
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is about 160 km in length
and drains an area of 4,059 km2. Only 4% of the
river lies within the City’s boundaries. The source
of the Mississippi is east of the Kawartha Lakes.
From there it flows northeast to empty into the
Ottawa River just east of Arnprior. Upstream of the
City’s boundaries the Mississippi flows through a
typical Canadian Shield landscape dominated by
forests. There is relatively little agricultural land
use in the watershed and only 1% urbanization.
Similar to the Ottawa River, the water quality in the
Mississippi is generally of good quality, and is
relatively sensitive to pollutants.
8
Agriculture
%
10
15
38
62
Water
%
13
15
16
2
% within
Ottawa
2
4
23
15
Rideau River
The Rideau River is 146 km in length and drains
an area of 3,935 km2. About 23% of the watershed
lies within the City boundaries. It originates in
Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa
River at Rideau Falls. The Rideau River is
distinctly different from Ottawa’s other large rivers,
in that its water levels are regulated from May to
October so that the canal can provide deep
enough water for boat passage. During the
navigation season, upstream of the Hog’s Back
lock, this means that the river has more of the
characteristics of a shallow reservoir than a river.
Downstream of the Hog’s Back lock, where the
canal is separate from the river, the Rideau
reclaims its free-flowing identity. The upper third of the Rideau River watershed flows through the
granite of the Canadian Shield, while the lower two-thirds flows through limestone. This geology
affects water quality in the river, as does the land use, which is more urbanized and has more
agriculture than either the Ottawa or the Mississippi Rivers.
South Nation River
The South Nation River is 175 km in length and
drains an area of 4,184 km2. About 15% of the
watershed lies within the City boundaries. From its
headwaters north of Brockville, the South Nation
River flows northeast and empties into the Ottawa
River near Plantagenet. Water quality in the South
Nation is influenced by the limestone geology
through which it flows and the dominance of
agricultural land use (62% of the watershed). The
main branch of the South Nation River does not
flow through the City of Ottawa, so for water
quality monitoring purposes, it is addressed under
its major tributaries (the Castor River and Bear Brook), which are introduced in the next section.
Major Tributaries
The City’s “major tributaries” are the smaller rivers and large streams that drain areas greater than
300 km2 in size and which empty into one of our major rivers. There are four of these within the City
of Ottawa and their location is shown in Figure 1. These are:
•
the Carp River, the only major tributary that is wholly contained within the City of Ottawa,
which drains directly into the Ottawa River;
•
the Jock River, which drains into the Rideau River;
•
the Castor River, which drains into the South Nation River; and
•
Bear Brook Creek, which drains into the South Nation River.
9
Smaller Tributaries
The City of Ottawa contains hundreds of
smaller tributaries including streams, brooks
and intermittent watercourses. While these
may seem to be less valuable than large
rivers and major tributaries, they are
fundamentally important to ecological health
and in many cases are irreplaceable. These
small tributaries provide drainage and vital
aquatic habitat for a wide variety of aquatic
organisms. Because of their size, however,
small tributaries are more sensitive to
pollution than larger watercourses.
The Importance of Small
Some ecologists use a tree as an analogy for a
river system. In this analogy, the trunk is the
river, the large branches are the major
tributaries, and the small branches are the
smaller tributaries. The small branches of a tree
are where all the work
gets done, where
photosynthesis takes
place. Without its
small branches, a
tree will die. The same
holds for river systems:
if the smallest streams
are removed, the entire
river system will be
affected.
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WHAT DID WE FIND?
The monitoring results for the seven years between 1998 and 2004 have been summarized below
with respect to the percentage of samples that meet the Provincial and Federal water quality targets.
It should be noted that this is an overall assessment. There are some exceptions to the overall
assessment, for example, rural creeks where water quality is very good. The water quality results at
each of the monitoring stations are mapped on Figure 2 (for phosphorus) and Figure 3 (for E. coli).
Rating System and Colour Coding
Excellent
Good
Fair
% Samples Meeting
Water Quality Targets
95 to 100
80 to 94
65 to 79
Exceeded targets occasionally
Marginal
Poor
45 to 64
0 to 44
Exceeded targets often or significantly
Rating
What it Means
Rarely failed to meet targets
Major Rivers
Water quality in the Ottawa, Mississippi and Rideau Rivers is generally good to excellent. This is
largely due to the relatively low proportion of urban development and agriculture in their watersheds.
The exception to the overall “good to excellent” assessment of the City’s major rivers is the levels of
phosphorus in the Rideau River, which is marginal. Only about 45% of samples taken from the
Rideau met water quality targets for phosphorus. (By comparison, 100% of samples from the Ottawa
and 86% of samples from the Mississippi met the water quality targets for phosphorus).
Major River
Ottawa River
Mississippi River
Rideau River
Phosphorus
Excellent
Good
Marginal
E. coli
Good
Good
Good
Copper
Good
Excellent
Good
Zinc
Excellent
Excellent
Excellent
Major Tributaries
Water quality in the City’s major tributaries varies from poor to excellent, depending on the pollutant.
Levels of metals are good to excellent, although copper is rated as marginal for Bear Brook. E. coli
levels are fair in the Jock River and marginal in the other major tributaries. Phosphorus levels are
marginal in the Jock River and poor for the other three major tributaries. Of the four major tributaries,
Bear Brook has the poorest rating for all four pollutants.
Major Tributary
Carp River
Jock River
Bear Brook
Castor River
Phosphorus
Poor
Marginal
Poor
Poor
E. coli
Marginal
Fair
Marginal
Marginal
Copper
Good
Good
Marginal
Good
Zinc
Excellent
Excellent
Good
Excellent
Smaller Tributaries
Water quality in the City’s smaller tributaries varies from poor to excellent, depending on the
pollutant. Phosphorus levels are rated as poor in both rural and urban areas, and E. coli levels are
poor in urban creeks and marginal in rural creeks. In terms of the frequency of meeting water quality
targets, urban creeks are worse than rural creeks. The higher levels of metals in urban creeks reflect
the influence of urban runoff from roads and parking lots.
Small Tributary
Urban Creeks
Rural Creeks
Phosphorus
Poor
Poor
E. coli
Poor
Marginal
11
Copper
Fair
Good
Zinc
Good
Excellent
Areas of Concern
Nine areas of concern were
identified during the analysis of the
data. These areas are monitoring
stations on particular small
tributaries in which high levels of
phosphorus, E. coli and metals were
found. Some of these tributaries
drain urban areas, some drain rural
areas, and some drain areas with
mixed land use.
Dominant
Upstream
Land Use
Urban
Rural
Area of Concern
Bilberry Creek
Green Creek at Montreal Road
Green Creek at Innes
Bear Brook at Boundary Road/RR#4
Becketts Creek
Cardinal Creek
Flowing Creek at Richmond
Casey Creek at Dunrobin Road
Green Creek downstream of Ramsay Creek
Mixed
Trends Noted
With the exception of the main
channels of the Ottawa and Mississippi Rivers, phosphorus is a concern in all the City’s rivers and
streams. In all watercourses other than the Ottawa and Mississippi Rivers, phosphorus levels are
rated as poor or marginal and average concentrations exceed water quality targets.
E. coli is not a concern in the major rivers. The Rideau River has the lowest average E. coli
concentration of all the watercourses sampled. The highest average concentrations of E. coli are
found in Bear Brook and in the urban creeks.
In general, average concentrations of metals are not a concern. The exception to this is the average
concentration of copper in Bear Brook, which exceed water quality targets. The highest average
concentration of zinc is seen in urban creeks. As noted above, this reflects the extent of urban runoff
from roads and parking lots.
Overall, water quality tends to decline as the size of waterbodies decreases.
Increasing levels of phosphorus and E. coli are seen on the Ottawa River downstream of the urban
area. This is due to the influence of the Rideau and Gatineau Rivers, stormwater from the City of
Ottawa, and the wastewater treatment plants that serve Ottawa and Gatineau.
Increasing levels of E. coli are seen in the Rideau River with distance downstream. However, the
variability of levels suggests the influence of local sources rather than a cumulative effect. A
significant increase in phosphorus levels is noted when the river reaches the Black Rapids. This is
likely the influence of some rural tributaries, which empty into the Rideau upstream from the Black
Rapids.
Increased levels of phosphorus and zinc are seen in the City’s tributaries during the spring melt,
when runoff picks up pollutants from farms, yards, roads and parking lots.
A key question with monitoring is whether water quality conditions are getting better over time or
worse. Statistically, trends through time would not generally expect to be clearly evident until
approximately ten years of data are available. Therefore, continued monitoring is advisable in order
to verify the trends that have emerged to date and note those that may not yet have become
apparent.
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Figure 2: Phosphorus Levels at Monitoring Stations (1998 – 2004)
Cumberland
Constance Bay
Fitzroy Harbour
Sarsfield
Notre Dame des Champs
Navan
Dunrobin
Galetta
Constance Creek
Green Creek
Kinburn
Bear Brook
Carlsbad Springs
South Nation
Vars
Carp
Mississippi
Ottawa
Carp
Fallowfield
Greely
Metcalfe
Castor
Manotick
Jock
Ashton
Kenmore
Richmond
Marionville
Rideau
Munster
Vernon
¹
Kars
Osgoode
North Gower
Frequency Samples
Meet Objectives
Phosphorus
Poor : Usually Exceeds Objective
Marginal to Fair : Regularly Exceeds Objective
Good to Excellent: Rarely Exceeds Objective
Urban Area
0
13
2.5
5
10
15
20
25 Kilometers
Figure 3: E.coli Levels at Monitoring Stations (1998 – 2004)
Cumberland
Constance Bay
Fitzroy Harbour
Sarsfield
Notre Dame des Champs
Navan
Dunrobin
Galetta
Constance Creek
Green Creek
Kinburn
Bear Brook
Carlsbad Springs
South Nation
Vars
Carp
Mississippi
Ottawa
Carp
Fallowfield
Greely
Metcalfe
Castor
Manotick
Jock
Ashton
Kenmore
Richmond
Marionville
Rideau
Munster
Vernon
¹
Kars
Osgoode
North Gower
Frequency Samples
Meet Objectives
E. coli
Poor : Usually Exceeds Objective
Marginal to Fair : Regularly Exceeds Objective
Good to Excellent: Rarely Exceeds Objective
Urban Area
0
14
2.5
5
10
15
20
25 Kilometers
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
The Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Program, complemented by the Biological Assessment
Program, has given us valuable insight into the water quality of Ottawa’s rivers and streams. The
major conclusions drawn from the analysis of the monitoring results are presented below.
Water quality in the City’s major rivers is generally good to excellent. This is good news for
City residents in general and for swimmers, boaters and anglers in particular.
Water quality tends to degrade as tributaries get smaller. This reflects the lesser ability of
small streams to tolerate pollution. Since these ultimately impact all receiving water, we need
to remember that it is important to protect water quality in the smallest of streams if we want
to continue to enjoy good water quality in our rivers.
Phosphorus levels are a concern City-wide except for in the main channels of the Ottawa
and Mississippi Rivers. This reflects the large number of point and non-point sources of this
universal pollutant. We need to continue to tackle this pollutant in order to keep our
watercourses aesthetically pleasing, free of algae blooms and healthy for fish.
With the exception of a few localized areas, E. coli levels, on average, are not a concern in
the major rivers for body contact recreation. Average concentrations in urban creeks exceed
Federal and Provincial water quality targets. The majority of rural creeks meet the targets.
Metals (especially copper) tend to be a concern in smaller tributaries in urban areas,
reflecting the inputs from roads, parking lots, and other potential pollution sources. With few
exceptions, the smaller tributaries in rural areas meet Federal and Provincial targets.
Surrounding land uses can have significant impacts on water quality. While many people link
poor water quality to urbanization, our data shows that poor water quality can be found in
both urban and rural streams, usually for different reasons.
LOOKING FORWARD
Detailed, ongoing monitoring is necessary to understand interactions between the environment and
the waterways. This is the first step in improving and protecting their health. The City’s Water
Environment Protection Program has had a number of notable successes in terms of protecting and
enhancing the health of our rivers and streams. To build on these successes, WEPP plans to:
continue the Baseline Water Quality Monitoring Program across the City to provide an
ongoing assessment of the health of the aquatic environment and identify areas of concern
for further investigation or rehabilitation;
investigate expanding the Baseline Monitoring Program to assess the bioaccumulation of
toxins such as heavy metals, to provide early identification of waterways that are subject to
this type of pollution;
enhance the water quality monitoring programs currently in place to provide information on
existing pollution sources and initiate corrective actions for their elimination;
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assess the impact of new developments, rehabilitative measures and changes to open
spaces on our waterways so that the information can be used for better watershed
management and decision making;
continue supporting the Public Health Branch in the investigation and elimination of sources
of contamination in an effort to minimize the number of beach closures;
use existing stream assessment data to provide the foundation for determining a stream
rehabilitation strategy for all City watersheds;
report regularly on water quality results and continue to make data available on request to
external agencies, organizations and individuals;
investigate the use of Web-based applications to make water quality information such as
beach survey results and fisheries assessments more accessible to the public; and
continue working with water quality partners to protect fish habitat and the fisheries
community.
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APPENDIX A: RESOURCES
There are many Web-based sources of information on the health of Ottawa’s surface water
resources and programs that contribute to reducing pollution. Some are listed below, along with links
for people who are interested in helping to improve the health of our lakes, streams and rivers.
Getting Information
LandOwner Resource Centre: The LRC was established by the Rideau Valley Conservation
Authority in 1993 to provide “one stop shopping” for rural landowners. The Centre, located in
Manotick, provides information on issues relating to woodlot management, insects and pests,
water, wildlife and conservation of wetlands. For more information, see
http://www.lrconline.com/index.htm
Water Efficiency: Conserving water is good for the environment because it reduces the
impact on water resources and reduces the energy required to treat and transport the water. It
is also good for the economy because it is cheaper to conserve water than it is to build new
treatment capacity. The City of Ottawa’s Web site has information on how residents can
become more water efficient, both inside and outside the house. For more information, see
http://ottawa.ca/City_services/water/efficiency/index_en.shtml
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority: The RVCA Web site provides data and information
on the characteristics of the Rideau watershed and RVCA’s programs, publications and news.
For more information, see http://www.rideauvalley.on.ca/
Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority: The MVCA’s Web site provides information on
water management, water planning and regulations, and conservation education programs. For
more information, see http://www.mvc.on.ca/index.html
South Nation Conservation: The SNC Web site provides information on the history of the
South Nation watershed, SNC’s programs and services, recreational resources and news and
events. For more information, see http://www.nation.on.ca/English/index.htm
The Nature of the Rideau River: This Web
site was established by the Canadian Museum
of Nature. It provides information on the history
and geography of the river, along with
information on water quality and biodiversity.
The Rideau River Biodiversity Project, carried
out by the CMN and the former Regional
Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, identified the
number of species of aquatic plants, aquatic
birds, fish, mussels, invertebrates, amphibians
and reptiles in various parts of the Rideau
River. For more information, see
http://www.nature.ca/rideau/index-e.html
Froglets about to lose their tails and become adult frogs
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Getting Involved
City Stream Watch: This is a partnership involving the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority,
the City of Ottawa, and four other partners. The Program trains volunteers to monitor local
streams for water temperature, fish habitat potential and other characteristics. Founded in
2003, the program now includes stream cleanup, shoreline rehabilitation, shoreline plantings
and fish habitat improvements. For information, see
http://www.rideauvalley.on.ca/programs/streamwatch/
Friends of the Carp: Friends of the Carp is a group of volunteers that are dedicated to
improving the quality of the Carp River. The group is focused on restoring shoreline vegetation
along the river for the benefit of both human and wildlife communities. For more information,
see http://www.friendsofthecarpriver.com/
Rural Clean Water Program: This Program was developed by the City of Ottawa in
cooperation with local farm and rural organizations and universities. Administered by the
Conservation Authorities, the Program offers grants and technical assistance for rural projects
to reduce pollution. These include improving manure storage, repairing septic systems,
establishing buffers, reducing soil erosion and improving cropping practices. For more
information, contact the Landowner Resource Centre at http://www.lrconline.com/index.htm
Friends of Jock River: The Friends of the Jock River is a non-profit, charitable environmental
organization managed by volunteers in the Jock River watershed. Its mandate is to protect the
Jock River watershed ecosystem. For more information, see
http://www.geocities.com/jockriver/
Ottawa Riverkeeper: Ottawa Riverkeeper is a citizen-based organization that is aimed at
achieving a healthy, ecologically sustainable Ottawa River. The organization is open to all
individuals and groups with a commitment to and interest in the ecological welfare of the
Ottawa River. For more information, see http://www.ottawariverkeeper.ca/main.php
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