The report presents results of a water quality monitoring program completed on the Athabasca River. During the winter of 2015, Alberta Environment and Parks conducted a synoptic survey on the...
Description
The report presents results of a water quality monitoring program completed on the Athabasca River. During the winter of 2015, Alberta Environment and Parks conducted a synoptic survey on the Athabasca River. The purpose of the study was threefold: to evaluate winter spatial patterns in water quality along the length of the Athabasca River; to assess the cumulative effects of industrial and municipal point-source discharges on the Athabasca River during winter low flow, while considering contributions from major tributaries; and to compare current water quality conditions in the Athabasca River to data collected in 1990-1993. A synoptic survey is a comprehensive spatial survey that aims to sample the same ‘parcel’ of water as it flows downstream in a river basin.