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Bow River phosphorus management plan

Description

Heightened nutrient levels in the Bow River downstream of Calgary have long been a concern. In the 1970s and 1980s, high nutrient levels resulted in excessive aquatic plant growth resulting in low... More ≫

Description

Heightened nutrient levels in the Bow River downstream of Calgary have long been a concern. In the 1970s and 1980s, high nutrient levels resulted in excessive aquatic plant growth resulting in low dissolved oxygen and occasional fish mortality. An interim policy on effluent limits was released by Alberta Environment in 2008. This policy required that a regional nutrient load reduction plan be developed for reaches at risk of exceeding water quality guidelines. At the same time the Government of Alberta was transitioning to an environmental management approach that addresses the cumulative effects of resource management decisions and considers the environmental, economic and social implications of development for an entire region. In 2011, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) invited contributing parties in the affected reach of the Bow River to initiate a voluntary, collaborative process to address phosphorus loadings, not just from point sources such as...

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Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan : water quality modeling scenarios

Description

Eight scenarios were run with the Bow River Water Quality Model (BRWQM) to support the Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan (PMP). The scenarios predicted close to 10% increase in the instream... More ≫

Description

Eight scenarios were run with the Bow River Water Quality Model (BRWQM) to support the Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan (PMP). The scenarios predicted close to 10% increase in the instream Total Phosphorus (TP) concentration above Highwood River using the loading projected by 2039. The Dissolved Oxygen (DO) was above the chronic guideline of 6.5 mg/L in all the scenarios; however, in some instances the DO was below 8.3 mg/L in May and June. The acute guideline showed two critical locations: 10 km downstream from Bonnybrook and 10 km downstream from Strathmore wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The frequency of compliance was at or below 99.91% in these two locations for the scenarios that used the forecasted TP loading by 2039.

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Bow River phosphorus management plan : scenario modeling results for Crowfoot Creek

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The SWAT (Soil Water Assessment Tool) model was selected to simulate different agricultural practices and BMP options in Crowfoot Creek. The Crowfoot Creek watershed was selected as a pilot study... More ≫

Description

The SWAT (Soil Water Assessment Tool) model was selected to simulate different agricultural practices and BMP options in Crowfoot Creek. The Crowfoot Creek watershed was selected as a pilot study area for rural nonpoint source BMP scenario modeling in Bow River Basin. Seven scenarios were run with the SWAT model to support the PMP. These included: protection of existing wetlands; restoration of degraded/drained wetlands; manure management and spreading; cropland conversion to perennial forage in riparian zones or in-field gullies/waterways; and riparian fall grazing within cultivated lands.

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Report on the Bow River Phosphorus Management Plan INFFER analysis

Description

Land Stewardship Centre (LSC) is working to bring awareness and knowledge of the Investment Framework for Environmental Resources to Alberta, and in particular, to key decision makers, land-use... More ≫

Description

Land Stewardship Centre (LSC) is working to bring awareness and knowledge of the Investment Framework for Environmental Resources to Alberta, and in particular, to key decision makers, land-use planners and program developers, in an effort to grow the capacity for implementing an asset-based, outcome-focused approach to natural resource management. LSC utilized the INFFER framework as a decision support mechanism to assist the Bow River Phosphorous Management Plan (BRPMP) Steering Committee in developing a phosphorus management plan. Included in the analysis was a need for clearly identifying the targeted asset, an assessment of the potential impacts of specific programs, estimating the adoption of programs by landowners and land managers, short and long-term costs for each proposed scenario, and risk estimates.

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