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Evaluation of Forest and Range Practices on Water Quality: Pilot Workshop Review

This review assesses the effectiveness of forest and range practices on water quality and potential health hazards in British Columbia. The evaluation methodology, pilot testing, and field training sessions are examined to determine key findings and areas for improvement.

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Evaluation of Forest and Range Practices on Water Quality: Pilot Workshop Review

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  1. FREP Review of Water Quality Effectiveness Evaluation Pilot For Workshop Feb 27, 28, 2007 David Maloney MoFR Brian Carson

  2. Two key questions • Are forest and range practices effective in protecting water quality? • Are forest and range practices increasing the risk of drinking water health hazards? Drinking water Fish

  3. Time Line

  4. Development of Evaluation Methodology2006/2007 How hands-on should a Routine Evaluation be?

  5. Desirable Characteristics of Evaluation • Results Based- Evaluates potential change in water quality, not adherence to specific management practices • Simple but not simplistic (evaluation to be conducted by technicians but also be relevant to water purveyors) • Fast (20 minutes per site) • Repeatable (two different evaluators working independently will come up with similar answer) • Able to address a wide range of terrain characteristics that occur throughout all Forest Regions of B.C • Directly provide recommendations for better management

  6. Contractor working closely with Water Quality Effectiveness Evaluation Committee headed by David Maloney of Forest and Range Practices Division. • Focus on fine sediment from forestry disturbance, fecal contamination from range practices • Four drafts with committee meetings to direct progress • Field testing continuous on Sunshine Coast and once in Prince George District • Pilot Version (to test concepts and processes) ready by April 2006

  7. Five Tasks to determine water quality effect of forestry and range operations Select random sampling areas in District. Pre-select evaluation sites. Task I Visit, characterize and finalize selection of sediment generating sites and livestock disturbance within these sampling areas Task II For all selected sites, estimate contribution to stream sedimentation from mass failures and surface erosion. Where livestock present, evaluate their effect on fecal contamination Task III Assess management practices associated with component or site in relation to sediment generation Task IV Task V Summarize results from all sites in sampling area report card

  8. 2. Pilot Training

  9. Conducted May June 2006 (Volunteer districts) • 5 sessions with 20 participants from 11 districts representing coast, south and north interior Nelson, Castlegar, Queen Charlottes, Prince George, Fort St James, Vanderhoof, Dawson Creek, Mackenzie, Williams Lake, Quesnel and Aneheim. • Training Conducted by Contractor and Contract Supervisor • ½ day presentation, 1 ½ day in field visiting 5 or 6 sample sites within 1 hour drive of office.

  10. 3. Pilot Field Season

  11. Conducted July, August and September • Trainees from most districts conducted an evaluation of 6 sample sites (range 2 to 12) over a 1 to 4 day period • Focus was on the field evaluation methodology. Random sampling of cutblocks for statistically valid sample was not attempted. • Back up was available when trainees encountered difficulty in performing aspects of the evaluation. Telephone, email and snail mail • Results were copied and mailed to contractor for preliminary review

  12. 4. Review of field season results

  13. Completed October, 2006 • Resampling sites were chosen to represent different forestry regions and types of disturbance • Contractor and Supervisor visited 14 sites in 4 districts that had previously been sampled by trainees over summer and evaluated same sites independently. • Purpose to test methodology, not acquire data

  14. Example of Outcome of Field Checking between Trainees and Review Team

  15. Major findings • All trainees appeared to have a good grasp of the overall methodology. • Trainees were good at defining the boundaries of the mini catchment and identifying the components (road surfaces, ditches, cutbanks, failure slopes) and estimating their surface areas. • As for the actual estimation of fine sediment, in all but one case, the results from trainees and review team provided estimates that were within the same order of magnitude. This outcome was the primary objective of this routine/ extensive evaluation. • Some trainees were more comfortable with order of magnitude estimates than others. • Upon making their estimate of fine sediment production from each component of each disturbed site, trainee evaluators were in an excellent position to provide concise recommendations for improvements that would minimize sediment production.

  16. 5. Lessons Learned (Where improvements could be made)

  17. a. More emphasis on training and manual development required by Contractor • Office wrap-up for questions and review at end of 2 days would be useful (formerly done in field at end of 2nd day) • Trainees should try to schedule field season to conduct trials as soon as possible after training • Simple field manual required to assist evaluator in making on site decisions • Field manual must be printed on waterproof paper and easy to refer to in field

  18. b. Trainees should be encouraged to visit field during heavy rains/ spring thaw so they can see erosion sedimentation processes first hand

  19. More attention was required by Contractor in the evaluation of range conditions for possible fecal contamination Discussions were held with Ministry of Forestry and Range, Range Branch and Agriculture Canada and methodology upgraded with their specialist’s input

  20. d. A reduction in subjectivity associated with certain evaluation decisions were required. For instance: estimation of connectivity and estimate of amount of surface erosion required more instruction.

  21. The order of magnitude nature of results • 0.1, 1, 10, 100 • Not • 4.389 vs 3.685

  22. 6. Verification Implementation

  23. Methodology recognizes a direct link with conditions of disturbed site and changes in stream turbidity. Field verification of changes in stream turbidity at forestry- disturbed sites was conducted over winter Nature of disturbed areas, associated storm run off (turbidity and discharge) and changes in turbidity of creek were measured.

  24. Implementation • Water Quality Effectiveness Evaluations will be conducted starting this summer after appropriate training of District Staff • Training will likely be held at 5 centres throughout BC. • Schedules for training will be developed with coordination of FREP and District Staff. • While handheld computers will not be available this season for data input and evaluation, the Water Quality Effectiveness Evaluation lends itself to such a procedure.

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