WATER QUALITY MONITORING The Water Quality Monitoring Protocol specifies the methods and design of water quality monitoring under the Proposed Fish Habitat Management Regime for Yukon Placer Mining. It will provide ongoing information on water quality

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WATER QUALITY MONITORING The Water Quality
Monitoring Protocol specifies the methods and
design of water quality monitoring under the
Proposed Fish Habitat Management Regime for Yukon
Placer Mining.It will provide ongoing
information on water quality in various
watersheds and will indicate whether the water
quality objectives established in the Regime are
being met.If the water quality objectives are
not being met, the protocol sets out how to
assess whether it is due to placer mining
activity or not.The protocol outlines in detail
the locations, timing, frequency and methods
employed during sampling. It also describes the
methods used to analyze sampling data.The data
to be collected and analyzed includes - Field
measurements of pH, conductivity, water and air
temperature, stream flow - Automatic sampler
measurements of rainfall, stream flow, air and
water temperatureIn addition, lab analysis
will be done of total suspended solids,
settle-able solids and turbidity.An annual
report will summarize the results. If the water
quality objectives are not being met, monitoring
will be enhanced to further assess these
areas.Decisions on modifying water quality
objectives or discharge standards should be based
on multiple years of data.
The Proposed Fish Habitat Management Regime for
Yukon Placer Mining
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Water Quality Monitoring How It Will Work -
Samples will be collected by Natural Resource
Officers/Mining and research- oriented staff,
as well as by automated samplers. - Personnel
will measure the pH, conductivity and temperature
of the water and take stream flow
measurements. - For each watershed, five sites
along the rivers main stem will be chosen to
conduct water quality sampling. - One site
will always be at the mouth of the main stem, and
four other sites will be situated along the
main stem downstream of habitat classification
change points. - Sampling will occur at a
minimum of four times per year (twice during high
flow and twice during low flow periods). -
Sampling will begin in May and continue until the
end of the placer mining season (late October
in some years). - An effort will be made to
sample at monitoring points when upstream placer
mines are in production.Water quality
objectives will be monitored by the Department of
Energy, Mines and Resources.The draft Water
Quality Monitoring Protocol is available on the
Yukon Placer Secretariats website at
www.yukonplacersecretariat.ca.
The Proposed Fish Habitat Management Regime for
Yukon Placer Mining