Book Description

This report describes the water quality within the Fraser River from its headwaters near Moose Lake to its entry at Hope in the lower Fraser Valley. The water quality assessment focuses on recent information and impacts related to present operations, and takes into account an intensive water quality sampling program on a number of Fraser River sites operational about 1985-1993. It begins with an overview of the Fraser River watershed and its hydrology and a brief review of water uses in the river (fisheries, consumption, recreation). It then details the permitted waste discharges to the river along three reaches (beginning at Moose Lake, Tete Jaune Cache, and the Nechako River confluence respectively). These discharges come from pulp and paper mills, municipalities, and other industries such as chemicals. Non-point discharges (forestry, agriculture, urban stormwater runoff) are also described. Finally, ambient water quality and proposed provisional water quality objectives are set out for the three Fraser River reaches. These objectives cover water chemistry, sediment chemistry, and analyses of fish. Includes glossary.