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Air Quality
- Communities Exposed to Health Risks
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- Ground Level Ozone in B.C.
Health and Environment
- Mercury Concentration
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Surface Water Quality
- Surface Water Quality in B.C.
- Stream Crossing Density
- Water Quality Index
Ground Water
- Observation Wells Showing Declining Water Levels
- Heavily Used Aquifers
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Surface Water Use
- Licensed Streams with Water Allocation Restrictions
- Stream Allocation Restrictions in B.C.
- Per Capita Municipal Water Use
- Effect of Metering on Domestic Water Use
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Toxic Contaminants
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- Absorbable Organic Halide (AOX) Discharge in Pulp and Paper Effluent
Chemicals in Wildlife
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- Dioxins and Furans in Dungeness Crabs Near Pulp Mills
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions in B.C.
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Climate Change
- Change in Air Temperature
- Fraser River Annual Flow
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Mitigation of Impact
- B.C. Wastewater Treatment
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Protected Areas
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Species at Risk
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Habitat
- Road Density
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Fish
- Steelhead Stocks
- Sturgeon in Fraser, Columbia and Nechako Rivers
- Bull Trout Trends by Watershed
Wildlife
- Species Range
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Environmental Trends 2002

Surface Water Quality

Stream Crossing Density in Community Watersheds

number of stream crossings in community watersheds

SOURCES: Decision Support Services, Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, 2002. NOTES: As of 2001, 467 watersheds were classified as community watersheds under the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia. The data for the graph above were taken from 192 watersheds with data for both mapping times.

Does Community Watershed designation protect drinking water sources?

Roads are the greatest source of sediment in streams in developed forest watersheds. Sediment is most often deposited where roads cross the watercourse.
High suspended sediment loads in waterways increase treatment costs for domestic and many industrial uses, damage fish food supplies and habitat, and can injure fish directly.
Of the 175 community watersheds with late 1980s and late 1990s mapping, 16 (9%) had greater than one stream crossing per km of stream in the late 1980s. This increased to 34 (19%) in the late 1990s.
The Forest Practices Code recognizes drinking water as a priority use for community watersheds. A higher level of management is required for community watersheds than for non-designated watersheds.

For detailed information, including graph data, see In-Depth report [pdf].

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