Water Quality Monitoring

A key element of B.C. and Alaska’s commitment to protect Transboundary Waters was the establishment of a Water Quality Monitoring Program.

The program’s objective was to improve our scientific understanding of the existing conditions of the Alsek, Unuk, Taku and Stikine watersheds, and to collaboratively collect and share information on the potential impacts of mining and development activities on fisheries and other subsistence resources.

B.C.’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV) developed the program in conjunction with various provincial, state, tribal, and First Nations organizations. Collectively these groups played a role in monitoring water quality and quantity, shared traditional knowledge of the ecosystem, interpreted the compiled data, and reported the findings to the Bilateral Working Group.

Water Monitoring Program Documentation

In October, 2017 the Program Description and Two-Year Work Plan for the Joint Water Quality Monitoring Program for Transboundary Waters was approved by the Bilateral Working Group. These documents describe a process for the collection, summary and distribution of baseline water quality and quantity data and for monitoring the condition of fish and other aquatic life potentially impacted by pollutants in Transboundary Waters.