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Summary of water quality at select Order Stations
Average Monthly Selenium Concentration (ug/L)
| Order Station | Limit | April | May | June |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fording River Downstream of Greenhills Creek | 63 | 70 | 45 | 25 |
| Elk River Upstream of Grave Creek | 23 | 23 | 15 | 7.9 |
| Elk River Downstream of Michel Creek | 19 | 18 | 9.9 | 4.8 |
| Koocanusa Reservoir Downstream of the Elk River | 2 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.86 |
Average Monthly Nitrate Concentration (ug/L)
| Order Station | Limit | April | May | June |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fording River Downstream of Greenhills Creek | 14 | 16 | 11 | 6.3 |
| Elk River Upstream of Grave Creek | 4 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 1.8 |
| Elk River Downstream of Michel Creek | 3 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 0.89 |
| Koocanusa Reservoir Downstream of the Elk River | 3 | 0.59 | 0.47 | 0.24 |
Average Monthly Sulphate Concentration (mg/L)
| Order Station | Limit | April | May | June |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fording River Downstream of Greenhills Creek | 429 | 266 | 197 | 97 |
| Elk River Upstream of Grave Creek | 429 | 125 | 86 | 39 |
| Elk River Downstream of Michel Creek | 429 | 105 | 67 | 34 |
| Koocanusa Reservoir Downstream of the Elk River | 308 | 48 | 28 | 13 |
Notes:
- Cells highlighted yellow denote where the concentration exceeds the limit. Non-highlighted cells do not exceed the limit.
- Sites in the table represent a range of conditions in the Elk Valley from the Fording River downstream to the Elk River and finally Koocanusa Reservoir. Click the site name to view the entire datasets for these sites back to 2014 or visit the Water Quality Data Dashboard to view data from additional sites.
Highlights
The April through June period in the Elk River and its tributaries is typically a transition period from low to high water flows. Low winter streamflow in April changes to higher flows from snowmelt in May and June.
- The increase in flows results in improving water quality (lower concentrations of substances) because of increased dilution from the snowmelt.
- In years with a delayed spring melt, April can experience some of the lowest flows and poorest water quality.
- Koocanusa Reservoir follows a similar seasonal trend. Water quality in the reservoir is also heavily influenced by the flow and quality of the Kootenay River with the other main water source for the reservoir. Operations at Libby Dam in the United States further affect water levels and flows in the reservoir.
The water quality results from April – June 2022 followed the expected seasonal pattern.
- During April water quality limits were exceeded in the Fording River, with nitrate exceedances extending into the Elk River. These were predicted by Teck’s models and are expected to be reduced in the coming years as more water is treated.
- The selenium limit was also exceeded in Koocanusa Reservoir in April. April exceedances have been observed before in the reservoir in 2021, 2020, 2018 and 2015. However, the April 2022 average concentration was the highest yet recorded.
- This result, which was even more pronounced further downstream near the Canada/U.S. border, was reflective of abnormally low flows in the Kootenay River in April. This resulted in low dilution of Elk River water by the Kootenay River water, which has lower selenium levels.
- Furthermore, the reservoir was drawn down to a very low level in response to the large 2022 snowpack, likely exacerbating the situation, especially further south in the reservoir.
- Like with the Fording River and Elk River, selenium exceedances in Koocanusa Reservoir should be reduced as water treatment increases.
Visit the Water Quality Dashboard for current and historical water quality data at all Compliance Points, Order Stations and Trend Sites.
The potential for impacts resulting from water quality conditions are carefully monitored. Minor and temporary exceedances of water quality limits are not expected to cause impacts in the river ecosystems. Results of the monitoring programs are summarized each year in the Aquatic Ecosystem Health Annual Update.
