Environmental Stream Flow Study
The Government of Prince Edward Island is funding research on environmental flows in the province over five years starting in 2016 that will inform decisions around water usage in the future. This is a significant piece of work that will determine the necessary quantity of water in streams to ensure our waterways can be sustainably managed into the future.
What's involved in the research?
The study includes pre and post-pumping stream flow monitoring, fish productivity data, developing environmental flow recommendations (including accounting for climate change), and determining the impact of flow regime changes on trout populations.
Who is doing the work?
The work is led by scientists of the Canadian Rivers Institute, Dr. Michael van den Heuvel, an environmental scientist based at the University of Prince Edward Island, along with Dr. André St-Hilaire, a hydrologist based at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique in Quebec.
These partners have combined forces to answer the question of how much water is required to maintain river health. The investigators will employ internationally developed methods to examine specific flow requirements for P.E.I.
Where can I see the results?
The following reports are available for download:
- Coles Creek Watershed: Flow, Temperature, and Fish Monitoring, 2016-2020 (Year 4 Report)
- Coles Creek Watershed: Flow and Fisheries Monitoring, 2016-2018 (Year 2 Report)
- Hydrological approaches for Environmental Flow Guidelines in Prince Edward Island (2019)
- Coles Creek Watershed Flow and Fisheries Monitoring (Year 1 Report)