A big thank you to all of the partners, participants, and supporters of the Community Flow Monitoring Network in 2023!
Our 2nd year of the project finished strong with over 315 volunteer hours dedicated to the Network in 2023 across 7 community run stations.
To start out a new year of monitoring in 2024, we have been working on collecting higher flow measurements throughout January and February at stations that are safe to wade into year-round.
Remember when conducting site visits during the winter, higher flows, slippery surfaces, and cold/wet weather conditions can make accessing your station more challenging. Be sure to follow field safety precautions, including working in groups (minimum 2 people) and wearing personal protective equipment where appropriate (waders with wading belt, wading boots, PFDs when working around high, fast flowing water). A trip plan and field check in procedure are also recommended for winter site visits, especially where cell phone service may be limited. See ‘Section 1.6: Field Safety’ in our SOP for details.
New Resources!
– Annual Monitoring Calendar
Designed to provide a generalized schedule of field work at a Community Flow Monitoring Network station. This timeline may vary depending on the specific conditions and monitoring goals of each station.
– One-Pager Field Guide
Tuck this guide into your field kit (or save it on your mobile device) and pull it out for reference when you need a quick refresher on routine aspects of a station site visit.
You can find these under the Resources tab or ask for a printed copy from BCCF. Laminated copies of the One-Pager Field Guide will be available at your next BCCF supported field visit.
Although we have no doubt enjoyed the sunshine and (mostly) mild temperatures this winter, this warm weather and unusually low snowfall has not been good news for drought conditions on Vancouver Island and across BC. Experts are concerned we could soon start to (and may even already) see significant negative impacts to water levels in BC rivers and streams.
- Sparse snowpack levels across B.C. raise drought fears – Cbc.ca
- Dwindling snowpack around Nanaimo increases potential for summer drought issues – Nanaimo News Now
Flow data is becoming increasingly critical for understanding and managing climate change impacts on fish-bearing streams and watersheds with a high demand for withdrawals. Our current situation in BC underscores the importance of continued monitoring efforts to expand our understanding about flow conditions in our local streams.
Upcoming:
Stay tuned! We are working hard to make the Community Flow Monitoring Network data publicly available. We anticipate the final publication on Aquarius for all CFMN station data (historical, plus up to and including 2023) to occur in early spring (late March/early April).
Also watch for an announcement about our 2024 Spring Network Meeting, which we aim to host in late March/early April.
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments about our new resources or anything else related to the Network.
Happy monitoring!
