Turtle Creek (New Brunswick river)

See also: Turtle Creek, New Brunswick
Turtle Creek
Country Canada
Province New Brunswick
County Albert
Basin 192 km2 (74 sq mi)

Turtle Creek is a Canadian creek in Albert County, southeastern New Brunswick.[1] The creek drains a watershed area of 192 square kilometres (74 square miles),[2] and is the primary source of potable water for Moncton, Riverview, and Dieppe, thanks to the 150 km2 (58 sq mi) Turtle Creek reservoir and the Moncton Water Treatment Plant.[1][3]

Turtle Creek is one of the Petitcodiac River's main right tributaries,[4] and is therefore part of its 2,831 km2 (1,093 sq mi) drainage basin.[5] Its watershed has been designated as a Provincial Watershed Protected Area, making certain activities off-limits within 75 metres (246 feet) of the reservoir.[2][6]

The reservoir has been the subject of a proposed upgrade, doubling its existing water storage capacity, and is expected to complete in 2012.[7] It has also been the centre of controversies regarding the province's push to begin uranium exploration and gas and oil tests in the area, in spite of the boundaries already set on the surroundings.[8][9]

Contents

Watershed

The river drains a watershed area of 192 km2 (74 sq mi) south of the town of Riverview.[2][10] The watershed is largely occupied by the Turtle Creek reservoir, which occupies around 170 km2 (66 sq mi) of land.[1] Approximately 75% of the land is forested, with only 10% owned for residential purposes.[2] The average temperature, noted in a 2009 study by the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance, was 13.24 °C (55.83 °F), from May to October.[11] The Turtle Creek reservoir is designated as a Provincial Watershed Protected Area, making certain activities illegal within 75 km (47 mi) of the area.[2][6]

Water quality

Covered under the Watershed Protected Area Designation Order and Clean Water Act, Turtle Creek is rated, among thirty others, as a Class AP watershed.[2][12] In spite of this, E. coli and sediment levels were found to be "unusually high", which, according to the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance, was caused by the ongoing expansion of the river's reservoir. Nitrate, phosphate, and conductivity levels, according to the same report, remained consistent.[11]

The city of Moncton conducts studies on over 1,600 water samples in 60 sites yearly to assure water drinking quality standards are met.[13] According to an annual report published by the city in 2009, coliform bacteria, which includes E. coli, was not found in all 1,663 samples.[14] In the same report, 63 of 576 (10.94%) water samples returned a Heterotropic Plate Count—the "general bacteria population" present—of over 10 cfu/ml, but never exceeded the 500 cfu/ml threshold.[15] Other results recorded an average turbidity of 0.15 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units),[16] and an average of 0.029 mg/l of trihalomethanes (THMs).[17]

Reservoir

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Quick Facts About Moncton's Water Treatment and Supply Network", Moncton Industrial Development, April 2006, retrieved on 17 August 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Turtle Creek", Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance, retrieved on 17 August 2010.
  3. ^ "2009 Annual Water Quality Report", City of Moncton, 2009, retrieved on 17 August 2010, p. 3.
  4. ^ Arseneau, E. R., "The Petitcodiac River Watershed Preliminary Water Classification Report", Petitcodiac Watershed Monitoring Group, 2001, retrieved on 21 August 2010, p. 22.
  5. ^ "Environmental Reporting Series 2007", New Brunswick Department of Environment, 2007, retrieved on 17 August 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Understanding the Law: A Guide To New Brunswick's Watershed Protected Area Designation Order", New Brunswick Department of Environment, retrieved on 17 August 2010.
  7. ^ "2nd Turtle Creek dam to double Moncton water supply", CBC News, 5 October 2009, retrieved on 17 August 2010.
  8. ^ "Turtle Creek uranium exploration angers Moncton councillors", CBC News, 8 June 2007, retrieved on 17 August 2010.
  9. ^ "Council bans oil, gas tests in Moncton watershed", CBC News, 7 November 2006, retrieved on 18 August 2010.
  10. ^ Arseneau, E. R., "The Petitcodiac River Watershed Preliminary Water Classification Report", p. 42.
  11. ^ a b "Water Quality Report 2009", Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance, 2009, retrieved on 22 August 2010, p. 57.
  12. ^ "The Water Classification Regulation – Planning for Water Quality", New Brunswick Department of Environment, February 2002, retrieved on 22 August 2010, p. 3.
  13. ^ "2009 Annual Water Quality Report", City of Moncton, p. 6.
  14. ^ City of Moncton, p. 7.
  15. ^ City of Moncton, p. 8.
  16. ^ City of Moncton, pp. 9–10.
  17. ^ City of Moncton, p. 11.