Assessment of Past and Present Sediment Quality of Stoney Creek in Burnaby, British Columbia

In analyzing the sediment and water quality of the Stoney Creek habitat, four key aspects were investigated: lithology, sediment/water quality, salmon spawning/incubation, and particle size distribution. The lithology found the streambed sediment layer is 3 cm in depth (over bedrock) and consists mainly of sand and some coarser material including gravels, cobbles, and boulders. The sediment of the offchannel pond is mainly mud (fine material) with a moderate amount of sand and a very small percentage of coarser material including gravels and organic matter (leaf detritus and woody debris). Chemical analysis concluded a significant concentration of iron in the pond environment, with potential for adverse effects to salmon offspring. This report further aims to assess the influences of fine sediment on the quality of salmon spawning habitat and incubation success rate. Permeability of spawning gravels and dissolved oxygen concentrations are measured to see if they support the incubation and growth of salmon eggs. Particle size distributions are found significantly different between upstream pool and pond side. And the difference of particle size distributions can influence salmon production in the off-channel site.