Elk River Alliance's 2023 Community-based Water Monitoring CABIN Report
Download: era_cbwm_report_2023.pdf
Elk River Alliance's Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) program is part of the larger Community-Based Water Monitoring (CBWM) program, which covers the spatial extent of the Elk River Watershed, located within the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. In 2023, this program assessed 10 sites across 5 major tributaries: Lizard Creek, Alexander Creek, Coal Creek, Boivin Creek, and Morrissey Creek. The tributary assessments were performed using CABIN methodology, a nationally standardized stream assessment protocol. 2023 sampling data indicated that sites on Boivin Creek (BOI001, BOI002) are in similar condition to their associated reference sites, based on their benthic macroinvertebrate communities, meaning that these streams likely contain healthy aquatic habitats. Conversely, sites on lower Coal Creek (COL001), lower Morrissey Creek (MOR001), and both Lizard Creek locations (LIZ001, LIZ003) remained deviated significantly from “reference condition” indicating potentially degraded aquatic systems. Although there has been some fluctuation in the upper Coal Creek site, 2023 sampling indicated that the upper Coal Creek (COL003) and upper Morrissey Creek (MOR002) sites were both “mildly divergent” from “reference condition”. As of 2023, both sites on Alexander Creek (ALX001, ALX003) have been newly assessed as “mildly divergent” and may be moving away from “reference condition”. Initial investigations have not identified a clear cause. Further in-depth research is needed to determine the accuracy of these results and potential stressors affecting these tributaries.
Resource metadata
| Field | Value |
| Data last updated | February 4, 2025 |
| Metadata last updated | February 4, 2025 |
| Created | February 4, 2025 |
| Format | |
| License | CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0 |
| Data collection info | Study sites were assessed for aquatic health using CABIN methodology, outlined in the “Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network Field Manual for Wadeable Streams” (Carter 2012) available for download at https://publications.gc.ca/site/fra/9.696248/publication.html. In addition, some study sites were sampled using STREAM e-DNA protocols and submitted for analyses, following the methodology outlined in “STREAM: Procedure for collecting benthic macroinvertebrate DNA samples in wadeable streams” (Carter 2012). |
| Data processing | N/A |
| Data type | non-lab |
| Datastore active | False |
| Datastore contains all records of source file | False |
| Has views | True |
| Id | b9048006-3d9f-4b05-bbe2-c3d65c2612d8 |
| Mimetype | application/pdf |
| Package id | 332a3d72-842a-4986-8ee7-65a9b6570811 |
| Position | 4 |
| Resource citation | Elk River Watershed Alliance. (2025) Elk River Alliance Community-Based Water Monitoring CABIN Report. 2023 Monitoring Report [Resource]. Columbia Basin Water Hub. Fernie. |
| Resource data disclaimer | No warranty or guarantee exists that the information is accurate, complete, current, or suitable for any purpose. The individual user must confirm the accuracy of the data and whether it will be appropriate for their purpose themselves. |
| Resource location | ERA’s CBWM program covers the spatial extent of the Elk River Watershed, located within the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. This watershed begins at the Elk Lakes in the North and extends to Lake Koocanusa in the South, serving the communities of the Elk Valley. ERA operates within the ʔamak̓ʔis Ktunaxa, the Traditional Territory of the Ktunaxa Nation. |
| Size | 52.9 MiB |
| State | active |
| Url type | upload |
| Waterhub grade | Not Reviewed |
| Citation (Required) | Elk River Watershed Alliance. (2025) Elk River Alliance Community-Based Water Monitoring CABIN Report. 2023 Monitoring Report [Resource]. Columbia Basin Water Hub. Fernie. |
| Resource Location | ERA’s CBWM program covers the spatial extent of the Elk River Watershed, located within the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. This watershed begins at the Elk Lakes in the North and extends to Lake Koocanusa in the South, serving the communities of the Elk Valley. ERA operates within the ʔamak̓ʔis Ktunaxa, the Traditional Territory of the Ktunaxa Nation. |
| Data Collection Information | Study sites were assessed for aquatic health using CABIN methodology, outlined in the “Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network Field Manual for Wadeable Streams” (Carter 2012) available for download at https://publications.gc.ca/site/fra/9.696248/publication.html. In addition, some study sites were sampled using STREAM e-DNA protocols and submitted for analyses, following the methodology outlined in “STREAM: Procedure for collecting benthic macroinvertebrate DNA samples in wadeable streams” (Carter 2012). |
| Data Processing | N/A |
| Data Disclaimer | No warranty or guarantee exists that the information is accurate, complete, current, or suitable for any purpose. The individual user must confirm the accuracy of the data and whether it will be appropriate for their purpose themselves. |
| Water Hub Data Grade | Not Reviewed |
| Date of Most Recent Water Hub QA/QC | |
| Loading Status | |
| Datastore Status | |
| Data type | General |
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