High Elevation Monitoring Program

High elevation ecosystems, which mark the headwaters of many freshwater systems in mountainous regions, are fragile environments that are especially sensitive to change. This makes them important indicators of watershed condition.

PROGRAM GOAL

Nestled in mountainous regions surrounded by glaciers and snow, headwaters mark the starting point of community water supply and the waterways vital for aquatic ecosystems.

Temperatures at higher altitudes are accelerating at a faster rate than at lower altitudes. As a result, high elevation ecosystems are more vulnerable and expected to experience climate impacts more rapidly. Climate impacts on headwaters will have a trickle-down effect on lower elevation water systems that human communities and all other species rely on.

The aim of the High Elevation Monitoring Program is to establish long-term monitoring and generate data that will lead to a better understanding of changes occuring in high elevation ecosystems and what these changes mean for the future of water supply in our study areas. The results will be used to identify climate change driven impacts and quantify their effects on these sensitive areas, and assist in the development of watershed management solutions.

The program supports the Columbia Basin Water Monitoring Framework (CBWMF) by contributing water supply and quality data collected at the headwaters of the watersheds being studied. This data is used in conjunction with the data collected by the CBWMF to track and understand climate impacts on water supply for communities and ecosystems. Data is shared on the Columbia Basin Water Hub and accessible by government, academia, Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, and the public.

We are excited to partner with the Alpine Club of Canada for the citizen science data collection component of this program.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

The aim of this program is to generate data on high elevation ecosystems, and establish long-term monitoring, which may be used to identify changes in mountain headwaters and the downstream communities caused by climate impacts.

Monitoring parameters include biological, physical and chemical components of alpine lakes and streams, as well as vegetation and wildlife observations. The program also hosts a citizen science project on iNaturalist.

Objectives:

To establish high elevation monitoring locations for ongoing, year-on-year data collection.
To determine the natural variation and long term trends in selected physical, chemical, and biological water quality parameters on high elevation lakes and streams.
To foster water stewardship with a broader cross-section of the public, helping them to understand climate change impacts on the health of headwaters and the watersheds in general.
Monitoring will be performed by certified technicians, recreationalists, alpine enthusiasts and Living Lakes Canada staff.
The goal is to expand the program geographically to include high elevation regions of various headwaters within British Columbia and Alberta.

Measurements:

Lake and stream physiology: temperature, transparency, and bathymetry
Water chemistry: pH, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, nitrogen, phosphorus, Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter (FDOM), Total Algae
Biological characteristics: algae, zooplankton, macroinvertebrates

Citizen Science:

Join our iNaturalist project: High Elevation Monitoring Program - Living Lakes Canada and help us identify and track species within the following monitoring locations:

How to use iNaturalist

After creating an iNaturalist account, volunteers can join the Living Lakes Canada - High Elevation Monitoring Projects.
Simply search High Elevation Monitoring on the app and a list of the projects will appear.
Volunteers take pictures, via the app, of any flora and fauna spotted while recreating within the project areas. This will create an inventory of plant and animal species. A specific location will be recorded automatically as well as the image.
When back in cell service, volunteers can upload their photos/observations via iNaturalist. The photos will be automatically added to a project based on geographic location. Scientists and the iNaturalist community will confirm species identifications and the data will be stored on the iNaturalist database.
Living Lakes Canada extracts this data and uploads it to the Columbia Basin Water Hub to make it easily accessible.

Safety: Coordinates listed on the iNaturalist project pages are to provide project members with an idea of the project location. Please follow designated trails and respect flora and fauna while taking photos.

PROGRAM TIMELINE

YEAR 1

Year 1 of the High Elevation Monitoring project focused on the following water bodies within Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park and near Valhalla Provincial Park, located in the Upper Columbia Basin:

Sapphire Lake and the Lemon Creek outflow - Kokanee
Silverton Creek - Kokanee
Joker Lakes - Kokanee
Tanal Lake - Kokanee
Shannon Lake and the Huss Creek outflow - Valhalla

YEAR 2

The following sites were monitored in 2023:

Ben Hur Lake and the Ben Hur Creek inflow - Kokanee
Fishermaiden Lake and the Silverton Creek inflow - Kokanee
Talus Lakes X2 and streams X2 - East Kootenay
Tanal Lake and the Upper Enterprise Creek outflow - Kokanee
Sapphire Lake and the Lemon Creek outflow - Kokanee
Shannon Lake and the Huss Creek outflow - Valhalla
Upper Fletcher Lake and the Fletcher Creek inflow - Kokanee

Due to the technical nature of accessing Upper Joker Lake, monitoring this lake was discontinued in 2023.

YEAR 3

The following sites are being monitored in 2024:

Ben Hur Lake - Kokanee
Fishermaiden Lake - Kokanee
Talus Lakes X2 - East Kootenay
Sapphire Lake - Kokanee
Shannon Lake - Valhalla

Monitoring of Tanal Lake and the Upper Enterprise Creek outflow was discontinued in 2024. Additionally, monitoring of creek outflows and inflows has been suspended for this year.

CONTACT

We are encouraging anyone interested in understanding the health of high elevation ecosystems in a region of interest to contact Program Coordinator PJ Butler. There are multiple levels of possible participation.

If you are interested in collaborating to support the understanding of the health of high elevation ecosystems in Canada please email us at highelevation@livinglakescanada.ca.