Research Feature
Forest harvest effects on drinking water quality and treatability in the Comox Lake watershed

Key messages

  • UVA254 was the best predictor of disinfection byproduct formation potential (DBP-FP)

  • Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), turbidity, and DBP-FP increased substantially with stormflow

  • In contrast, forest harvest did not cause substantial change in DOC or DBP-FP in this second growth forest system

Water Treatment Costs Reduced by
per cent

Summary

Research led by Tank, Floyd, and MSc. candidate Bourgeois, in collaboration with Emelko and senior chemist Amiri, suggests that levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and turbidity in streams draining to Comox Lake are overall low. This indicates low drinking water concerns from these parameters during baseflow conditions. Stormflow increases both turbidity and
DOC, with strong correlation between DOC-associated metrics (e.g., UVA254) and disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Although only four sites were investigated, there was no clear effect of forest harvest on drinking water quality or treatability. The widespread presence of second growth forests may have dampened water quality responses to forest harvest.


Publications

Hydrology Predominates Over Harvest History and Landscape Variation to Control Water Quality and Disinfection Byproduct Formation Potentials in Forested Pacific Coast Watersheds, ES&T Water, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.3c00471
Photo: Working onsite with partner X.

Contributors

UofA: Alyssa Bourgeois, Suzanne Tank

VIU: William Floyd, Stewart Butler, Alison Bishop
UWaterloo: Monica Emelko, Fariba Amiri

Affiliation?: Sheetal Patel, Alex Cebulski