Determination of Contamination sources and restoration method for a polluted stream using monitoring data

The objective of this project was to establish the causes for degradation of a contaminated stream using monitoring data and to make appropriate recommendations for the stream restoration. To achieve the objective of this project, vast amounts of hydrologie and water quality data were evaluated. It was concluded that the loss of organisms in the stream is a result of high organic material input and low dissolved oxygen levels. From findings of this study and previous biological studies, the degradation of the stream was attributed to the large amounts of wood residues stored near the stream during a sawmill operation. A review of various stream restoration techniques indicated that, since the primary pollution problem is the organic matter content, dredging appears to be the most suitable restoration technique for the affected stream.