Description:

The Petitcodiac River is the main stem of the watershed; it has a drainage area of over 2000 km². The numerous tributaries of the Petitcodiac River run through a variety of different natural and anthropogenic enviroments. Quantitively, there environments affect and in turn make up the water quality of the Petitcodiac River. Starting at the Village of Petitcodiac, the river runs throught the Village of Salisbury, the Town of Riverview and to City of Moncton. For example, along the shores of these major settlements we find agricultural activities, forestry, residential developments, a causeway and sewage lagoons (effluent pipes). etc. Long sections of the Petitcodiac River have virtually no buffer zones and some of the small tributaries that run into are badly degraded.

Water quality highlights for Main Stem Petitcodiac River

Section	Principal Water Quality Influences	Water Test Highlights 1997-2001
Above Route 905 Bridge (PWMG 3)	road runoff, commercial and residential development, agriculture	Alkalinity, Chloride, Conductivity, E-Coli, Fecal Coliforms, Iron, Sodium Sulphur, Total Coliforms, Total Kjeldahl nitrogen, Total organic carbon
Old TCH Bridge (PWMG 4)	sewage lagoon, road runoff	Aluminium, Chloride, Clarity, Conductivity, E-Coli, Fecal Coliforms, Iron, Sodium, Sulphur, Total Coliforms, Total dissolved solid, Total kjeldahl nirtogen, Total organic carbon
New TCH Bridge (PWMG 65)	agriculture, road runoff	Alkalinity, Chloride, Conductivity, E-Coli, Sodium, Sulphur, Total dissolved solids
Near Confluence of Pollett River (PWMG 10)	agriculture, bank erosion	Alkalinity, Chloride, Clarity, Conductivity, E-Coli, Sodium, Sulphur, Total dissolved solids, Total organic carbon
30m below covered bridge (PWMG 66)	agriculture, sewage lagoons	Alkaliniry, Chloride, Conductivity, E-Coli, Sodium, Sulphur, Total dissolved solid
Above French Brook (PWMG 15)	agriculture, fording site, road runoff	E-Coli, Sb, Sulfur.
Below Route 112 (PWMG 6)	sewage lagoon, agriculture	E-Coli
50m above Route 112 Bridge (PWMG 67)	road runoff, sewage lagoon, agriculture	Calcium, E-Coli, Sulphur, Zinc

Recommended preliminary classification:

Class C : between PWMG 3 and PWMG 4
Class B : between PWMG 4 and PWMG 65
Class B : between PWMG 65 and PWMG 10
Class B : between PWMG 10 and PWMG 66
Class B : between PWMG 66 and PWMG 15
Class B : between PWMG 15 and PWMG 16
Class B : between PWMG 16 and PWMG 67

Recommended actions:

>> work with local farm owners to implement an Agro-conservation club in the Petitcodiac river area;
>> work with local farmers to add cattel fencing along streams and brooks that run through their properties;
>> enhance buffer zones where needed;
>> monitor sewage lagoons and wastewater discharges to ensure that they do not contaminate the river;
>> installation of bank stabilization structures where bank erosion is evident;
>> better manage all tributaries emptying into the main stem Petitcodiac River;
>> reduce and eventually phase out the use of cosmetic pesticides