4 watersheds get 'poor' rating in P.E.I. water quality report card

Four of P.E.I.'s watersheds have "poor" water quality, according to the province's first water-quality report card.

The four watersheds are:

• Kildare River/Montrose River
• Mill River
• Southwest River
• Trout River (Coleman)

These waterways, like the 26 others in the report card, were ranked based on observations from government staff and watershed volunteers. The report, which is current to the end of 2015,lookedat issues such as sediment-laden runoff, nitrate loadsand anoxic events.

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'We should continue to watch'

They are also responsible for the growth of algae, which can cause anoxic events (a lack of dissolved oxygen in the water) that can kill invertebrates, fish and shellfish.

"The four that would have received 'poor' would have had a number of those criteria events," said Robert Mitchell, minister of Communities, Land and Environment.

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"That's something that we should continue to watch, monitor and do work in any way shape and form that willaid the outcomes of that."

The report looked at abouta third of P.E.I.'s waterways. Mitchell said the province will work to get all waterways into the report eventually.

Here's a complete list of the watersheds in the report card by status:

Excellent

• Bear River.
• North Lake.
• Percival River.

Good

• Boughton River.
• Brudenell River.
• Cardigan River.
• Grand River.
• Hillsborough River.
• Morell River.
• Murray River.
• North River.
• Orwell River/Vernon River.
• Pinette River.
• Souris River.
• St. Peter's Bay.
• Tracadie Bay/DesRoches Pond.
• Trout River/Bideford River.

Fair

• Covehead Bay/Brackley Bay.
• Dunk River.
• Hunter River/River Clyde.
• Montague River/ValleyfieldRiver.
• Trout/Stanley River.
• West River.
• Wheatley River.
• Wilmot River.
• Winter River.

Poor

• Kildare River/Montrose River.
• Mill River.
• Southwest River.
• Trout River (Coleman).

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