Artificial streams for environmental effects monitoring (EEM):: Development and application in Canada over the past decade

Development of artificial stream systems has been an on-going research effort in Canada over the past decade. At the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) of Environment Canada, artificial stream systems have been developed to assess the effects of point source effluents on aquatic biota. Initial applications (1990-1994) focused on assessing the effects of pulp mill effluents on benthic invertebrate and algae communities in large western Canadian rivers. Artificial streams were then used to assess the effects of pulp mill effluents on fish in marine and estuarine environments in eastern Canada (1997-1999). Most recently. (2000-2001) artificial stream systems have been developed as tools to evaluate the effects of mining effluents on fish and benthic invertebrates. In addition, multi-trophic level (algae + benthic invertebrate + fish) applications have been developed for cumulative effects bioassessment. Based upon this culmination of research and development, artificial stream systems have been incorporated into the federally legislated Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program as an alternative to field surveys for assessment of pulp and paper and mining pollution. The Canadian experience in development of artificial stream systems should serve as a model to demonstrate how research tools can be incorporated into federally legislated monitoring programs.