A. INTRODUCTION TO PROVINCIAL STANDARDS
This manual describes the equipment, methods and documentation that must be used to meet the provincial standards for hydrometric surveys in accordance with the directives of the Resources Inventory Committee (RIC). Once data are acquired, calculated and compiled, the data must then be reviewed for certification and the `standards class' or the level of quality achieved defined by the reviewer. A provincial hydrometric standard is required to affirm the credibility of data for any application, anywhere in the province.
Hydrometric standards described here are a set of information, which when followed will ensure the quality and accuracy of data product in regard to measurement of water level and discharge (streamflow). A provincial standard is needed so that government programs, contractors, and partners have uniform guidelines for the collection of hydrometric data, and to facilitate the development and maintenance of a hydrometric data archive. This archive (or database) is to be established by the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks (MELP).
RIC Hydrometric Standards will:
Hydrometric data collected or used for provincial resource management purposes, including Forest Renewal BC (FRBC), Forest Practices Code, water licensing, and others will now be required to meet RIC standards.
The Provincial Hydrometric Standards are intended to be complementary to the national standards for hydrometric data collection, which have been in use for many years for Environment Canada programs (commonly referred to as Water Survey of Canada). These national standards are comprehensive and rigorous, and result in a high level of accuracy. Provincial standards are intended to cover a range of accuracies, from equivalent to the national standard down to approximate methods, in keeping with the range of hydrometric operations done by and for provincial programs. There are four designated levels of Provincial Hydrometric Standards: Class A, Class B, Class C and Approximate Methods. Class A has a sub-class defined as A/RS, for rated structures such as weirs and flumes.
In recent years, there has been an increasing level of data collection under and for provincial government programs, and by industry, project proponents, and their contractors. These data are intended for use in resource management, but their use is often compromised by the uncertainty as to the quality or accuracy. Also, there has been a lack of organized storage and retrieval systems for these data. In response to these concerns, government ministries involved in data collection connected with natural resources have created a group called the Resources Inventory Committee (RIC). One of the functions of this committee is to establish standards for resource inventory data collection and storage.
A standard in this context is defined as a document which has been established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides rules, guidelines, or characteristics for certain activities or their results.
The Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks intends to establish and maintain a database of hydrometric data that meets the RIC hydrometric standards, for use in resource management. To meet the A or B level of the RIC standard (described below) for hydrometric data, the data must be reviewed and certified as having met the RIC standards by a professional or other person who is able to establish his/her credentials to the satisfaction of the Resources Inventory Committee. Professional Engineers (P.Eng.) and Geoscientists (P.Geo.) have the necessary background, which if supplemented by experience qualifies them to certify data (and stamp reviewed documents) from hydrometric surveys. The Resources Inventory Branch (MELP) will review the credentials of data reviewers and if accepted, they will be added to a list of `Certified Reviewers'.
The province intends to carry out audits of `approved data' and where applicable, the qualifications (and professional standing) of individuals who have completed the certification. In order for data to meet a RIC standard, comprehensive documentation of station information is required (station description, operations records, etc., as specified in this manual, much of which will be incorporated into the database). It is anticipated that the guidelines and formats presented will interface with the provincial hydrometric database and will be identified as to standards level and source (including approver's name).
The primary users of this manual will be provincial government agencies, firms, or individuals that collect or review and approve hydrometric data to RIC standards. Other users will include provincial agencies that use the data for resource management or fund data collection, other levels of government, resource user groups such as Improvement Districts, and educational users. In general, users of the provincial hydrometric database will refer to the manual to understand the accuracy of the data that falls within the different standards categories.
The purpose of this manual is to provide information and standards for activities connected with production of hydrometric data. The reader is reminded that field operations for hydrometric surveys can involve some risk. All field operations should be carried out with appropriate safety measures, and in keeping with all relevant regulations including Workers Compensation Board (WCB). None of the material in this annual (including text, photos, and diagrams) is intended to suggest deviation from safe field practice.
Brand names of products and manufacturers are occasionally used in text and illustrations to describe various hydrometric operations. This is for the purpose of explanation and/or illustration only, and is not intended as a recommendation or otherwise of any brand names mentioned.