Bioassessment of Streams in North Central British Columbia Using the Reference Condition Approach: Final Report V.2

In this project, a bioassessment tool known as the Reference Condition Approach (RCA) was developed for north-central British Columbia. In the RCA, benthic invertebrates and habitat descriptors from a large number of reference sites are used to build a predictive model that allows comparison of a test site with an appropriate reference condition. This report outlines results from three years of RCA model development for the Skeena Region. It includes the development of standard methods for collecting and analysing data for use in the RCA for biomonitoring in the Skeena region, results of statistical analyses used in the development of alternative RCA models for the Skeena Region, a comparison of modeling outcomes and a recommendation of a final model for uploading to the CABIN website for routine use, case examples to show applicability of the RCA approach to assessing site quality in northern British Columbia, and recommendations for improvements to field data collection forms and application and use of the RCA model on the CABIN website.