A Revised Predictive Model for Bioassessment of Streams in Northwest British Columbia Using the Reference Condition Approach: Skeena Model

A revised predictive model for bioassessment of streams in northwest British Columbia using the reference condition approach: Skeena model. This document describes the Skeena Model, developed for stream bioassessment in northwest BC using the reference condition approach. The reference condition approach (RCA) to stream bioassessment has been developed to overcome common impact assessment design difficulties (e.g. lack of suitable upstream reference site in an upstream-downstream approach). Environment Canada has set up a publicly available database, Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) for storing and sharing data, and running test site assessments. The Skeena model has been uploaded to the CABIN website and is publicly available for use. The purpose of this document is to describe the revised predictive bioassessment model, called Skeena model 2010 on CABIN, and to provide background information to support the use of the revised model.