About
The Middle Shuswap River flows through the Interior Plateau of British Columbia, between Sugar and Mabel Lakes. The Upper Shuswap flows from the river's source in the Columbia Icefield, upstream of Sugar Lake.
Two groups of volunteers in Cherryville and one in rural Lumby have been sampling the Middle Shuswap River and its tributaries since about 2010 (depending on which group), and sending the samples for analysis at the CARO Analytic Services laboratory in Kelowna. The analyses and use of vehicle expenses have been funded by the RDNO. The Lumby Group is reported as part of the Mabel Lake Community Club & Recreation Commission, a registered Society.
CARO is able to test for a vast number of compounds in water, and we have had to limit the number of parameters we request. The original set of analytes was established (apparently) to test primarily for agricultural and recreational effects, rather than industrial or municipal, although many of the compounds tested for can be the result of several or all of these.
Until the end of 2024 the Mid Shuswap & Lumby (MSL) group sampled at the same sites 3 times per year, in May more or less at freshet, in August for maximum heat, and in November (low water).
In the years 2013-2015 we added 3 more outings (field trips) per year, in April, July and September. For all these field trips there were 2 sites on the lower Middle Shuswap, 3 sites along Bessette Creek, 1 on Duteau, and in 2015 we included Vance Creek.
The group sampling in the upper Middle Shuswap, also funded by the RDNO, is known as the Cherryville Water Stewards, subsumed under the Cherry Ridge Management Society (CRM).
Another sampler is Claude Labine who funds his own testing. He is known here as Campbell Scientific Corporation (CSC).