6.0 Jock River-Franktown Catchment: Challenges/Issues

Water Quality/Quantity

No surface chemistry and benthic invertebrate water quality data is available for the Jock River in the catchment

Natural hazard lands have not been identified; however, it is deemed to be a low priority

Existing hydrological and geochemical datasets and assessments (academic, RVCA, others) are only recently available and/or are not being considered in the characterization of the numerous hydrologic functions of the Jock River subwatershed. Further, there is a dearth of hydrologic information (hydroperiod, groundwater/surface water interactions, geochemistry) about the wetlands that remain in the Jock River subwatershed 

Headwaters/Instream/Shorelines

No information available about instream aquatic and riparian conditions along the Jock River in the catchment

Land Cover

Woodlands cover 29 percent of the catchment and is less than the 30 percent of forest cover that is identified as the minimum threshold for sustaining forest birds and other woodland dependent species (Figure 26)

Pre-settlement wetlands have declined by 19 percent and now cover 48 percent (3798 ha.) of the catchment (Figure 27). Forty-one percent (1556 ha.) of these wetlands remain unevaluated/unregulated and are vulnerable to drainage and land clearing activities in the absence of any regulatory and planning controls that would otherwise protect them for the many important hydrological, social, biological and ecological functions/services/values they provide to landowners and the surrounding community