Turtle Creek (New Brunswick) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Turtle Creek |
|
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Province | New Brunswick |
| County | Albert |
| Physical characteristics | |
| River mouth | Riverview, New Brunswick |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 192 km2 (74 sq mi) |
Turtle Creek is a stream located in Albert County, New Brunswick, Canada. It covers a large area of 192 square kilometres (74 square miles). This creek is super important because it provides drinking water for the cities of Moncton, Riverview, and Dieppe. This is possible thanks to the 150 km2 (58 sq mi) Turtle Creek reservoir and the Moncton Water Treatment Plant.
Turtle Creek flows into the Petitcodiac River. It is one of the main streams that feed into it. The entire area that Turtle Creek drains is a special protected zone. This means certain activities are not allowed near the reservoir.
In 2012, the reservoir got a big upgrade. This work doubled the amount of water it could hold. There have been some discussions about plans to explore for gas and oil in the area. These plans have caused some concern because of the protected status of the watershed.
Contents
Understanding the Turtle Creek Watershed
The Turtle Creek watershed is the entire land area that drains water into the creek. It covers about 192 km2 (74 sq mi). Most of this area is taken up by the Turtle Creek reservoir itself. The reservoir covers around 170 km2 (66 sq mi) of land.
What the Land Looks Like
About 75% of the land in the watershed is covered by forests. Around 10% of the land is used for homes and buildings. A study in 2009 found that the average water temperature was about 13.24 °C (55.83 °F) from May to October.
Protected Area Rules
The Turtle Creek reservoir is a "Provincial Watershed Protected Area." This means there are rules to keep the water clean and safe. For example, certain activities are not allowed within 75 metres (246 feet) of the reservoir.
How Clean is Turtle Creek's Water?
Turtle Creek is classified as a "Class AP" watershed. This is a high rating for water quality. It means the water is generally very clean. This classification is part of the Watershed Protected Area Designation Order and the Clean Water Act.
Checking for Bacteria and Sediment
Even with a high rating, some studies found higher levels of E. coli (a type of bacteria) and sediment. Experts believe this was due to the ongoing work to expand the reservoir. However, levels of other substances like nitrates and phosphates stayed normal.
Moncton's Water Tests
The city of Moncton regularly checks the water quality. They test over 1,600 water samples from 60 different spots every year. This helps make sure the drinking water is safe. In 2009, no E. coli was found in any of the 1,663 samples tested.
Some tests look at the "general bacteria population." In 2009, about 10.94% of samples showed some bacteria. But the levels were always well below the safety limits. The water also had low levels of cloudiness (turbidity) and other chemicals.
