The Columbia River Headwaters and Water Quality: A Theoretical Study

The rapid growth of populations in many parts of the world has brought to light numerous problems where conflict occurs between man and his environment. Probably one of the largest areas of subtle conflict takes places between civilization and water resources. The recent trend towards awareness of mans' activity and his effect on water as prompted this theoretical assessment of water quality with respect to the Kootenay area of the Columbia River Basin in Canada. A general examination of various sections of the headwaters of the Columbia River will be studied to assess the assimilative ability of the river to purify itself under existing as well as future conditions. Recent legislation passed by the British Columbia Provincial Government is directed at curbing the disposal of untreated wastes into rivers and so many of the theoretically assumed figures will soon be out of date. Basically all of mans’ activities are directed towards modifying his environment to provide life’s necessities and in this way he can perpetuate his existence. Activity is reflected in economic productivity and thus water quality can be estimated by using the tie between environmental modification and the economic productivity relationship. Economic, census and natural resources data will be used to establish an inventory of economic activity which in turn will be used to evaluate waste loads discharged to receiving waters. Then by combining hydrological data with calculated loads, an assessment of water quality can be made.