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Open Access
1999 Lake Winnipeg project: cruise report and scientific results
(Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, 1999) Simpson, S.L; Thorleifson, L.H.; Lewis, C.F.M.; King, J.W.
Following the 1997 Red River flood, a program of research was initiated to determine how large the floods can be, how often large floods have occurred in recent centuries, and whether natural factors may be changing the flood risk. As part of this program, 15 cores were collected from the south basin of Lake Winnipeg. Paleomagnetic profiles were used to select three apparently undisturbed, high-sedimentation rate cores for detailed chemical, physical, and biological analyses, to assess whether Red River floods are recognizable in the lake. A thousand-year paleomagnetic chronology was confirmed and augmented by Cs-137, Pb-210, palynology, radiocarbon dating, and inorganic geochemical relative age markers. While some parameters exhibit multi-century fluctuations, varying excursions, and 20th century shifts, grain-size results show the clearest signal of recurring events. Several layers of enhanced silt, 1-4 cm thick, with 6-15 % more silt than background are present, in several cases correlating core to core. A Red River flood origin for these silt excursions is plausible. The results also provide indications of increased contamination, nutrient influx, and more rapid sedimentation in the 20th century.
Open Access
2019 Lake Winnipeg Basin Program Symposium Summary Report
(2019-08) Environment and Climate Change Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) held a Lake Winnipeg Basin Program Symposium on March 20th and 21st, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba in conjunction with a number of other Lake Winnipeg-related events during Canada Water Week, including the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium’s annual Science Workshop and the launch of “Lake Winnipeg DataStream” by the Gordon Foundation. Together, the week provided the space to share new knowledge derived from scientific studies conducted on the lake and in the basin, showcase on-the-ground actions on nutrient reduction, and highlight the important collaborative partnerships that are required to address the complex issues related to water quality and quantity, including climate change. Approximately 100 stakeholders attended each day of the Symposium representing government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), scientists, Indigenous governments, organizations and communities and regional conservation districts.
Open Access
Agricultural Beneficial Management Practices for Lake Winnipeg – Cost-benefit analysis using an ecological goods and services approach
(The Thomsen Corporation, 2010-11) Thomsen, Joseph; Kulshreshtha, Suren; Lobb, David; Flaten, Don; MacDonald, K.Bruce
The objective of the research and analysis reported herein was to “Assess the costs and benefits of agricultural beneficial management practices (BMPs) for Lake Winnipeg in physical and economic terms, with an emphasis on the co-benefits in terms of ecological goods and services.” Lake Winnipeg is a large and key natural asset, whose watershed drains a major portion of the Canadian Prairies and part of the U.S. Great Plains. This includes almost all of the agricultural area of the Canadian Prairies. Due to a variety of factors, including increases in nutrient loading, Lake Winnipeg is experiencing increasing eutrophication. The assessment and estimation methods used were necessarily simple and straightforward. To estimate phosphorus (P) reduction potential of selected BMPs, observed levels of P exported from selected sub-regional watersheds were multiplied with measures of the performance of the BMPs relative to conventional practice. The selected study area includes the major sub-watersheds of the Manitoba portion of the Lake Winnipeg drainage basin, and comprises about 23 percent of Manitoba crop land area. (In conventional Census of Agriculture terms, the study area and surrounding regions include about 60 percent of Manitoba cropland and livestock). BMPs and their ecological goods and services (EGS) impacts and values were identified and estimated on the basis of evidence and information specific to Manitoba, Canadian Prairie, and other similar dryland agriculture, soil, and agroclimatic conditions. Economic and EGS impacts were evaluated using best available evidence from the literature and current Manitoba market prices and costs. Valuation and related methods were refined over several steps of the project. Several iterations of research revealed a significant lack of evidence as well as the data and information necessary to meet the valuation objectives of the project. Put simply, whereas the level of public awareness and concern for the current condition of Lake Winnipeg is high; and the available evidence solidly indicates that Lake Winnipeg is highly eutrophic, little to no quantitative evidence of the economic and EGS impact of the Lake’s condition was found. Main estimates are that the selected BMPs have the potential to reduce the annual export of P from Manitoba agriculture by approximately 10 percent, or just under 100 tonnes of the 1,200 tonnes of the P load to Lake Winnipeg that Manitoba agriculture is understood to currently account for. Cost-benefit ratios including EGS values or indicators for these BMPs range from 0.8 to 6.3. In other terms, relative to the estimated cost of treating outflow to the Red River by the City of Winnipeg of $164,697 per tonne of P removed, the cost of reducing P exports from agricultural sources in Manitoba using the BMPs ranges from $0 (net benefit) to $765,125 per tonne of P. Variability and uncertainty of the biophysical potential to reduce P exports to Lake Winnipeg from Manitoba agricultural sources is the greatest determinant of the viability of the BMPs from a cost benefit and EGS perspective. Best estimates of the physical capacity or potential of agricultural BMPs have a wide range, extending nearly an order of magnitude - from a reduction to an increase in P export. Unit costs and prices including EGS values are relatively small factors in comparison to the range of biophysical uncertainty and variability. Given the large size and key role of Lake Winnipeg and the Lake Winnipeg drainage area, a full and direct economic and EGS accounting and estimate of the value of the lake is warranted and strongly recommended. Amongst other things, it is recommended that this entail a coordinated effort with Manitoba government and related agencies and stakeholders. Information and data with which to do so is currently widely distributed amongst several different public and private agencies in Manitoba and other jurisdictions. Despite the key importance of Lake Winnipeg, research conducted for this project was not able to identify any initiative to draw the necessary quantitative information and data together in coordinated and systematic fashion. Cost-benefit analysis using an EGS approach could be improved by further investigation and development of quantitative evidence and supporting data of EGS associated with agricultural BMPs.
Open Access
Algae, Cyanobacteria and Water Quality
(Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2002-03) Scott, N.
Algae and cyanobacteria are tiny organisms that occur naturally in saltwater and freshwater. Individual organisms can often only be seen under a microscope, although with some species , individuals can join together to form colonies visible to the naked eye. It is important to understand the similarities and differences between algae and cyanobacteria as both groups can have distinct impacts on surface water quality.
Open Access
Annual Exceedance Probabilities and Trends for Peak Streamflows and Annual Runoff Volumes for the Central United States During the 2011 Floods. Chapter D of 2011 Floods of the Central United States
(United States Geological Survey, 2014) Driscoll, Daniel G.; Southard, Rodney E.; Koening, Todd A.; Bender, David A.; Holmes, Rober R.
During 2011, excess precipitation resulted in widespread flooding in the Central United States with 33 fatalities and approximately $4.2 billion in damages reported in the Red River of the North, Souris, and Mississippi River Basins. At different times from late February 2011 through September 2011, various rivers in these basins had major flooding, with some locations having multiple rounds of flooding. This report provides broadscale characterizations of annual exceedance probabilities and trends for peak streamflows and annual runoff volumes for selected streamgages in the Central United States in areas affected by 2011 flooding. Annual exceedance probabilities (AEPs) were analyzed for 321 streamgages for annual peak streamflow and for 211 streamgages for annual runoff volume. Some of the most exceptional flooding was for the Souris River Basin, where of 11 streamgages considered for AEP analysis of peak streamflow, flood peaks in 2011 exceeded the next largest peak of record by at least double for 6 of the longest-term streamgages (75 to 108 years of peak-flow record). AEPs for these six streamgages were less than 1 percent. AEPs for 2011 runoff volumes were less than 1 percent for all seven Souris River streamgages considered for AEP analysis. Magnitudes of 2011 runoff volumes exceeded previous maxima by double or more for 5 of the 7 streamgages (record lengths 52 to 108 years). For the Red River of the North Basin, AEPs for 2011 runoff volumes were exceptional, with two streamgages having AEPs less than 0.2 percent, five streamgages in the range of 0.2 to 1 percent, and four streamgages in the range of 1 to 2 percent. Magnitudes of 2011 runoff volumes also were exceptional, with all 11 of the aforementioned streamgages eclipsing previous long-term (62 to 110 years) annual maxima by about one-third or more. AEPs for peak streamflows in the upper Mississippi River Basin were not exceptional, with no AEPs less than 1 percent. AEPs for annual runoff volumes indicated less frequent recurrence, with 11 streamgages having AEPs of less than 1 percent. The 2011 runoff volume for streamgage 05331000(at Saint Paul, Minnesota) exceeded the previous record (112 years of record) by about 24 percent. An especially newsworthy feature was prolonged flooding along the main stem of the Missouri River downstream from Garrison Dam (located upstream from Bismarck, North Dakota) and extending downstream throughout the length of the Missouri River. The 2011 runoff volume for streamgage 06342500 (at Bismarck) exceeded the previous (1975) maximum by about 50 percent, with an associated AEP in the range of 0.2 to 1 percent. In the Ohio River Basin, peak-streamflow AEPs were less than 2 percent for only four streamgages. Runoff-volume AEPs were less than 2 percent for only three streamgages. Along the lower Mississippi River, the largest streamflow peak in 91 years was recorded for streamgage 07289000 (at Vicksburg, Mississippi), with an associated AEP of 0.8 percent. Trends in peak streamflow were analyzed for 98 streamgages, with 67 streamgages having upward trends, 31 with downward trends, and zero with no trend. Trends in annual runoff volume were analyzed for 182 streamgages, with 145 streamgages having upward trends, 36 with downward trends, and 1 with no trend. The trend analyses used descriptive methods that did not include measures of statistical significance. A dichotomous spatial distribution in trends was apparent for both peak streamflow and annual runoff volume, with a small number of streamgages in the northwestern part of the study area having downward trends and most streamgages in the eastern part of the study area having upward trends.
Open Access
Aquatic Communities and Contaminants in Fish from Streams of the Red River of the North Basin, Minnesota and North Dakota
(United States Geological Survey, 1995) Goldstein, R.M.
Available data on the ecology of aquatic organisms in the Red River of the North Basin, a study unit of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program, were collated from numerous sources. Lack of information for invertebrates and algae precluded a general summary of distribution and ecology throughout the basin. Data on fish species distributions in the major streams of the Red River of the North Basin were analyzed based on the drainage area of the stream and the number of ecoregions the stream flowed through. Species richness increased with both drainage area (log drainage area in square kilometers, R2=0.41, p=0.0055) and the number of ecoregions a river flowed through. However, theses two factors are autocorrelated because the larger the drainage, the more likely that the river will flow through more than one ecoregion. A cluster analysis identified five river groups based on similarity of species within the fish community. Analysis of trophic and taxonomic composition provided justification for the cluster groups. There were significant differences (p=0.05) in the trophic composition of the river cluster groups with respect to the number of predator species, omnivore species, benthic insectivore species, and general insectivore species. Although there were no significant differences in the number of species in the bass and sunfish family or the sucker family, the number of species in the minnow family and the darter subfamily were different (p=0.05) among the groups identified by cluster analysis. Data on contaminant concentrations in fish from the Red River of the North indicated that most trace elements and organochlorine compounds present in tissues were not at levels toxic to fish or humans. Minnesota and North Dakota have issued a fish consumption advisory based on levels of mercury and (or) PCBs found in some species.
Open Access
Assessment of bbe Fluoroprobe for algal taxonomic discrimination in Lake Winnipeg
(2014-10-29) McCullough, Greg
This paper reports on an investigation of the capability of the bbe Moldaenke Fluoroprobe instrument for distinguishing major algal taxa. It employs a Department of Fisheries and Oceans database of Fluoroprobe data collected simultaneously with water samples later analyzed for chlorophyll fluorescence, various water quality parameters and algal taxonomy, between August and September/October 2003. The Fluoroprobe measures fluorescence at six excitation wavelengths and records both raw fluorescence intensity and estimated chlorophyll biomass concentrations of four major algal taxa. Multiple regression of the fluorescence data explains 63% of variance in chlorophyll a in samples, and predicts chlorophyll a with a root mean square error of 7% of the range of concentrations characteristic of Lake Winnipeg. Bacillariophytes and cyanophytes dominate the algal community in Lake Winnipeg, the former characteristically dominant in spring and late autumn, and the latter from midsummer through to early autumn. Multiple fluorescence successfully distinguishes and predicts bacillariophyte and cyanophyte biomass with similar success, i.e. r2 = 0.68 in both cases, although with a larger relative RMSE, at best 10% and 19% of the range in Lake Winnipeg, respectively. It is only a weak predictor of cryptophyte biomass, a subdominant group in Lake Winnipeg except at very low concentrations, and a weaker predictor of chlorophyte biomass, also a sub -dominant group in the lake. Nonetheless, by use of multiple regressions developed from the paired data set, we were able to successfully reproduce the seasonal patterns determined by microscope counts, of both dominant and subdominant groups through a mid -summer to late autumn period in 2003.
Open Access
Assessment of Nutrient Enrichment by Use of Algal-, Invertebrate-, and Fish-Community Attributes in Wadeable Streams in Ecoregions surrounding the Great Lakes
(United States Geological Survery, 2011) Frey, Jeffrey W.; Bell, Amanda H.; Hambrook Berkman, Julie A.; Lorenz, David L.
The algal, invertebrate, and fish taxa and community attributes that best reflect the effects of nutrients along a gradient of low to high nutrient concentrations in wadeable, primarily midwestern streams were determined as part of the U.S. Geological Suvey’s National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Nutrient data collected from 64 sampling sites that reflected reference, agricultural, and urban influences between 1993 and 2006 were used to represent the nutrient gradient within Nutrient Ecoregion VI (Cornbelt and Northern Great Plains), VII (Mostly Glaciated Dairy Region), and VIII (Nutrient Poor Largely Glaciated Upper Midwest and Northeast). Nutrient Ecoregions VII and VIII comprise the Glacial North diatom ecoregion (GNE) and Nutrient Ecoregion VI represents the Central and Western Plains diatom ecoregion (CWPE). The diatom-ecoregion groupings were used chiefly for data analysis. The total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) data from 64 sites, where at least 6 nutrient samples were collected within a year at each site, were used to classify the sites into low-, medium-, and high-nutrient categories based upon the 10th and 75th percentiles of for sites within each Nutrient Ecoregion. In general, TN and TP concentrations were 3–5 times greater in Nutrient Ecoregion VI than in Nutrient Ecoregions VII and VIII. A subgroup of 54 of these 64 sites had algal-, invertebrate-, and fish-community data that were collected within the same year as the nutrients; these sites were used to assess the effects of nutrients on the biological communities. Multidimensional scaling was used to determine whether the entire region could be assessed together or whether there were regional differences between the algal, invertebrate, and fish communities. The biological communities were significantly different between the northern sites, primarily in the GNE and the southern sites, primarily in the CWPE. In the higher nutrient concentration gradient in the streams of the CWPE, algae exhibited greater differences than invertebrates and fish between all of the nutrient categories for both TN and TP; however, in the lower nutrient gradient in the streams of the GNE, invertebrates exhibited greater differences between the nutrient categories. Certain species of algae, invertebrates, and fish were more prevalent in low- and high-nutrient categories within each of the diatom ecoregions. Breakpoint analysis was used to identify the concentration at which the relations between the response variable (biological attribute) and the stressor variable (TN and TP) change. There were significant breakpoints for nutrients (TN and TP) and multiple attributes for algae, invertebrates, and fish communities within the CWPE and GNE diatom ecoregions. In general, more significant breakpoints, with lower concentrations, were found in the GNE than the more nutrient-rich CWPE. The breakpoints from all biological communities were generally about 3–5 times higher in the south (CWPE) than the north (GNE). In the north, breakpoints with similar lower concentrations were found for TN from all biological communities (around 0.60 milligram per liter) and for TP (between 0.02 and 0.03 milligram per liter) for the algae and invertebrate communities. The findings from our study suggest that the range in breakpoints for TN and TP from the GNE can be used as oligotrophic and eutrophic boundaries derived from biological response based on this ecoregion having (1) a gradient with sufficiently low to high nutrient concentrations, (2) distinctive differences in the biological communities in the low- to high-nutrient streams, (3) similarity of breakpoints within algal, invertebrate, and fish communities, (4) significant attributes with either direct relations to nutrients or traditional changes in community structure (that is, decreases in sensitive species or increases in tolerant species), and (5) similar breakpoints in other studies in this and other regions. In nutrient-rich areas like the CWPE, all of the breakpoints were substantially higher than those for the lower nutrient conditions of the GNE, suggesting that streams are nutrient saturated to the point that low-end breakpoints cannot be detected.
Open Access
Assessment of Sediments in the Riverine Impoundments of National Wildlife Refuges in the Souris River Basin, North Dakota
(United States Geological Survey, 2014) Tangen, Brian A.; Laubhan, Murray K.; Gleason, Robert A.
Accelerated sedimentation of reservoirs and riverine impoundments is a major concern throughout the United States. Sediments not only fill impoundments and reduce their effective life span, but they can reduce water quality by increasing turbidity and introducing harmful chemical constituents such as heavy metals, toxic elements, and nutrients. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service national wildlife refuges in the north-central part of the United States have documented high amounts of sediment accretion in some wetlands that could negatively affect important aquatic habitats for migratory birds and other wetland-dependent wildlife. Therefore, information pertaining to sediment accumulation in refuge impoundments potentially is important to guide conservation planning, including future management actions of individual impoundments. Lands comprising Des Lacs, Upper Souris, and J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuges, collectively known as the Souris River Basin refuges, encompass reaches of the Des Lacs and Souris Rivers of northwestern North Dakota. The riverine impoundments of the Souris River Basin refuges are vulnerable to sedimentation because of the construction of in-stream dams that interrupt and slow river flows and because of post-European settlement land-use changes that have increased the potential for soil erosion and transport to rivers. Information regarding sediments does not exist for these refuges, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel have expressed interest in assessing refuge impoundments to support refuge management decisions. Sediment cores and surface sediment samples were collected from impoundments within Des Lacs, Upper Souris, and J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuges during 2004–05. Cores were used to estimate sediment accretion rates using radioisotope (cesium-137 [137Cs], lead-210 [210Pb]) dating techniques. Sediment cores and surface samples were analyzed for a suite of elements and agrichemicals, respectively. Examination of core characteristics along the depth profile suggests that there has been regular sediment mixing and removal, as well as non-uniform sediment deposition with time. Estimated mean accretion rates based on the three methods of determination (two time markers for 137Cs, 210Pb) ranged from 0.22–0.35 centimeters per year, and approximately 70 percent of cores had less 137Cs than expected. Concentrations of sediment-associated elements generally were within reported reference ranges, and all agrichemicals analyzed were below detection limits. Results suggest that there does not appear to be widespread sediment accumulation in impoundments of the Souris River Basin refuges. In addition, there were no identifiable patterns among sedimentation rates from the upstream (Des Lacs, Upper Souris) to the downstream (J. Clark Salyer) refuges. There were, however, apparent upstream to downstream patterns of increased concentrations of some elements (for example, aluminum, boron, and vanadium) that may warrant further exploration. Future related monitoring and research efforts should focus on areas with high potential for sediment accumulation, such as upstream areas adjacent to dams, to identify potential sediment problems before they become too severe. Further, assessments of suspended sediments transported in the Des Lacs and Souris Rivers would augment interpretation of sedimentation data by identifying potential sediment sources and areas with the greatest potential for accumulation.
Open Access
ASSESSMENT OF THE HISTORIC HYDROLOGY OFTHE ASSINIBOINE RIVER AND WATERSHED 1793-1870
(Geological Survey of Canada, 2001) Rannie, W.F.
In the aftermath of the 1997 Red River flood, archival materials were used to reconstruct the hydrologic history of the Red River prior to 1870 as part of the Geological Survey of Canada/Manitoba Geological Survey contribution to the study of the Red River (Rannie, 1999). All historic Red River 1l00ds were documented and general runoff conditions were characterized for most water-years from 1793-94 to 1869-70. Although the report noted several large 1l00ds on the Assiniboine and described general climatic conditions as they related to the state of the Red, the Assiniboine River and watershed were given less-detailed attention. Inthis respect, the report was typical of the treatment of the Assiniboine River in other hydrologic studies. "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride", the Assiniboine has been considered mainly insofar as it contributes to the 1100d problems on the Red rather than as an important river in its own right. The two largest public expenditures in the watershed (the Shellmouth Dam and Assiniboine Diversion) were initiated as measures to assist in managing Red River floods by reducing the Assiniboine's contributions; conservation and flood control along the Assiniboine were secondary (although not unimportant) objectives. Paleoclimatic investigations in the Palliser Triangle (part of which includes the headwaters of the Qu'Appelle and Souris tributaries to the Assiniboine) have emphasized the region to the west of the Assiniboine basin and there has been little systematic study of pre-instrumental climate and How within the Assiniboine basin itself. The relative anonymity of the Assiniboine is the more surplising since it may be described as the "quintessential large Prairie river". Located between the flood-prone, subhumid, Red River valley on the east and the drought-prone, semiarid, Palliser Triangle region to the west, the Assiniboine displays characteristics of both regions. The axis of the watershed runs through the parkland ecoregion, approximately along the boundary between forests to the north and east and grasslands to the south and west. In contrast to the large rivers of the western Prairies (such as the Saskatchewan, Red Deer and Oldman) which derive much of their flow from mountain sources, the Assiniboine is dependent on the Prairies for its entire flow and, with a drainage area of 153,000 km2 at Headingley, it is the largest purely prairie-fed river in western Canada. Furthermore, the Assiniboine watershed is one of most topographically and climatologically varied of large prairie streams. This report will focus on the historical hydrology of the Assiniboine River and watershed. Its specific objectives are • to provide an overview of the hydrometeorological characteristics of the basin which are relevant to hydrologic and dendroclimatic reconstructions; • to review the literature on the pre-instrumental hydroclimate and environmental conditions in and near the watershed; and • to reconstruct the hydrologic history of the Assiniboine River prior to the beginning of gauging records, ':Jsing archival and other historical materials.
Open Access
The Attenuation of Light In Lake Winnipeg Waters
(Fisheries and Marine Service, 1979-09) Brunskill, G.J.; Schindler, D.W.; Elliott, S.E.M.; Campbell, P.
Lake Winnipeg water is usually turbid, and little light penetrates into the lake. Secchi disc visibility varied from 0.1 t 1.0 m in the south basin and 0.5 to 2.6 m in the north basin. Horizontal extinction coefficients calculated from transmissometr (beam transmittance) data were high (12-46/m) in the south basin and lower (0.5-3/m) in the central part of the north basin. Vertical extinction coefficients were calculated from percentage of surface light reaching the sensor of the submersible photometer ell, and these values were in the range 1-5 m in the south basin and narrows, and 0.5-1/m in the center of the north basin.
Open Access
CABIN - Laboratory Methods, Processing, Taxonomy, and Quality Control of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Samples
(Government of Canada, 2012-04) Environment Canada
The Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) is the national biomonitoring program developed by Environment Canada. It provides a standardized biomonitoring sampling protocol and data analysis for the comparability of biomonitoring data from across the country and various agencies. CABIN provides the tools necessary to conduct consistent and scientifically credible biological assessments of freshwater. Each office or laboratory participating in the CABIN program must implement the prescribed quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) procedures. This ensures that precision, accuracy, completeness, comparability and representativeness of the data are known and documented (Barbour et al. 1999). The quality assurance (QA) component provides data users and project managers with the confidence that the accuracy and quality of data is within controlled and acceptable limits. The quality control (QC) component provides users with standard procedures to reduce the error rate in sample sorting and identification. The objectives of this document are to provide: • Requirements to assure quality in the processing and identification of benthic macroinvertebrates • Descriptions of quality control procedures for the sorting and taxonomic identification of benthic macroinvertebrates To maintain data quality in the national CABIN database all taxonomy laboratories must process samples and provide data using the following methods. Details of field sampling procedures, data analysis and associated QA/QC procedures can be found in other CABIN documentation. The preparation of this manual relied on protocols developed by other authors and is adapted from existing QA/QC programs. In particular: CABIN: Reynoldson, T.B., C. Logan, T. Pascoe and S.P. Thompson. 2001. CABIN (Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network) Invertebrate Biomonitoring Field and Laboratory Manual, National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada 47 pp. AUSRIVAS: WATER ECOscience. 2004. National River Health Program AusRivAS Quality Assurance and Quality Control Project. Appendix B: Literature Review QA/QC methodology for rapid bioassessment programs. Prepared for the Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Heritage. WATER ECOscience Report Number: 543 Program: http://ausrivas.canberra.edu.au/ USGS: Moulton, S.R., Carter, J.L., Grotheer, S.A., Cuffney, T.F., and Short, T.M. 2000. Methods for analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory – processing, taxonomy, and quality control of benthic macroinvertebrate samples: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-212, 49 p. EPA: Barbour, M.T., J. Gerritsen, B.D. Snyder and J.B. Stribling. 1999. Rapid bioassessment protocols for use in streams and wadeable rivers: Periphyton, benthic invertebrates and fish. Second Edition. EPA 841-B-99-002. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Office of Water; Washington, D.C.
Open Access
Canada-Manitoba Memorandum of Understanding Respecting Lake Winnipeg and the Lake Winnipeg Basin
(Government of Canada, 2010-09-13) Government of Canada; Government of Manitoba
Open Access
A Canadian Action Plan to Address the Threat of Aquatic Invasive Species
(Government of Canada, 2004-09) Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers Aquatic Invasive Species Task Group
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been entering Canadian waters for centuries but never as rapidly as today. Every decade, some 15 alien species establish themselves in our coastal or inland waters and, in the absence of their natural predators, the most aggressive of them spread rapidly. They can radically alter habitat, rendering it inhospitable for native species. Invading species have been implicated in both the vast reductions in, or outright extinction of, indigenous fish and the resulting devastation of local fisheries. Some invasives, such as the zebra mussel, do millions of dollars in damage annually to human infrastructure. In addition to damage to the environment, in total, invasive species cost billions of dollars every year due to lost revenue and the implementation of control measures. With more species poised to enter the country, these costs will only rise. Canada has 20 per cent of the world's fresh water and one of the longest coastlines, thereby placing it at high risk from AIS. As a result of insufficient awareness of the nature and size of the threat, there have been limited levels of compliance with practices and regulations designed to minimize the damage. World leaders officially recognized the threat posed by invasive species in 1992, with the adoption of the UN Convention on Biodiversity. Canada responded in 1995 with the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy. In September 2001, federal, provincial and territorial ministers of forests, fisheries and aquaculture, endangered species and wildlife agreed to develop a Canadian plan to deal with the threat of invasive alien species. In 2002, they approved a blueprint for the plan. Also in 2002, the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers created the Aquatic Invasive Species Task Group to develop an action plan to address the threat of aquatic invasive species. The most effective approach to dealing with the hundreds of species that are (or could become) established in Canada involves managing the pathways through which invasive species enter and spread through Canadian waters. For aquatic species, these pathways are shipping, recreational and commercial boating, the use of live bait, the aquarium/ water garden trade, live food fish, unauthorized introductions and transfers, and canals and water diversions. This plan does not address authorized introductions such as aquaculture or fish stocking, as they are covered by the National Code on Introductions and Transfers of Aquatic Organisms. The shipping pathway is considered the largest single source of new aquatic invasive species. Ballast water that is taken on in foreign ports, for ship stability and safety at sea, is discharged in Canadian waters, along with undesirable "hitchhikers" – foreign species ranging from bacteria to larger organisms. While other pathways can also be a source of new species, they generally serve to spread species that have already established themselves in Canada and other parts of North America. Efforts to resolve AIS problems raise a wide variety of issues. Any given species may affect the environment, trade, shipping, recreational use of waterways, fishing, resource management, human health and more. Numerous jurisdictions, from the local to the international level, play a role in prevention, monitoring and management activities, as do industry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Aboriginal peoples and other stakeholders. The magnitude and nature of the problem, and the priorities for action, vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In many cases, appropriate legislation and regulations exist to combat invasive species but they have not always been adequately used. Actions have been taken to respond to specific threats but concerted and coordinated efforts are only in their early stages. The ultimate goal of this plan is to minimize (and ideally eliminate) the introduction of harmful AIS and remediate the impact of those already in Canada. The plan’s underlying principles include incorporating environmental, economic, and social factors in decision making; working cooperatively with all stakeholders; and using science-based techniques to assess the risk of aquatic invasive species. Prevention of harmful new invasions is the first priority, as it is the most cost-effective way to deal with the problem. Once species are established, the task becomes far more complex and costly. The tools used to manage AIS must be carefully analyzed in terms of their effectiveness, how they affect the rest of the ecosystem, their cost, and so on. While some of the tools used to prevent and control harmful introductions vary between pathways, most of them apply across pathways, between jurisdictions, and to a range of species and ecosystems. In this plan, management actions have been organized into four broad categories: legislation, regulation and compliance; risk management; engaging Canadians; and science. Given the size of the problem and the limitations on human and financial resources, priorities for implementation must be assessed carefully. Some results can be achieved using existing resources but the urgency and magnitude of the threat suggests the need for new investment. While the federal, provincial and territorial governments bear overall responsibility for putting this plan into action, partnerships with industry, Aboriginal peoples, NGOs and all other stakeholders are imperative for its success.
Open Access
Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network - Field Manual, Wadeable streams 2012
(2012) Environment Canada
The Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) is the national biomonitoring program developed by Environment Canada that provides a standardized sampling protocol and a recommended assessment approach, called the Reference Condition Approach (RCA), for assessing aquatic ecosystem condition. CABIN provides the tools necessary to conduct consistent, comparable, and scientifically credible biological assessments of streams. This manual describes the nationally standardized CABIN field protocol for the collection of benthic macroinvertebrate samples and associated stream information in wadeable streams and littoral zones of large rivers. This manual provides information on: • when to sample • the importance of safety first • how to collect required non-field data before sampling • how to collect a CABIN benthic macroinvertebrate sample and related water quality and habitat data in the field • what equipment is required to sample macroinvertebrates and water quality and collect habitat data
Open Access
Canadian Biodiversity: Ecosystem Status and Trends 2010.
(Canadian Councils of Resource Ministers. Ottawa, ON, 2010) Federal, Provincial and Territorial Governments of Canada. 2010
Canadian Biodiversity: Ecosystem Status and Trends 2010is a collaborative effort of the federal, provincial, and territorial governments of Canada. It was prepared by Joan Eamer, Trish Hayes, and Risa Smith under the guidance of the Steering Committee and two secretariats. Information was drawn from technical reports prepared for each ecozone+ and for national cross-cutting themes. A list of these reports and their authors is provided on page 112 of this document.
Open Access
Canadian Mercury Science Assessment Report
(Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2016) Environment and Climate Change Canada
The Canadian Mercury Science Assessment is the first comprehensive scientific evaluation and synthesis of mercury (Hg) in the Canadian environment. The assessment is the outcome of a partnership between the Clean Air Regulatory Agenda (CARA) Mercury Science Program, led by Environment Canada, and the Canadian Arctic Northern Contaminants Program (NCP), led by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. The CARA Mercury Science Program was developed in 2007 to establish the scientific knowledge base to support regulatory decision-making for Hg. The intention of the program was to (1) determine key indicators of the effects of atmospheric emissions of Hg on environmental quality and human health; (2) measure current and past levels of these indicators; and (3) develop the capacity to predict changes in these indicators associated with changes in levels of atmospheric emissions of Hg or in the receiving environment (Morrison, 2011). The geographic focus of the CARA Mercury Science Program was south of the Arctic Circle. The NCP was established in 1991 in response to concerns about human exposure to elevated levels of contaminants, such as Hg, in fish and wildlife species that are important to the traditional diets of northern aboriginal people. Since its beginning, this program has supported significant research on the transport, transformation, and fate of Hg in Canadian Arctic ecosystems (NCP, 2012). The geographic focus of the NCP program is north of the Arctic Circle, and the program is complementary to the CARA Mercury Science Program. Monitoring and research in support of these 2 programs provide the foundation of this assessment, a foundation augmented by science supported by other Environment Canada programs, Health Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, provincial and territorial governments, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, International Polar Year, and industry.
Open Access
Cesium-137, radium-226, potassium-40 and selected stable elements in fish populations from Great Slave Lake (N.W.T), Louis Lake (Saskatchewan), Lake Winnipeg (Manitoba), and Experimental Lakes Areas (Northwestern Ontario)
(Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 1981-10) Elliott, S.E.M.; Burns-Flett, C.; Lutz, A.; Hesslein, R.H.; Brunskill, G.J.
Activities of 137 Cs, resulting from globally distributed atmospheric fallout, and natural activities of 226 Ra and 40 K were determined for nine species of fish from five lakes in the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and northwestern Ontario. Sample sizes of approximately 25 fish were obtained for each species and location. Selected subsamples were also analyzed for the stable elements Ca, Zn, Cu and K. Surface water samples were collected and activities of 137 Cs and 226 Ra were determined in both dissolved and particulate fractions.
Open Access
Changes in Flood Response of the Red River of the North Basin, North Dakota-Minnesota
(United States Government Printing Office, 1984) Miller, Jeffrey E.; Frink, Dale L.
The magnitude and frequency of large floods that have occurred in recent years in the basin of the Red River of the North have caused concern that land-use changes and man- made drainage have increased flooding. This study was under- taken to determine whether any changes in flood response of the basin could be documented. A review of the hydrologic setting, previous floods, flood-control measures, and probable effects of land-use changes shows that the flooding problem of the Red River basin is complex hydrologically, highly variable histori- cally, and follows a regional pattern. Therefore, a change in flood response of the basin is difficult to identify. The flood- frequency, normalized-hydrograph, double-mass, and regres- sion analyses show little indication of significant change in flood response of the Red River basin at locations on the main stem. However, the large variation in flood discharges may mask or dwarf small changes in response.
Open Access
Chapter 3: Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas in the Williston Basin Province, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota
(United States Geological Survey, 2013) Anna, Lawrence O.
The U.S. Geological Survey completed an assessment of the undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Williston Basin Province in 2008. The assessment applied the total petroleum system concept, which includes mapping the distribution of potential source rocks and known petroleum accumulations, and determining the timing of petroleum generation and migration. Geologically based, it focuses on source rock and reservoir rock stratigraphy, timing of tectonic events and the configuration of resulting structures, formation of traps and seals, and burial history modeling. The total petroleum system is subdivided into assessment units based on similar geologic characteristics and accumulation and petroleum type. For the Williston Basin Province, 10 total petroleum systems, 13 conventional assessment units, and 6 continuous (or unconventional) assessment units were defined, and the undiscovered oil and gas resources within each assessment unit were quantitatively estimated.