An Annotated Bibliography on Lake Manitoba and Adjoining Waters
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Date
2003-11
Authors
Bortoluzzi, Tara
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Delta Marsh Field Station (University of Manitoba)
Abstract
Lake Manitoba located in south-central Manitoba, is the thirteenth largest freshwater lake in
North America, spanning approximately 4700 km2. The lake is an important resource for
Manitoba in terms of fisheries, recreation, hydrology and wildlife. For the past few decades there
has been a growing awareness, as a result of few studies on Lake Manitoba and its surrounding
waterbodies that the water quality of the lake has been deteriorating for at least the past 30 years.
This has increased the need for adequate information on the current and historical biological
health of Lake Manitoba and adjoining water bodies, primarily to adequately assess of the
impacts of a wide range of human influences and developments on the biological health of the
lake and surrounding water bodies. This has resulted in a growing need for a comprehensive
bibliography summarizing studies conducted on Lake Manitoba and adjoining water bodies.
In this annotated bibliography the attempted has been to compile all substantive references
addressing the current and historical biological health of Lake Manitoba. Selected water bodies
that surround Lake Manitoba have also been included in the bibliography including Lake St.
Martin, Waterhen Watershed, Pineimuta Lake and Marsh, Dauphin River, Fairford River, the
Whitemud Watershed, and Delta Marsh. The lower Assiniboine River, from Brandon to the
Assiniboine River Diversion (also known as the Portage Diversion) has also been included, along
with the Assiniboine Diversion. In term of biological health, publication dealing with historical
and current water quality conditions and water levels, and their effects in the above mentioned
water bodies have been included in the bibliography. The effects of water quality and water
levels include effects on the physical, chemical and biological features of the ecosystem.
Publications containing information on historical regulation of Lake Manitoba and water levels in
the lake have also been included.
In total approximately 400 publications are included in this bibliography, spanning a period of
over 125 years, with publications as early as 1876 included, continuing up until the beginning of
2002. In the bibliography the content of each publication has been concisely summarized. The
summaries given for each publication, focus in material in the documents that pertains to Lake
Manitoba and the other water bodies mentioned above. A summary table is also include in this
report in Section two, to exemplify specific subject material that is contained in the publications
such as various water quality parameters, and information on fisheries, flora, fauna, agriculture,recreational usage, soils and geology. The location and season of field studies is also given in the
table. Locations where publications can be found, if known, are given to aid the reader in locating
copies of the publications. A list of the various locations is given along with addresses, contact
information, and hours of operation in Section three. Another section (section four) has also been
included, which contains a brief list of historical photographs of Lake Manitoba, and select
surrounding water bodies.
From this bibliography it is apparent that there is a lack of information on the current and
historical health of Lake Manitoba, and the majority of its surrounding water bodies. While the
general hydrology of the Lake is relatively well documented, many aspects are inadequately
understood, including the physical limnology and water chemistry of the lake. Water quality data
is sporadically available on the lake as early as 1926. During the 1960s and 1970s there was a
water quality monitoring program carried out at up to sixteen sites in the North and South Basins
of the lake. However, the sampling program was reduced to six stations in 1973, with three in
each basin, and in 1977 the program was eliminated all together. Furthermore, most of the data
that were gathered from the sampling programs are unpublished. Today, only one sampling
station exists in the entire lake located approximately 1 km offshore from the south end of the
South Basin. The site has been monitoring since 1991. Much of the scientific data gathered on
Lake Manitoba has been biological in nature, mostly concerning the lakes fishery. Relatively few
published studies exist which have examined the algal or invertebrate composition of the lake.
There is clearly an essential need for more scientific data to be gathered on the biological health
of Lake Manitoba, as well as its surrounding water bodies.
It should also be noted that due to the expansive amount of publications that have resulted
from research studies that have been conducted at Delta Marsh only those that directly relate
biological, chemical and influences from Lake Manitoba on the marsh and surrounding area, and
influences on the lake from the surrounding watershed are included in this bibliography. The
majority of studies conducted in Delta Marsh have also been previously sited in a bibliography
compiled by den Haan (unpublished) that is currently in the final stages of complication and will
be published later this year. Publications and theses resulting from work at the Delta Marsh can
also be found in the Delta Marsh Field Station (University of Manitoba) Annual Reports that can
be obtained through the Delta Marsh Field Station (University of Manitoba) (see locations list). It should also be noted that currently publications are still being added on a daily basis to the
Manitoba Conservation and Environment Library, since the closure and the Manitoba
Department of Natural Resources Library, and the transfer of its publications to the Manitoba
Conservation and Environment Library. Approximately 1,000 publications are being added
monthly to the library’s catalogue. As a result some publications, other than the ones included in
this bibliography could exist on Lake Manitoba and the other surrounding water bodies; however
they were not accessible during the compilation of this bibliography, so they may not have been
included.
Description
This report was prepared as background material for the
Lake Manitoba Regulation Review Advisory Committee,
with financial support and bibliographic assistance from
Manitoba Conservation and Manitoba Water Stewardship.
Keywords
Delta Marsh, Lake Manitoba, Lake St. Martin, Waterhen Watershed, Pineimuta Lake and Marsh, Dauphin River, Fairford River, Whitemud Watershed, Assiniboine River, Brandon Manitoba, Assiniboine River Diversion, Portage Diversion, water quality, water level
Citation
Bortoluzzi, T. L. 2003. An Annotated Bibliography on Lake Manitoba and Adjoining Waters. Delta Marsh Field Station (University of Manitoba) Occasional Publication No. 3, Winnipeg, Canada. 198 pp.