NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: South Slave Region

Tags: environmental monitoring, hydrology, fish, wildlife, community development, community based monitoring

Objective(s): To establish a community based environmental monitoring program in the Slave River and Delta.

Project Description: The SWEEP program is being used to establish a community based environmental monitoring program in the Slave River and delta. The project has been funded for 2 years by the Canadian Water Network (CWN) to develop a new 'node' for community based monitoring which is harmonized with those already established by other CWN projects. SWEEP will develop a suite of both 'community based' and 'western science' indicators that address community concerns as highlighted in the various Slave river State of the Environment and Vulnerability Assessment reports prepared by the Slave River Delta Partnership (SRDP). The specific community concerns to be addressed are those related to water quality and quantity, hydrological changes in the delta, ice properties and behavior, fish health and quality, and wildlife abundance and changes. The research team’s approach is to develop, in partnership with the communities, two types of indicators that together will integrate community interests and measures with western science measurements to further our understanding of current and recent changes on the Slave River and its Delta. Methods have already been developed (Jones) for the assessment of fish health. These studies will be continued but will be more focused, fewer species fewer times, based on data collected during the last 2 years. One species of particular relevance due to its non-migratory behavior and high position high in the food chain is the northern pike or jackfish. The other main species of fish to be studied will be the goldeye due to their abundance in the river, the relative ease with which they can be caught and their position relatively low position on the food chain. While these two species will be the main focus of monitoring, other species may also be examined albeit at a lower frequency. For example each year of the programme we may choose to monitor one other additional species (e.g. Whitefish, Pickerel or Loche Mariah/Burbot) to ensure all significant food species are covered in the programme. Fish health indicators are based on those used in other Canadian Environmental Effects Monitoring Programmes (EEMs). After a detailed internal and external examination, during which detailed photographs are taken, specific body organs will be removed and weighed. From these organ measurements we can calculate specific indicators of fish health. These include condition factor, LSI, GSI and the occurrence of lesions or other abnormalities. In conjunction with these observations tissue samples will be collected and archived for possible future analysis of either biochemical markers of heath, or contamination or for measurement of chemical contaminants. The reach team is also seeking to evaluate the extent to which people are utilizing this valuable resource. This information will be obtained by interviewing community members to determine the extent to which they consume fish from the river. We hope that improved monitoring will increase local confidence in the safety and value of consuming fish from the Slave River and Delta and this renewed confidence should result in greater utilization of the resource. Waterfowl: To monitor highly-visible bird populations (ducks, geese, pelicans), the research team will use time-lapse cameras at key wetland sites. These cameras can be mounted on trees with a shoreline view and left to take photos at fixed time intervals (e.g. every 8 hours) over an entire growing season. The cameras can then be retrieved and daily counts can be made of the species of interest. By establishing a water level gauge that is in view of the camera and making periodic water quality measurements, the use of these habitats by wildlife can be examined in relation to the filing filling and drying of wetlands and changes in quality of the water (Pettit et al. 2012). Annual counts can then be made at minimal expense and with minimal training. Fur-bearing mammals: The traditional method of counting muskrat houses to estimate population size can overestimate the population because many houses are long-lasting structures that are no longer in use. To complement house counts/pushup counts, we will use a muskrat visual index (MVI) that involves mooring a boat at a random location and observing muskrat activity over a 45 minute period (Engeman and Whisson 2003). This standardized method will allow changes in space and time to be detected. A similar approach can be used to estimate beaver population abundance, and these measurements can be made in addition to counting lodges. Open-water and under-ice river hydraulic modeling: CRISSP1D (Comprehensive River Ice Simulation System – 1 dimensional) has been selected due to its most extensive development and state-of-the-art capabilities. The model can simulate unsteady flows in single channels or complex networks with internal structures (e.g. bridges). The model also simulates the formation of different ice types, such as thermal or frazil-generated consolidated ice covers Parameters that describe the flow and ice cover will differ depending on the geomorphological features of the riverine system. Morphological features such as sinuosity, slope and cross-sectional area have a marked influence on the flow and ice cover characteristics (Lindenschmidt & Chun, in review). In-stream water quality modeling: The model WASP (Water quality Analysis Simulation Program) will be used to simulate water quality and sediment & contaminant transport. In this research work, the water quality component of the model will receive hydraulic input from CRISSP1D. Coupling a river ice hydraulic model to a surface water quality model is a novel approach. Although there are efforts attempting to investigate uncertainty associated with hydrological projections under climate change scenarios using Global or Regional Climate Model outputs, few comprehensive studies quantify the influence of the uncertain multivariate relationships between various climate fields and the hydrology of the SSR basin. Using various data sources, the empirical multivariate relationships between observations and climate model outputs for downscaling can be established through different statistical techniques (e.g. principal component analysis, generalized linear models). The developed downscaling approaches are expected to provide more reliable climate inputs. The research team is also discussing with SRDP more 'active' means of disseminating the findings to the communities such as newsletters and community presentations. In partnership with Erin Kelly of the SRDP and GNWT we will also disseminate the findings and methods of the SWEEP program to NWT communities outside the Slave River watershed. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from August 2, 2013 to December 31, 2013.