NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Tags: water quality, fish habitat, hydrology, fish

Objective(s): To describe the aquatic environment in the Yellowknife River between Bluefish Lake and Prosperous Lake.

Project Description: The objective is to describe the aquatic environment in the Yellowknife River between Bluefish Lake and Prosperous Lake as per the Fisheries Authorization and the Water Licence. This may include investigating aquatic vegetation, water quality and quantity, benthic invertebrates, fish and substrate. The results will be used to determine the most suitable means of fish habitat compensation or productivity of-setting. Surveys of the aquatic environment may be required to investigate fish habitat, population, migration and spawning, and water quality and quantity. To investigate fish in the affected area, bathymetry, gill netting, minnow trapping and snorkeling may be conducted. Some fish or fish egg collection may be required to determine species, age, health, metal levels and reproductive status of spawning or game fish, including lake trout, northern pike and slimy sculpin. Surveys of suckers, grayling, lake trout, whitefish ciscoes and pike may be required on existing or artificial shoals or during seasonal migratory movements. Measurements of water quality and quantity will be collected in the Yellowknife River between Prosperous Lake and Bluefish Lake, throughout the year. Water quality will be measured through field measurements and sample collection. Water quantity will be measured through monthly flow measurements and deployment of transducers for continual data collection. Field investigators are residents of Yellowknife. Results from the monitoring program will be submitted to the government regulatory agencies and communities through land use permit and water license application processes. In addition, Northwest Territories Power Corporation has occasional meetings with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from May 30, 2016 to December 31, 2016.