NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Principal Investigator: Hamm, Sharleen
Licensed Year(s): 2006
Summary: Proposed work includes an aquatic study and risk assessment. Sampling will occur over a two week period in mid-August. Samples will be collected with gill nets. Target species include lake trout and northern pike. Tissue samples from fish representing all age classes will be collected (up to twenty fish per species per lake). Sediment and benthic invertebrate samples may also be collected, dependi...

Principal Investigator: Wytrychowski, Scott I
Licensed Year(s): 2006
Summary: Diavik Diamond Mine requires construction of a system of water retention dikes in Lac de Gras to facilitate open-pit mining under dry conditions. The water retention dikes will result in a loss of fish habitat within the footprint of each dike. Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. (DDMI) has received authorization to construct the dikes in Lac de Gras. As a condition of the project’s authorization, Diavik pl...

Principal Investigator: Bekhuys, Tim
Licensed Year(s): 2006 2005
Summary: Baseline studies in the Gahcho Kue (Kennady Lake) area, in conjunction with the DeBeers Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine Project, have been ongoing since 1998. AMEC Earth and Environmental has been contracted by DeBeers to conduct these studies. This year, independent of the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board's regulatory requirements*, two studies are planned to be conducted in the project...

Principal Investigator: Vogel, Sharon C
Licensed Year(s): 2006
Summary: The purpose of the study is to characterize environmental conditions in the project area and supplement existing environmental information to determine if mine effluent is affecting aquatic organisms. Fisheries resources will be sampled in areas that historically or presently receive mine effluent, and in reference areas not exposed to mine effluent for comparative purposes. Water quality, fish, a...

Principal Investigator: St-Onge, Sonia M
Licensed Year(s): 2006
Summary: The spruce and jack pine forest stands in certain areas surrounding the site of Giant Mine, north of Yellowknife, show signs of poor health; stunted growth, early leaf drops, and yellowed foliage. These symptoms may be attributed to the emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and arsenic trioxide (As2O3) that were released into the atmosphere from 1949 to 1999 as by-products to the roasting process use...

Principal Investigator: Hauck, Ariana L
Licensed Year(s): 2006
Summary: The aim of this Master’s-level research project is to document local community members’ experiences in relation to diamond mining. The project will entail evaluating the perspectives of the residents of Fort Smith to understand the positive and negative effects of diamond mining on the lives of local people. Approximately twenty community members will be initially interviewed. Based on recomme...

Principal Investigator: Barnette, Laura M
Licensed Year(s): 2005
Summary: The objective of the study is to: determine the spatial extent of sediments enriched by tailings solids; characterize the physical and geochemical characteristics of contaminated sediments in Baker Creek; determine to what extent arsenic and other elements of concern in these materials can be remobilized into the water column. Given the shallow water depth in Baker Creek, the majority of sedime...

Principal Investigator: Gray, Michelle A
Licensed Year(s): 2005
Summary: Research team members will be transported to site via Diavik air charters. Field collections will be conducted from boats provided by Diavik. The different collection gear types will be gillnets, trapnets, and angling. The target sample sizes at each of three sites will be a maximum of 100 lake trout, and 100 whitefish or cisco (to be determined based on catch success rates). Twenty fish of eac...

Principal Investigator: McCullum, John
Licensed Year(s): 2005
Summary: The purpose of this study is for the communities most affected by the mining operation of Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. (DDMI) to be able to collect and apply traditional knowledge to assess southern caribou migration, water quality and the quality of Lac de Gras fish before, during, and after mining operations. A Helicopter, float planes, and boats will be used to transport equipment and individ...

Principal Investigator: Brewin, Kerry M
Licensed Year(s): 2005
Summary: The purpose of this study is to collect biological information from both the control sites and the treatment sites within Matthews Lake and the surrounding area. The objective is to monitor these sites and collect enough information to evaluate the effectiveness of the 2004 habitat enhancement and construction activities. Field crews will fly to Matthews Lake, landing either on the runway or th...