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How and why is aquatic quality changing at Nahanni National Park Reserve, NWT, Canada?
Douglas R. Halliwell1 and Steve Catto2
1Environment Canada, Meteorological Service of Canada, Atmospheric & Hydrologic Sciences Division, Northern Section, Prairie & Northern Section; 301-5204 50th (Franklin) Avenue, Diamond Plaza, 3rd Floor, Yellowknife, NT, Canada, X1A 1E2; 2Canadian Heritage, Parks Canada Agency, Nahanni National Park Reserve, P. O. Box 34, Fort Simpson, NT, Canada, X1A 0N0
(1Author for correspondence: e-mail: Doug.Halliwell@ec.gc.ca; Tel: (867) 669-4741)
Abstract
Nahanni National Park Reserve is located at southwestern
NWT-Yukon border. One of the first UNESCO World Heritage sites, Nahanni lies
within Taiga Cordillera and Taiga Shield Ecozones. Base and precious metal
mining occurred upstream of Nahanni prior to park establishment. Nahanni
waters, sediments, fish, and caribou have naturally elevated metals levels.
Baseline water, sediment and fish tissue quality data were collected and
analyzed throughout Nahanni during 1988–91 and
1992–97. These two programs characterized how
aquatic quality variables are naturally varying in space and time, affected by
geology, stream flow, seasonality, and extreme meteorological and geological
events. Possible anthropogenic causes of aquatic quality change were examined.
Measured values were compared to existing Guidelines and site-specific
objectives were established.
Keywords
biogeochemical cycling, CCME Canadian Environmental Quality
Guidelines, mining & petroleum activity,
seasonality, spatial variability, water &
sediment quality objectives.
Article ID: 5141343
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