LIARD RIVER ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAM SUMMARY REPORT By Barry R. Taylor1, Juanetta Sanderson2 and Caroline Lafontaine3 1. Taylor Mazier Associates, R.R. # 3, St. Andrews, Nova Scotia 2. Water Resources Division, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Yellowknife, NWT 3. AquaIctus Consulting, P.O. Box 2864, Yellowknife, NWT Water Resources Division Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Yellowknife, NWT March 1998 Table of Contents Page List of Tables and Figures .......................................................v List of Photographs ........................................................... vi Acknowledgements .......................................................... vii Abbreviations and Special Terms ................................................ iv The Liard River Environmental Quality Monitoring Program .......................1 Participants in the Liard River Program ...................................3 Development of the Liard River Program ...................................4 Collecting and Analysing Water, Sediments and Fish ...............................9 The Ecosystem Approach ................................................9 Selection of Fish Species ................................................10 Sampling Sites ........................................................11 Sample Collection and Analysis ..........................................13 Grab Water Samples ..............................................13 Centrifugate Water and Suspended Sediments ..........................13 Fish ............................................................14 The Present State of the Liard River ............................................20 Units of Measurement and Detection Limits ..................................20 Water Quality .........................................................22 Background .....................................................22 River Flow and Water Quality .......................................23 Water Quality of Grab and Centrifugate Water ..........................28 Metals ...............................................................32 Background .....................................................32 Metals and Suspended Sediments ....................................33 Metals in Water, Suspended Sediments, and Fish ........................34 Source of Metals .................................................43 Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons .............................................44 Background .....................................................44 Sediments .......................................................45 Fish ............................................................47 iii Table of Contents (Continued) Page Organochlorine Pesticides ...............................................52 Polychlorinated Biphenyls ..............................................54 Background .....................................................54 Sediments and Fish ...............................................55 Dioxins and Furans ....................................................57 Background .....................................................57 Fish ............................................................57 Sediment Toxicity and Enzyme Induction ..................................59 Conclusions: The Liard River is Healthy and Uncontaminated ...........................61 References ..................................................................63 iv List of Tables Table 1. Comparison of PAH concentrations in suspended sediments from the Liard River against sediment quality guidelines from Environment Canada (1995) and Ontario Ministry of Environment (1992) .....................................46 Table 2. Total PAH in tissues of five fish species from the Liard River ..............49 List of Figures Figure 1. Map of the Liard River basin .........................................2 Figure 2. Map of Liard River sampling area ....................................12 Figure 3. Mean daily discharge in the Liard River at Fort Liard, NWT, and discharge on sampling dates for grab water samples ................................24 Figure 4. Effect of discharge on conductivity (an indicator of total dissolved solids) and concentration of total suspended solids in the Liard River .................27 Figure 5. Concentrations of mercury in fish from the Liard River ...................41 Figure 6. PAH in bile of fish from the Liard River ...............................50 v List of Photographs Photograph 1. A sawmill near Fort Nelson, B.C. .....................................6 Photograph 2. Clear-cut logging blocks near Fort Nelson, B.C. Logging is active in the British Columbia portion of the Liard River basin ..............................6 Photograph 3. A sour gas processing plant near the Petitot River ........................7 Photograph 4. A gas extraction facility. Oil and gas extraction are growing industries in the Liard River basin ..................................................7 Photograph 5. The Mount Hundrie mine site ........................................8 Photograph 6. Site for a potential hydroelectric dam on the Liard River in British Columbia ...8 Photograph 7. Preparing for a summer sampling trip on the Liard River ..................17 Photograph 8. In winter, water samples were drawn through a hole in the ice ..............17 Photograph 9. The Sedisamp II field portable continuous flow centrifuge .................18 Photograph 10. The centrifuge in operation. Note clear centrifugate water flowing from hose .....................................................18 Photograph 11. Set lines were used to catch burbot in winter ......................19 Photograph 12. Using a syringe to extract bile from the gall bladder ................19 Photograph 13. The Liard River is extremely turbid with suspended sediments in spring and summer ...............................................25 vi Acknowledgements The Liard River Environmental Quality Monitoring Program was a complex undertaking requiring more than three years of effort and co-operation from many dedicated individuals. A list is given below of people who participated in various phases of the study, and while an attempt has been made to include everybody, there are undoubtedly others who contributed to the success of the project in ways large and small. The contributions of everyone are appreciated. Affiliations are given in the list as they were when the people worked on the Program. Water Quality Sampling Wayne Puznicki DIAND, Yellowknife Ken Etherington DIAND, Fort Simpson Kent Halvorson DIAND, Fort Simpson Murray Swyripa DIAND, Yellowknife Glen Stephens DIAND, Yellowknife Wayne Starling DIAND, Fort Smith Juanetta Sanderson DIAND, Yellowknife Winter sampling Jerry Hordal GNWT, Dept. of Renewable Resources, Fort Liard Dan Elliot DIAND, Yellowknife Kent Halvorson DIAND, Fort Simpson Juanetta Sanderson DIAND, Yellowknife Brian Kotchea, Fort Liard Jimmy Kotchea Fort Liard William Bertrand Fort Liard Floyd Bertrand Fort Liard Fish sampling Year 1 Anne Wilson DFO, Yellowknife Steve Harbicht DFO, Yellowknife Fred Hnytka DFO, Winnipeg Year 2 Caroline Lafontaine DFO, Yellowknife (Contractor) Mario Paris DFO, Yellowknife (Contractor) Anne Wilson DFO, Yellowknife vii Year 3 Dave McKenna DFO, Yellowknife Pam Taylor DFO, Yellowknife (Contractor) Report Review Brian Latham DIAND, Yellowknife Dave Milburn DIAND, Yellowknife Steve Harbicht DFO, Yellowknife Anne Wilson DFO, Yellowknife Wayne Puznicki DIAND, Yellowknife Bill Coedy Taiga Analytical Laboratory, Yellowknife Juanetta Sanderson Caroline Lafontaine Data Preparation Juanetta Sanderson Caroline Lafontaine Funding This project was funded by Water Resources Branch, DIAND, in Yellowknife through the “Action on Water” segment of the Arctic Environmental Strategy. In-kind contributions were supplied by the Department of Renewable Resources, Government of the NWT, the Environment Canada laboratories in Edmonton and Burlington, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Report Authors The Liard River Environmental Quality Monitoring Program was implemented and directed by Juanetta Sanderson of the Water Resources Division, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Yellowknife. Caroline Lafontaine compiled and verified the data and reviewed the study report. Barry Taylor wrote this report. viii Abbreviations and Special Terms > Greater than < Less than Acute Affecting an organism over a relatively short period, usually a few hours to a few days, relative to the length of the live cycle. Anthropogenic Produced by humans or human activities. Benzene A common, stable organic compound consisting of six carbon atoms, bonded into a hexagonal ring. Benzene is a component of gasoline. Two or more benzene rings may be bound together in various ways and are the foundation of a great many natural organic compounds. Bile A solution of chemicals that aid digestion, produced by the liver and stored and concentrated in the gall bladder. Bile is released into the intestines of fish through the bile duct, and is the principal route by which the liver removes water-soluble contaminants from the body. Bioaccumulation The uptake of contaminants into living tissues at concentrations greater than those in the surrounding environment. Bioavailability The degree to which a substance in the environment is in a chemical or physical form in which it may be taken up by organisms and incorporated into their tissues. Generally, the bioavailability of substances in solution is much greater than that of substances