WWF-CANADA WATERSHED REPORTS Lower Mackenzie Watershed June, 2015 LOWER MACKENZIE WATERSHED REPORT CONTENTS FRESHWATER HEALTH ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Summary ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Overall River Health Scoring ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Overall Data Sufficiency Scoring ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 HYDROLOGY ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Overall Hydrology River Health Scoring ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Hydrology Data Sufficiency ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Long-Term Trends in Monthly Flow for the Lower Mackenzie Basin. .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Recent-Term Trends in Monthly Flow for the Lower mackenzie Basin ...................................................................................................................................... 14 Trends in Annual Flow for the Lower Mackenzie ....................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Hydrological Alteration in the Lower Mackenzie Basin .............................................................................................................................................................. 28 WATER QUALITY ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Overall Water Quality Health Scoring ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 Water Quality Data Sufficiency ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 44 FISH ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 63 Overall Fish Health Scoring ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 63 Fish Data Sufficiency ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 64 BENTHICS ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 69 Overall Benthic Health Scoring ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 69 Benthic Data Sufficiency ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 70 FRESHWATER THREATS ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 74 SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 74 SUB-INDICATOR SCORES BY SUB-WATERSHED ............................................................................................................................................................................... 77 Pollution...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 77 Climate Change ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 78 Alteration of Water Flows .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 79 Invasive Species .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 79 Water Use ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 80 Fragmentation ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 80 Habitat Loss ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 81 WWF-Canada Watershed Report for the Lower Mackenzie Watershed. 1 Disclaimer: This analysis reflects currently accessible and available data that aligns with our nationally consistent suite of indicators, as of June 2015. FRESHWATER HEALTH ASSESSMENT SUMMARY OVERALL RIVER HEALTH SCORING 07U - 10G - 10H - 10K - 07P - 07Q - Great 07S - 10D - 10F - Western 10A - 10B - 10C - 10E - Upper Central 10J - Central 10L - Basin Southern Slave Lake- 07R - Northeastern 07T - Central Upper 10M - Indicator 07N - Slave 07O - Hay Great Upper Central Fort Lower Mackenzie- Mackenzie- Great Mackenzie- Lower Great East Arm Lockhart Great Slave Marian Liard- Mackenzie- Peel Slave Liard Liard Nelson Liard Camsell Blackwater Bear The Mackenzie Slave Lake South Shore Lake Petitot Mills Lake Lake Band Lake Ramparts Hydrology Health Data Data Very Data Data Good Very Poor Good Good Good Good Good Fair Very Poor Good Good Good Good Poor Poor Poor Category deficient deficient Poor deficient deficient Hydrology Hydrology Score 4 1 0 0 4 4 1 0 4 4 4 0 3 1 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 Water Quality Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Fair Fair Good Good Fair Fair Fair Good Poor Fair Poor Fair Water Health Category Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Quality Water Quality 3 3 0 0 0 4 0 0 4 0 0 3 3 3 0 0 4 2 3 2 3 Health Score Overall Benthic Health Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Very Data Very Data Data Data Data Data Very Data Benthic Good Very Good Fair Category Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Good Deficient Good Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Good Deficient Macro- Benthic Health Invertebrates 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 4 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 3 5 0 Score Fish Health Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Good Good Good Good Good Category Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Deficient Fish Fish Health Score 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total Score 7 8 4 0 4 8 1 0 17 4 12 12 6 4 4 4 8 11 8 9 5 Total Available Score 10 15 5 0 5 10 5 0 20 10 15 15 10 10 5 5 10 15 15 15 10 Percentage of Maximum Score 70.00% 53.33% 80.00% 0.00% 80.00% 80.00% 20.00% 0.00% 85.00% 40.00% 80.00% 80.00% 60.00% 40.00% 80.00% 80.00% 80.00% 73.33% 53.33% 60.00% 50.00% Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Very Data Data Data Data Data Data Data Overall Health Category Poor Good Good Good Poor