NORTHERN RIVERS ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVE For more information on the Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative, please contact: Environment Canada (780) 951-8884 Alberta Environment (780) 427-3029 Copies of Acts and publications referred to in this document may be obtained from: Environment Canada Inquiry Centre 351 St. Joseph Boulevard, Hull, Quebec K1A 0H3 telephone: (819) 997-2800 or 1-800-668-6767 fax: (819) 953-2225 e-mail: [email protected] Alberta Environment Information Centre Main Floor, 9820 - 106th Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2J6 telephone: (780) 427-6310 fax: (780) 427-1594 e-mail: [email protected] GNWT internet: www.gov.nt.ca/research/publications/index.html Federal Publications Inc. 165 University Ave., Toronto, ON M5H 3B8 telephone: (416) 860-1611 fax: (416) 860-1608 e-mail: [email protected] Additional information on the Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative is available on the Internet at http://www.pnr-rpn.ec.gc.ca/nature/ecosystems/index.en.html ISBN: 0-662-37739-7 Cat: En4-41/3-2004E PRINTED IN CANADA Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative – Synthesis Report TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................. III LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................ IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................ VI THE NORTHERN RIVERS ECOSYSTEM INITIATIVE .................................... 1 THE NORTHERN RIVER BASINS ............................................................ 5 CLIMATE .................................................................................................... 6 HYDROLOGY .............................................................................................. 7 PEACE-ATHABASCA DELTA .......................................................................... 9 LAND USE ................................................................................................ 10 FORESTRY ........................................................................................ 10 AGRICULTURE .................................................................................. 10 INDUSTRY ........................................................................................ 10 WATER ALLOCATION ................................................................................ 12 INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................ 13 MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................ 15 HOW ARE AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS PROTECTED? .................................. 17 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ................................................................ 18 MACKENZIE RIVER BASIN .................................................................. 18 ALBERTA .......................................................................................... 19 WATER MANAGEMENT .............................................................. 19 REGIONAL STRATEGIES .............................................................. 20 OIL SANDS ...................................................................... 21 PEACE-ATHABASCA DELTA ................................................ 22 AIR ISSUES MANAGEMENT ........................................................ 23 NORTHWEST TERRITORIES ................................................................ 23 WILDLIFE AND FISH MANAGEMENT .................................................... 24 POLLUTION PREVENTION .......................................................................... 25 CANADA .......................................................................................... 25 TOXIC SUBSTANCES .................................................................. 25 AIR POLLUTION ........................................................................ 26 PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS ............................................ 27 GREENHOUSE GASES ................................................................ 27 PULP MILL EFFLUENT ................................................................ 28 MUNICIPAL EFFLUENT .............................................................. 28 ALBERTA .......................................................................................... 28 PULP MILLS .............................................................................. 30 OIL SANDS OPERATIONS ............................................................ 31 SEISMIC LINES AND CONVENTIONAL OIL AND GAS ...................... 32 MUNICIPALITIES ........................................................................ 33 Table of Contents – i Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative – Synthesis Report AGRICULTURE .......................................................................... 34 FORESTRY ................................................................................ 35 OTHER POLLUTION SOURCES .................................................... 35 THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES .......................................................... 37 MONITORING ............................................................................................ 38 MONITORING NETWORKS .................................................................. 38 WATER QUANTITY .................................................................... 38 SURFACE WATER QUALITY ........................................................ 39 AIR QUALITY ............................................................................ 40 USE OF DATA .................................................................................. 41 ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES .................................................... 41 WATER QUALITY INDEX ............................................................ 41 PROTECTION OF HUMAN HEALTH .............................................. 42 DATA QUALITY ........................................................................ 43 INDUSTRIAL IMPACTS ........................................................................ 43 PULP MILLS .............................................................................. 44 OIL SANDS .............................................................................. 46 RESEARCH ................................................................................................ 47 CLIMATE CHANGE ............................................................................ 47 GREAT SLAVE LAKE .......................................................................... 47 OIL SANDS ...................................................................................... 47 AGRICULTURE .................................................................................. 48 FORESTRY ........................................................................................ 49 WETLANDS ...................................................................................... 50 WHAT NEW INFORMATION WAS GAINED FROM NREI? ........................ 51 ENVIRONMENTAL MODELS AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS .................................. 52 MODELS .......................................................................................... 52 LAND COVER CLASSIFICATION ............................................................ 53 REMOTE SENSING ............................................................................ 53 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ASSESSMENT .................................................. 54 MESOCOSMS .................................................................................... 55 HYDROLOGY AND CLIMATE IN THE DELTA AREA .......................................... 56 FLOOD AND VEGETATION MAPPING .................................................... 56 IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE .......................................................... 59 BASIN RUNOFF ................................................................................ 62 ECOLOGY OF THE DELTAS .......................................................................... 64 INDICATORS OF ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY .............................................. 64 DELTA BIRDS .................................................................................... 67 CONTAMINANTS ........................................................................................ 70 CONTAMINANT SOURCES .................................................................. 70 PULP MILLS .............................................................................. 70 ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION OF TOXINS ...................................... 72 OIL SANDS .............................................................................. 74 CONTAMINANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT .............................................. 75 WATER .................................................................................... 76 SUSPENDED PARTICLES IN WATER .............................................. 76 BOTTOM SEDIMENTS ................................................................ 78 EFFECTS OF CONTAMINANTS ON FISH ................................................ 80 TRENDS OVER SPACE AND TIME ................................................ 80 BIOMAGNIFICATION .................................................................. 84 ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION ............................................................ 86 FISH HEALTH ............................................................................ 89 EFFECTS OF CONTAMINANTS ON OTHER ORGANISMS .......................... 90 BIRDS .....................................................................................