Reclamation on the Cardinal River and Gregg River coal mines includes the construction of mine pit lakes connected to stream environments. Key physical, chemical and biological parameters of these “truck and shovel” lakes and their streams were investigated, and hypotheses regarding ecosystems and populations were tested. Findings include:
Sphinx Lake and Pit Lake CD exhibit meromictic (partial-mixing) tendencies, but
still function in a similar fashion to shallower, natural sub-alpine lakes.
Elevated selenium concentrations as high as 16 ug/g (dry weight) were recorded
in Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) eggs taken from gravid Sphinx Lake and
Pit Lake CD fish. Potential detrimental effects associated with the
bioaccumulation of selenium on fish reproduction were not observed.
Stream water temperatures downstream of Sphinx Lake and Pit Lake CD were
significantly warmer than in inlet streams and streams without pit lakes.
Streambed concretions caused by calcite precipitation were documented and
found to affect portions of the upper Gregg River basin. Remediation of this
concretion is important for sustainability of trout populations.
Aquatic communities including fish, invertebrates, zooplankton and aquatic plants
are present in these pit lake systems. Athabasca Rainbow trout populations are
self-propagating (spawning at the outlets) with higher densities downstream than
there were prior to lake reclamation.
The development of sub-alpine mine-pit lakes connected to the stream environment
appears to be an appropriate and beneficial reclamation technique in this area. / xvi, 224 leaves : col. ill., map ; 28 cm
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:ALU.w.uleth.ca/dspace#10133/3106 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Sonnenberg, Rob |
| Contributors | Johnson, Daniel L |
| Publisher | Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Geography, 2011, Arts and Science, Department of Geography |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Relation | Thesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science) |
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