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NRBS - Home Table of Contents		Northern River Basins Study Final Report 4.0 Study Board Recommendations 4.3 Reach-Specific Issues Certain recommendations address specific reaches of the rivers, where the Study has identified issues of immediate and pressing concern. These recommendations, although they may also relate to basin management, monitoring or research, are presented together here for ease of reference. Recommendation 10, Reach-Specific Issues Preamble In assembling the information on a variety of contaminants and their possible effects, the NRBS studies have identified three particular areas as worthy of special attention. Based on the weight of evidence approach, the Wapiti / Smoky River system is currently the most heavily stressed in the northern river basins. Issues of concern include high levels of nutrient addition from the city of Grande Prairie and the Weyerhaeuser pulp mill, sharp declines in under-ice dissolved oxygen, and the high PCB loadings in sediment and fish. Dioxin and furan concentrations in biota have declined since 1992, but remain among the highest observed in the basins. When reduction in winter snow pack and subsequent declines in discharge levels occur, this serves to further concentrate contaminants and nutrients in the system. Prevention of further deterioration should be a priority for management authorities, as should be the remediation of an already stressed aquatic ecosystem. These tributary systems are small and relatively shallow, provide critical fish spawning habitat and are therefore particularly vulnerable to the effects of pulp mill and municipal wastes.
NRBS - Home Table of Contents Top of Page		NRBS studies consistently found that fish in the Slave River Delta were large and in good condition. However, these same populations also exhibited elevated biomarker responses (e.g. metallothionein). Although NRBS has obtained evidence that pulp mill contaminants are deposited in the delta and Great Slave Lake, observed levels are currently low and the actual exposure of these fish to contaminants, either from Great Slave Lake or from upstream sources remains unknown. Recent improvements in process technology at the Hinton pulp mills have reduced levels of persistent organochlorine contaminants entering the environment. This improvement is reflected by declines in measured levels of certain contaminants (e.g. dioxins and furans) in sediment and biota. However, NRBS has identified contaminant-related concerns in the Emerson Lakes area below Hinton and has recorded a high incidence of fish abnormalities below Whitecourt. In addition, nutrient discharges from the Weldwood mill have resulted in "nuisance" growth of algae for up to 30 kilometres downstream of Hinton. Improvements in pulp mill technology may serve to reduce these impacts, but given current conditions in this reach, monitoring should be particularly vigilant. Conclusion The board has reviewed the reach specific findings of Synthesis Report #11 and draws particular attention to concerns for these three regions of the basins. The Board recommends that: The Ministers direct action to be undertaken to protect the Smoky and Wapiti Rivers from further dissolved oxygen, nutrient and contaminant stress, and undertake to develop and apply reach-specific guidelines and associated regulatory requirements relevant to the small size of these rivers. Fish contamination and fish health effects be assessed for the populations of fish in the Slave River Delta ecosystem. Monitoring activity be intensified in the reach of the Athabasca River from Hinton to below Whitecourt.

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