The Chemical Water Quality of
Lake Nipissing 2003-2004
Andrew Paterson
Dorset Environmental Science Centre
Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
Ontario’s Inland Lakes
• ~260,000 lakes
• majority on Canadian Shield
• water quality is generally good
• ↑ water quality = ↑ value
Canadian Shield
“A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature.
It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth
of [his] own nature.”
- Henry David Thoreau (Walden)
The economic value of good water quality in Ontario
• ~2 million adult anglers per year
• $1.7 billion on goods related to fishing
• residents own ~1.2 million recreational boats
• 5.6 million visitors engaged in resource-based tourism
(50% participating in water sports, 39% hunting/fishing)
• $1.1 billion in spending from resource-based tourism
• commercial fisheries (~$42.5 million)
(Multiple sources, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003: Min. Natural Resources, Provincial Auditor of Ontario, Min. Tourism and Recreation)
Background
• In 2002, MOE Northern Region staff
submitted a request to the Environmental
Monitoring and Reporting Branch
(EMRB) to undertake a water quality
survey of Lake Nipissing
• Surveys had been completed in 1971,
1974 and 1975 (no summary report), and
1988, 1989 and 1990 (Neary & Clark
1992)
Background
• EMRB staff at Dorset coordinated a
volunteer-based sampling program for
2003 and 2004
• Results of this survey were compiled and
compared with the 1988-90 survey in a
report co-authored by Clark, Paterson,
DeSellas & Ingram (2010)
Clark, Paterson, DeSellas
& Ingram (2010) 57 pp.
Neary & Clark (1992) 66 pp.
Lake Nipissing and its watershed
49% 45% 5%
Lake Nipissing
~82,200 ha
80,000
60,000
9847
842
56
8
100 999
1000 9999
10000 99999
>100000
81,426
10 - 99
20,000
88,836
40,000
1 - 9.9
Number of lakes
100,000
0
Lake Area (ha)
Watershed area : Lake area = ~16 : 1
5
Methods
• In 2003-04 water samples were collected
from a series of 26 stations that were
originally sampled in the early 1970s and
again in 1988-90
• In all 3 surveys, samples were collected
during the ice-free season:
– in 1988-90 by a Dorset field technician monthly
– in 2003-04 by volunteers on a roughly monthly
schedule (3 stations were not sampled and the
other stations were sampled 5-12 times)
Lake Nipissing showing the 26 stations that were sampled in 1988-90 and resampled in 2003-04 (stations 2, 3 and 18 were not re-sampled). Also note
that Cache Bay (#7), Callander Bay (#9) and West Bay (#19) are somewhat
isolated from the main body of the lake.
Methods
30.0
Private Lab TP (µg/L mean of
duplicates)
• Water chemistry
from the 1970s and
1988-90 surveys
was analyzed by a
commercial lab
• Results from the
2003-04 survey
were completed by
the MOE water
chemistry lab at
Dorset
Boshkung chain (1990-91)
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
Dorset Lab TP (µg/L mean of duplicats)
We know that the
commercial lab values for
total phosphorus were
generally lower than the
MOE Dorset lab results.
Methods
• A number of water chemistry parameters
were measured in the 2003-04 survey
including:
– pH, alkalinity, aluminum, calcium (Ca),
chloride (Cl), colour, conductivity, dissolved
inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon
(DOC), iron, potassium, magnesium,
manganese, sodium, ammonium (NH4),
nitrate/nitrite (NO3), total Kjeldahl nitrogen
(TKN), phosphorus (TP), silica, and
sulphate (SO4)
SO2 Emissions (kilotonnes)
Acid Rain: pH, alkalinity, sulphate
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
Year
1985
1990
1995
2000
pH Concentration
Average for 2003-04
9
r2 = 0.861 (Pt <0.001)
slope = 1 (P=0.865)
intercept = 0 (P=0.611)
8
7
pH
Cache
Callander
6
6
7
8
Average for 1988-90
9
Sulphate Concentration (mg/L)
Average for 2003-04
15
r2 = 0.701 (Pt <0.001)
slope = 1 (P=0.274)
intercept = 0 (P=0.127)
10
5
SO4
Cache
Callander
0
0
5
10
Average for 1988-90
15
Nutrients: Nitrogen & Phosphorus
Results from a whole-lake
experiment conducted at the
Experimental Lakes Area,
near Kenora, ON in 1973
Carbon & Nitrogen only
Barrier
Carbon, Nitrogen
& PHOSPHORUS
Phosphorus is a nutrient that is the
limiting factor “controlling” algal
growth in aquatic ecosystems
Phosphorus Concentration (ug/L)
40
Average for 2003-04
TP
Cache
Callander
30
20
r2 = 0.635 (Pt <0.001)
slope = 1 (P=0.002)
intercept = 0 (P<0.001)
10
0
0
10
20
30
Average for 1988-90
40
Phosphorus Concentration (ug/L)
Average for 1988-90
60
r2 = 0.458 (Pt <0.001)
slope = 1 (P<0.001)
intercept = 0 (P=0.008)
40
20
TP
Cache
Callander
0
0
20
40
Average for 1971-75
60
Phosphorus Concentration (ug/L)
Average for 2003-04
60
r2 = 0.296 (Pt <0.001)
slope = 1 (P<0.001)
intercept = 0 (P<0.001)
40
20
TP
Cache
Callander
0
0
20
40
Average for 1971-75
60
Long-term declines in phosphorus – Dorset A lakes
Regional trend
Relative trends
3
2
[TP] z-score
[TP] - z-score
2
1
0
-1
-2
Blue Chalk
Chub
Crosson
Dickie
Harp
Heney
Plastic
Red Chalk (Main)
1
0
-1
-2
Regional trend (6 lakes)
-3
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Ice-free year
Ice-free year
Average decline in TP = 28%
TKN Concentration (ug/L)
600
Average for 2003-04
TKN
Cache
Callander
400
200
r2 = 0.520 (Pt =0.144)
slope = 1 (P=0.058)
intercept = 0 (P=0.118)
0
0
200
400
Average for 1988-90
600
NH4 Concentration (ug/L)
Average for 2003-04
90
NH4
Cache
Callander
60
30
r2 = 0.211 (P t <0.001)
slope = 1 (P=0.014)
intercept = 0 (P<0.001)
0
0
30
60
Average for 1988-90
90
Nitrate/Nitrite Concentration (ug/L)
Average for 2003-04
120
80
NO3
Cache
Callander
40
r2 = 0.213 (Pt <0.001)
slope = 1 (P=0.541)
intercept = 0 (P=0.148)
0
0
40
80
Average for 1988-90
120
Large increases in nitrate between 1988-90 and 2003-04
Seasonal nitrate in Callander Bay
200
800
1988
150
2003
600
200
0
200
0
200
1989
150
2004
150
100
100
50
50
0
200
100
100
50
0
100
150
200
250
Day of year
300
200
250
Day of year
1990
150
150
350
300
0
350
-1
Nitrate/nitrite concentration (g·L-1)
50
Nitrate/nitrite concentration (g·L )
100
Other interesting results
• Is road salt affecting the lake?
• Is dissolved organic carbon (DOC)
changing?
• Are calcium concentrations changing?
Chloride Concentration (mg/L)
7
Cl
Average for 2003-04
6
Cache
Callander
5
4
3
r2 = 0.810 (Pt <0.001)
slope = 1 (P=0.525)
intercept = 0 (P=0.006)
2
1
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
Average for 1988-90
6
7
DOC Concentration (mg/L)
Average for 2003-04
10
r2 = 0.621 (P t =0.800)
slope = 1 (P=0.008)
intercept = 0 (P=0.010)
8
6
4
2
DOC
Cache
Callander
0
0
2
4
6
Average for 1988-90
8
10
Calcium Concentration (mg/L)
Average for 2003-04
20
r2 = 0.953 (P t <0.001)
slope = 1 (P=0.002)
intercept = 0 (P=0.105)
15
10
5
Ca
Cache
Callander
0
0
5
10
Average for 1988-90
15
20
Are the Lake Nipissing biota healthy?
Mercury in 35-45cm Walleye from Lake Nipissing
Mean Mercury (ug/g) ± standard deviation
0.8
N Ontario lakes
mean = 0.5 ug/g
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
1976
1977
1985
1989
1990
1998
2002
2003
2009
Summary
• Acid rain: both pH and sulphate (SO4)
concentration have decreased
• Nutrients:
– Total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) has not
changed, but nitrate/nitrite (NO3) and
ammonium (NH4) have increased
– Total phosphorus (TP) has increased, but
this may be a lab artefact (levels are lower
than the 1970s)
Summary
• Other parameters:
– Chloride (Cl) has increased
– Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) has not
changed
– Calcium (Ca) has decreased
Thank You
Are there any questions?
MOE – North Bay Office
• District staff proactively inspect municipal STPs to
ensure compliance with MOE issued Certificates of
Approval. The district also inspects large subsurface sewage systems that have a flow rate of
>10,000 LPD (usually associated with resorts).
• District staff conduct comprehensive inspections of
hazardous waste generators, waste sites and
industrial air dischargers, water users taking
>50,000 LPD – all to ensure compliance with MOE
issued approvals and permits.
MOE – North Bay Office
• District Environmental Officers respond to spills and
other environmental incidents to ensure proper
clean-up and compliance with Ontario’s
environmental legislation such as the
Environmental Protection Act, Ontario Water
Resources Act, Pesticides Act.
• District staff also conduct initial sampling for
suspected Blue Green Algae complaints and
forward results to the local Health unit for follow up
action (if positive)
MOE – North Bay Office
• District staff conduct spring phosphorus
sampling and in some cases dissolved
oxygen surveys.
• MOE also operates a 24 hour spill reporting
center – 1-800-268-6060
Nitrogen Components
TN = TKN + NO3 = TIN + TON
TKN = TON + NH4
TON = TN – (NO3 + NH4) = TKN – NH4
TIN = NO3 + NH4
Observed Changes over Time
Parameter
(units)
Meana
1988-90
Meanb
2003-04
Difference
(b-a)/a x 100
pH
SO4 (mg/L)
TKN (ug/L)
NO3 (ug/L)
7.43
10.30
352.40
20.93
7.21
6.86
334.72
47.45
-3.08*
-33.41*
-5.03
126.68*
NH4 (ug/L)
TP (ug/L)
Cl (mg/L)
24.76
15.12
3.38
38.49
18.23
4.22
55.46*
20.54*
24.81*
DOC (mg/L)
Ca (mg/L)
5.71
7.74
5.68
7.13
-0.61
-7.87*
* - significant difference at P<0.05