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Communication at the NABS Annual meeting, Keystone, 2000
(292) ASSESSING THE UTILITY OF NUTRIENT LIMITATION MEASURES AS BIOINDICATORS FOR MANAGEMENT OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN RIVERS.
M. Bowman1, D.W. Schindler1, and P.A. Chambers2. 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9, 2National Hydrology Research Center, Environment Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 3H5
Parks Canada commissioned a study to document and monitor the extent of aquatic eutrophication in Rocky Mountain rivers. An ongoing water quality program enables Parks Canada to monitor the effects of continued development and the success of mitigation strategies. Starting in 1997, spring, summer and fall surveys of water chemistry, algal biomass and benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) community composition were done at selected sites upstream and downstream of sewage treatment plant (STP) effluent discharges in the Athabasca, Bow, and Kicking Horse Rivers. There were incidences of increased phosphorous levels in the Bow River. Algal biomass and BMI abundances increased and community composition changed significantly at almost all downstream sites, in all seasons. Macorinvertbrate drift communities seem to be more sensitive to eutrophication than resident BMIs. To document changes in nutrient limitation upstream and downstream of the STPs, nutrient diffusing substrata (NDS) and flume experiments were conducted. Alkaline phosphotase activity (APA), carbon-nitrogen-phosphorous content and metabolism of the naturally occurring, NDS and flume grown periphyton communities were measured. Nutrient limitation was allieviated downstream of the STPs that do not remove phosphorous as part of waste water treatment. Nutrient limited periphyton communities appear to be less productive. Nutrient limitation at the cellular level (APA) was indicative of community-level nutrient limitation (NDS). The addition of functional bioindicators of nutrient limitation into a monitoring program will aid Parks Canada in attaining leadership goals in management practices.
Presented at 2:15 PM on Thursday, June 1, 2000 in Integrating Physical, Chemical, and Biological Indicators of Water Quality I
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