Peel – Water Quality

Water Quality

Changes in water quality have been observed in parts of the Peel sub-basin and have affected the ability of some Indigenous communities to practice traditional land uses. The Gwich’in and members of the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun have observed warmer water temperatures than in the past, which they associate with observed declines in the health of some fish species. Observations by Indigenous communities and scientists indicate that permafrost thaw is accelerating across the glaciated terrain in the Peel sub-basin, as evidenced by a rise in observations of slumps and ‘holes’ in the earth, and erosion along the banks of streams and rivers. Permafrost thaw has led to an increase in sediment and solute loads in adjacent watercourses, leading to observations of muddy water in local waterbodies by the Gwich’in. Streams affected by such permafrost-slumping showed lower abundances of benthic invertebrates. The potential for industrial development in the sub-basin is a concern for local communities, specifically how contaminants could affect water quality and ecosystem health.

Information Availability

The following table summarizes the availability of information for each Water Quality indicator.

Signs and Signals	Indigenous Knowledge Information and Data	Indigenous Knowledge Availability in Public Sources¹	Science Information and Data	Science Data Availability²
Water Quality	Local observations and oral histories of good water, poor water, seasonal differences, land-based consumption practices	Some observations from few locations.	Ambient surface and ground water concentrations	Some ongoing surface water monitoring programs.
Benthic Invertebrates	Not assigned to a Sign or Signal	Not assessed.	Relative abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates	CABIN* database contains benthic data, one academic study.
Land Use Changes	Stories and oral histories of land use cover and practices	Many observations from several locations.	Map and statistics of current vs. past land cover and land use	Georeferenced data available, but limited data on change over time.
Effluent Discharge	Not assigned to a Sign or Signal	Not assessed.	Volume of effluent discharges	Evidence from literature available.

¹ Qualifiers for the availability of local and Indigenous Knowledge observations in publicly available sources: Limited = 1-2 observations; Some = 3-4 observations; Many = 5 or more observations
² Qualifiers for the availability of science data in publicly available sources: Low = Individual studies or locations; Many = Network of monitoring stations across the basin
* CABIN = Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network

Water Quality

A reduction in water quality and warmer water temperatures have been observed in some locations in the Peel sub-basin.

Indigenous communities have observed warmer water temperatures in certain waterbodies

The Gwich’in have observed warmer water conditions in some waterbodies than in the past. Warmer water temperatures have similarly been observed by members of the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun, who infer that the warmer temperatures cause fish to swim deeper in some lakes and become less accessible for fishing.

Some communities are concerned about the impact to water quality from past exploration and human activities as well as a reduction in water quality from potential future developments in the sub-basin. Scientific data indicates increasing trends for sulphates, magnesium and calcium, however these changes are not expected to impact aquatic life

Contaminants in the water is a prevalent concern among the Gwich’in, who recognize that contaminants from industrial developments could flow downstream into their territory. In one study, Gwich’in fishers explained they have encountered muddy waters and unknown orange residue on surface waters, which deters their interest in fishing at some locations. However, it is possible that the orange residue was spruce needle rust (Chrysomyxa ledicola) and/or iron-forming bacteria, neither of which are generally considered to be a threat to water quality*. Increasing temporal trends in the Peel River above Fort McPherson were observed for sulphate, magnesium and calcium for the period of 1980 to 2010, which may be related to increased groundwater discharge across the watershed as a result of permafrost thaw.Trend analysis on Environment and Climate Change Canada data from 2000-2018 showed similar trends in dissolved constituents (this study). For example, April sulphate concentrations in the Peel River above Fort McPherson increased by 6.8 mg/L (10%) per year during that time. There are no surface water quality guidelines for these parameters; therefore these changes are not expected to impact aquatic life.

*A floating ‘orange goo’ substance, later identified as spruce needle rust, was observed by Gwich’in residents on the surface of the Peel and Arctic Red Rivers and nearby lakes in the summer of 2018. The increase in the presence of the pathogen was partly attributed to the moist and humid conditions in the Northwest Territories in the years 2017 and 2018.

Contaminants in the water from upstream sources was a major topic of conversation for some participants, their friends and families
Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board/Gwich’in Tribal Council in Parlee and Maloney, 2017

Trend in April sulphate concentrations in Peel River above Fort McPherson (2000-2018). Data from Environment and Climate Change Canada. Significance and slope of the trend were estimated using the Mann Kendall Trend Test. The Sen Slope (change in mg/L per year) and % change per year are displayed on the chart.

Accelerated permafrost thaw has increased suspended sediments in streams in the lower Peel and Mackenzie watersheds, as detected in scientific monitoring

Increasingly common, large permafrost slope disturbances (mega slumps) leach previously frozen sediments to adjacent streams, signiﬁcantly increasing sediment and solute loads in these systems. Suspended sediment and solute concentrations in streams affected by slumps were several orders of magnitude greater than in unaffected streams. In summer, slump impacted streams displayed day-and-night fluctuations in water levels and solute and sediment flux driven entirely by ground‐ice thaw. These effects were shown at the local and overall watershed scale and resulted in significant increasing trends in solute concentrations in the Peel River.

Dr. Robert Fraser. NRCan Canada Centre for Mapping and Earth Observation, in collaboration with Northwest Territories Geological Survey and Northwest Territories Centre for Geomatics

Rivers and streams in the Peel sub-basin are naturally elevated in suspended sediments and associated metals

The high relief in much of the basin, relatively impermeable substrates, lack of wetlands, and the presence of permafrost means there is a limited area where water can be stored during runoff and instead runs quickly into the stream carrying sediments. Therefore, streams in the Peel sub-basin carry naturally high loads of suspended sediments and associated metals. They frequently exceed total and dissolved metals guidelines for the protection of aquatic lifealthough resident aquatic life is likely adapted to these natural conditions. Results of Community-Based Monitoring also showed higher peak turbidity, suspended sediment, metals and dissolved ion levels in the Peel River sub-basin, compared to data collected at other sites in the Northwest Territories.

Benthic Invertebrates

One study observed reduced abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates in streams affected by permafrost slumping in the Peel sub-basin.

Benthic invertebrate abundance in the Peel sub-basin is impacted by permafrost degradation

Permafrost degradation (thaw slumps) has significantly impacted the abundance of benthic invertebrates numbers in streams of the Stony Creek watershed. Monitoring results show that as the number of slumps increase, the amount of sediment in the water increases and the number of benthic invertebrates decreases. Sediment suspended in water can smother benthic invertebrates and cause their numbers to drop. It is unknown if permafrost thaw has had the same impact on benthic invertebrates elsewhere in the basin.

Land Use

Declines in the quality of resources and land disturbances are leading to changes in Indigenous land use practices in the Peel sub-basin. Natural land cover has not been directly impacted by human activity, but communities and scientific data show increased land disturbance due to major permafrost thaw slumps.

Indigenous communities and scientists have reported an increase in land disturbance events and permafrost thaw slumps

Participants […] discussed seeing ‘holes,’ or thaw slumps in the landscape, especially when driving along Dempster Highway,
Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board/Gwich’in Tribal Council in Parlee and Maloney, 2017

Erosion of river banks and permafrost thaw slumps are a significant concern for the Gwich’in, who have observed mass cave-ins and the formation of ‘holes’ and thaw slumps in permafrost terrain, particularly along the Dempster Highway. In one study, the most prevalent observation by the Teetl’it Gwich’in of environmental change in the lower Peel watershed was the erosion and melting of permafrost, which participants attributed to climate change. Similar observations were recorded in scientific studies describing increased frequency and magnitude of large permafrost slope disturbances (mega slumps) in glaciated terrain of northwestern Canada, due to the intensiﬁcation of permafrost thaw from increased
The most common environmental observation was of erosion and melting permafrost driven by recent changes in climate,
Gill, 2013
temperatures and precipitation.The Gwich’in have also observed that cut banks along local rivers and streams are more numerous and taller as the banks erode. There is a concern for how permafrost thaw will continue to impact traditional use sites and remote settlements. The safety of infrastructure in towns built close to rivers is in question and there are many accounts of hunter’s and trapper’s cabins falling into the rivers in recent years.

Some Indigenous communities are concerned about potential contamination of water and fish downstream of industrial projects

The potential contamination of water, fish and other downstream effects of industrial development is concerning for Indigenous communities in the Peel sub-basin. The Gwich’in have expressed concerns about the potential contamination of water and fish linked to potential upstream industrial projects and mineral and oil and gas exploration in the Peel sub-basin, and to the south, on the Mackenzie River, due to oil sands development in Alberta. Gwich’in fishers have also observed murky, polluted waters in some locations and raised concerns about sediments clouding the water. In one study, these changes were found to negatively impact Gwich’in fishing sites and deter community interests in fishing. Similarly, several members of the First Nation Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation recall catching poor quality fish in recent years, which they chose not to consume due to contamination concerns.

Some participants mentioned concerns that contaminants from the south may flow downstream in the rivers from the oilsands or other industrial areas,
Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board/Gwich’in Tribal Council in Parlee and Maloney, 2017

There is no measurable human impact on land cover

Shrubland comprises 27% of current land cover in the Peel sub-basin. Forest covers 24% of the basin while 22% of the land cover is barren. There is currently no measurable degree of human impact on land cover.

Land Cover	Percent Land Cover
Shrubland	27%
Forest	24%
Barren	22%
Grassland	20%
Water	5%
Wetland	1%
Cropland	0%
Urban	0%

Land Cover for Peel sub-basin

Effluent Discharges

Water quality is currently not impacted by effluent discharges in the Peel sub-basin.

There are currently no direct effluent sources within the Peel watershed

Trace amounts of manmade chemicals can be found in surface water due to atmospheric transport and deposition.

References

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