See also asterisked items listed under Fish & Fish Habitat
“Water Quality” refers to physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water, referenced against the needs of organisms that live in it &/or consume it. In an environmental context, we generally consider the highest water quality to be that found in pristine environments. For the waters of the Woodens River system, such water is typically somewhat acidic, nutrient poor, and has a high content of humic acids which colour it brown.
Information on Water Quality
in the Woodens River system
- April 2018 Laura Struthers and Logan Hunter wrote the report and kindly gave us permission to put it up on our web site: SEDIMENT ANALYSIS OF THE WOODENS RIVER WATERSHED: Microplastic Pollution and Macroinvertebrate Health
- Acid Rain on the Woodens River Watershed November 5, 2010-October 30, 2011 (PDF, 0.2 MB) Observations and comments by WRWEO volunteer Bob Chambers.
- A comparative study of water quality in selected lakes of the Wooden’s River watershed
A report to Woodens River Watershed Environmental Organization by WRWEO volunteer Bob Chambers, 2008. (PDF Document 1 MB). It includes data on oxygen, temperature, phosphorus, secchi disk, chlorophyll a and color for 8 lakes (Cranberry, Black Point, Frederick, Five Island, Hubley Big, Long, Sheldrake and Birch Hill) taken 2000-2002.
- Algal blooms in the Woodens River Watershed
Some background on algal blooms, observations by Bob Chambers on blooms on Black Point Lake, and a request to report on blooms.
- Nova Scotia Lake Survey Program
The site provides descriptions of ongoing programs and a variety of downloadable data on N.S. lakes. Under Lake Chemistry Data, data are given for Hubley Big Lake in Dec. 1984.- Generic Field Protocol for Water Sampling
Forwarded by NSE personnel, July 23, 2010
- Generic Field Protocol for Water Sampling
- Nova Scotia Fisheries and Agiculture: Lake Surveys
Online maps of surveyed lakes in N.S. are available here. Maps are available for Five Island Lake, Hubley Big lake and Sheldrake Lake,
- HRM Naturally Green: Lakes and Rivers
Reports of lake water quality over the last several years and other aspects of lake and river management in HRM. Lakes sampled in the Woodens River system include Black Point Lake, Hubley Big Lake, Sheldrake Lake.
- Assessment of long-term changes in water quality from Halifax region lakes (Nova Scotia, Canada) using paleolimnological techniques (PDF)2009 MSc thesis by T. Rajaratnam, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario. Sheldrake Lake is one of the 51 lakes sampled. Comparison of diatom assemblages between the top and bottom of a core provide evidence of some nutrient enrichment since pre-industrial times.
- Halifax Watershed Advisory Board Guidelines for HRM watersheds are available on this site.
Other Pertinent HRM and Provincial Websites and Documents
- Nova Scotia’s Water Portal – Water for Life A site launched Feb 14, 2011. Under Resources are links to various technical reports, datasets, maps etc.
- Synoptic water quality survey of selected Halifax Regional Municipality lakes on 28-29 march 2000
- Nova Scotia Environment Erosion & Sedimentation Control Handbook for Construction Sites (PDF: 4.3mb)
- Mandell, P.R. 1994. The effects of land use changes on water quality of urban lakes in the Halifax/Dartmouth region. MSc thesis,Dalhousie University, March 1994. 170p. Abstract
- Community Based Environmental Monitoring Network
This N.S. organization assists individuals, community groups and other organizations in the initiation of environmental monitoring. - Background lakes and comparisons in Nova Scotia, Guidelines
This page on the website of the Soil & Water Conservation Society of Metro Halifax provides some comparative data on phosphorus and other variables in N.S.lakes, as well as OECD guidelines. - Nova Scotia Environment’s Automated Surface Water Quality Monitoring NetworkData Analysis and Interpretative Report 2010The near continuous recordings for five rivers and one lake in NS illustrate seasonal fluctutations in key water quality variables.
- Groundswell: Community-Based Groundwater Monitoring
A Nova Scotia-EAC project in which dataloggers are installed in unused wells to monitor water levels. - Nova Scotia Watershed Assessment Program The Nova Scotia Watershed Assessment Program is a Dalhousie University based project: that will provide “a first survey of the major watersheds of Nova Scotia of their impacts from land cover change, water availability, and vulnerability to climate change.” The same group has another project investigating the “effectiveness of terrestrial liming yo help reduce the acidity aquatic habitat in Nova Scotia streams and rivers.”
- About the lime doser on West River
- Natural History of N.S. Vol 1 (N.S. Museum)
Other Relevant Documents and Websites
- Acid Rain
A set of pages on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.
Under Effects of Acid Rain pH tolerances are given for trout (5.0 lower limit), bass (5.5), perch (4.5), frogs (4.0), salamanders (5.0), clams (6.0), crayfish 5.5), snails (6.0), mayfly (5.5). (Note that pH tolerances might be somewhat lower or higher for particular populations and sites, however.)
Selected Papers from the Scientific Literature
Acidification of Surface Waters in Nova Scotia
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- Jeziorskil, A. et al. 2014.The jellification of north temperate lakes. Proc. R. Soc. B 282: 20142449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.2449. Based on studies of lakes in Ontario and Nova Scotia.
- Korosi, J.B. and Smol, J.P. 2012.A comparison of present-day and pre-industrial cladoceran assemblages from softwater Nova Scotia (Canada) lakes with different regional acidification histories. J Paleolimnol (2012) 47:43–54. Abstract
- Jeziorski, A. et al. 2008. The widespread threat of calcium
decline in fresh waters. Science 322 (5906): 1374-1377. Abstract - Clair, T.A. et al. 2007. Freshwater acidification research in Atlantic Canada: a review of results and predictions for the future.Environmental Reviews 15:153-167Abstract
- Acidification of Organic Waters in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia
Water, Air, & Soil Pollution46, Numbers 1-4 (1989) View List of 36 Papers, with Abstracts - Kerekes, J., et al. 1986. Organic versus anthropogenic acidity in tributaries of the Kejimkujik watersheds in Western Nova Scotia. Water, Air & Soil Pollution 31(1-2): 165-173 Abstract
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Paleolimnological Investigations of Historical Conditions and Trends
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- Jeziorski1, A. et al. 2014.The jellification of north temperate lakes.Proc. R. Soc. B 282: 20142449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.2449. Based on studies of lakes in Ontario and Nova Scotia.
- Korosi, J.B. and Smol, J.P. 2012.A comparison of present-day and pre-industrial cladoceran assemblages from softwater Nova Scotia (Canada) lakes with different regional acidification histories. J Paleolimnol (2012) 47:43–54. Abstract
- Ginn, B.K. et al. 2007. Assessing pH changes since pre-industrial times
in 51 low-alkalinity lakes in Nova Scotia, Canada
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 64: 1043-1054
Abstract - Thienpont, J.R. et al. 2008. Assessment of Environmental Changes in Three Lakes from King’s County (Nova Scotia, Canada) Using Diatom-Based Paleolimnological Techniques Water Quality Research Journal of Canada 43(2-3): 85-98. 2008 Full Article WQRJC
- Lawlor, L.L. 2006. Chironomidae (Order Diptera) as hypolimnetic oxygen indicators in brook trout lakes in Nova Scotia: a paleolimnological investigation. MSc Thesis. Department of Biology, Queen’s University. 100p. Abstract
- Ginn, P.K. et al. 2009. Ecological distribution of scaled-chrysophyte assemblages
from the sediments of 54 lakes in Nova Scotia and southern
New Brunswick, Canada. Journal of Paleolimnology 43(2): 293-308. Abstract (There is evidence for more seasonal stratification of lakes, possibly associated with climatic warming.) - TEAM – Trends in Eutrophication and Acidification in the Maritimes (Queens University Project):
List of Publications, Theses, and Conference Presentations
https://www.queensu.ca/pearl/publications.php
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Phosphorus