A Temiscamingue, Quebec, watershed organization is working with provincial and federal government bodies to learn more about the watershed, including the Blanche and Wabi rivers.
The Organisme de bassin versant du Temiscamingue (OBVT) is continuing to work to raise awareness in Ontario about threats such as spiny water fleas in Lake Temiskaming, and also to increase interest in creating a Temiskaming area watershed conservation authority.
Biologist Akib Hasan can regularly be found on the Ontario side of the Lake Temiskaming watershed carrying out research projects regarding water quality in the lake and the water bodies that flow into it.
The OBVT's current research project started with the Timiskaming First Nation whose traditional territory encompasses much of the Temiskaming region on both sides of the lake.
"We're responsible for implementing a sustainable watershed here," said Hasan.
"According to the United Nations, land needs to be managed by integrated watershed management."
However, he said no organization on the Ontario side of the lake is implementing sustainable water management.
The OBVT is working with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to learn more about the water quality in the Blanche River, and is also working with Health Canada to measure pesticide levels in the Wabi River, the Blanche River, and Dixon Creek and Farr Creek.
"We need more collaboration for managing the watershed," he said.
"We need people from different sectors to manage a watershed. In a watershed, everything is connected."
Agriculture, mining, forestry, and recreation are among the factors which impact the watershed, he explained.
OBVT currently has a goal of drawing up a water master plan.
WATER QUALITY
Another of their goals is to raise awareness.
Pesticides have been detected in the Wabi and Blanche rivers but did not exceed the threshold that could be harmful to human and aquatic life. There were several chemicals detected frequently in the rivers, said Hasan.
He stated that Health Canada has a website where information is available regarding contaminant levels found in 2023 in the Wabi and Blanche.
Mercury content is also a problem, and while it has not yet been officially confirmed for Lake Temiskaming, other studies in other lakes have found that dams are one of the factors that contribute to an accumulation of mercury, he explained.
The Quebec Ministry of Environment has published a guideline to limit the amount of fish that can be consumed. Location, species, and size are all factors in recommendations for limiting fish consumption. On average, the chart suggests limits of about an average of four a month from areas with large amounts of mercury in the water.
"It's different for each species," Hasan said.
But if people eat more than the recommended guidelines, "it could affect their health." He said he is sure that people are eating more fish from Lake Temiskaming than the guideline recommends.
"We can assume mercury is produced in nature," he stated. "There are many studies that can confirm that dams increase mercury by bioaccumulation but we don't have that proof here because no one did the study for Lake Temiskaming."
Past historical log drives have also contributed to the higher levels of mercury in the lake, he added.
ALGAE BLOOM
Faulty septic systems are contributing to eutrophication and algae bloom, noted Hasan.
Excess nutrients are being released into rivers and lakes from shorelines that do not have sufficient vegetation, he explained. Twenty metres of vegetation is recommended as a healthy shoreline in Quebec.
Climate change is also contributing to the problem.
"We're having algae bloom more frequently here."
In many locations the natural shoreline is not present to filter out organic contaminants which lead to algae bloom and other problems, Hasan commented.
SPINY WATER FLEA
Invasive species is another big problem, said Hasan.
"Detection of invasive species is more frequent here close to Lake Temiskaming," he explained.
A North American map of locations where spiny water fleas have been located reveals a cluster around Lake Temiskaming, including Lake Temagami, and Larder Lake. Hasan pointed out that the sites in Quebec are only near Lake Temiskaming, suggesting the spiny water flea invasion of Lake Temiskaming is being brought in from the Ontario side.
He explained that the spiny water flea has a very strong spine which is a defense mechanism. The spiny water flea dominates the other food sources.
In lakes where they have invaded, "the lake fish growth decreased and the fish population also decreased."
When spiny water fleas are introduced to a lake, "in ten years or 15 years the fish population will be decreased dramatically," Hasan said.
For this reason, an effort is being made to increase awareness about the importance of washing a boat before and after it is in a lake.
"Only some eggs are enough to spread this species to a new lake," adding the best way to wash a boat is with a pressure wash at 2,600 psi or higher, he said.
All materials from the lake need to be removed from the boat, and the water has to be drained. All equipment that touched the lake, including fishing equipment, anchors, life jackets, and any other parts need to be washed too, preferably with a pressure wash, he said.
"If there is no pressure wash they need to wash it with normal water, but it needs to be more than ten minutes for the washing. Then they need to dry the boat. It can be air-dried or sun-dried for five days if they don't use the boat for five days." Otherwise, a clean cloth needs to be used to rub the boat dry.
He noted that in Quebec it is law.
More information about the water quality in area rivers will be coming forward in the months to come.
Darlene Wroe is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with the Temiskaming Speaker. LJI id funded by the Government of Canada.
