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Riparian assessment validation for North Saskatchewan Region Lakes

Description

This report documents the assessment of the performance of the GIS-based method used to evaluate the intactness of riparian habitats along the shorelines of Pigeon, Gull, Sylvan, and Buffalo lakes... More ≫

Description

This report documents the assessment of the performance of the GIS-based method used to evaluate the intactness of riparian habitats along the shorelines of Pigeon, Gull, Sylvan, and Buffalo lakes and their associated tributaries. Both desktop and field validation methods were used and the ability of the GIS assessment approach to capture relative differences in intactness locally and regionally was tested. Overall the method proved to be reliable for assessing and comparing the intactness of riparian management areas across large geographical areas.

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Riparian assessment for North Saskatchewan Region lakes

Description

The report documents the GIS-based method developed to assess the current condition of riparian habitats along the shorelines of Pigeon, Buffalo, Gull, and Sylvan lakes and their associated... More ≫

Description

The report documents the GIS-based method developed to assess the current condition of riparian habitats along the shorelines of Pigeon, Buffalo, Gull, and Sylvan lakes and their associated tributaries. The results of the riparian and land cover assessment are summarized and visualized, including a summary of habitat change within riparian management areas through time. Includes documentation of the GIS modelling and analysis methods including recommendations for minimum data standards and validation procedures.

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North Saskatchewan regional plan : lake paleolimnology survey

Description

Pigeon and Wabamun Lakes are among the most heavily used recreational lakes in Alberta. Recently, apparent increases in algal blooms and fish kills have threatened the ecological integrity of... More ≫

Description

Pigeon and Wabamun Lakes are among the most heavily used recreational lakes in Alberta. Recently, apparent increases in algal blooms and fish kills have threatened the ecological integrity of these systems and may negatively affect their value to users. Limnological studies for the lakes are limited to the past 35 years, leading to uncertainty about the degree to which water quality has changed due to human activities. This study was initiated to fill this information gap from historical limnological data preserved in lake sediments. To better understand how to effectively manage cumulative impacts on the lakes, it is necessary to understand conditions in the lakes prior to development. Knowing these pre-development conditions will assist in setting reasonable and achievable goals for lake management.

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2013 overview of Pigeon Lake water quality, sediment quality, and nonfish biota

Description

Severe cyanobacterial blooms in Pigeon Lake led to an increased concern about the lake's water quality. In order to better understand the ecology and chemistry of the lake and all the factors that... More ≫

Description

Severe cyanobacterial blooms in Pigeon Lake led to an increased concern about the lake's water quality. In order to better understand the ecology and chemistry of the lake and all the factors that may affect its water quality, an enhanced lake and watershed monitoring program was initiated in 2012 and expanded in 2013. Data was collected to provide insight into potential causes of blooms, to develop a nutrient budget in order to partition phosphorus sources in the watershed and to objectively evaluate what management approaches may be most appropriate for improving the water quality in the lake. This report provides a synopsis of all 2013 data collected.

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Pigeon Lake Provincial Park rare lichen survey, October 14-18, 2008 : report

Description

A rare lichen survey was conducted in selected areas of Pigeon Lake Provincial Park (PLPP) from October 14 to 18, 2008. The main objective of the survey was to document the occurrence of rare... More ≫

Description

A rare lichen survey was conducted in selected areas of Pigeon Lake Provincial Park (PLPP) from October 14 to 18, 2008. The main objective of the survey was to document the occurrence of rare lichens and mitigate possible damage as a result of infrastructure upgrade activities, including the expansion of old camp stalls, creation of new camp stalls, shower buildings, a new boat launch and some additional tree and shrub clearings. The park is located approximately 25 km west of Wetaskiwin, Alberta and is accessed by Hwy 13. It falls within the Central Parkland, a subregion of the Parkland Natural Region of Alberta, characterized by aspen (Populus tremuloides) and balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) stands (Kershaw et al. 2001). These stands form the main vegetation community of PLPP (Kershaw et al. 2001) and are typically known for not supporting high lichen numbers as it is often too dry.

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