What have our students learned? Our key findings Important cyanobacteria findings pH findings What should we do now? What has this project done for our community? Acknowledgements Student poster presentations
2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4
DWQP Sample Sites: Deep Lake (DL) South Lake (SL) (Fish Lake) North Dump Pond (ND) North School Pond (NS) Wadlin Lake Boat Dock (WBD) Wadlin Lake East Shore (WES)
17 Alberta lakes were closed in 2012 to protect the public from exposure to cyanobacteria.
Page 2
Students became experts with dissecting and compound microscopes using them to identify phytoplankton, zooplankton and insect larvae. They also learned about aquatic food chains and the value of protecting our wetlands.
Potentially harmful cyanobacteria = Microcystis, Anabaena, Oscillatoria, Lyngbya & Aphanizomenon all of these genera produce strains that are toxic
Page 3
pH findings
What is pH? pH is the measure of how many hydrogen (H) ions are in a solution. pH values below 7 are acidic, pH values above 7 are basic. A pH value of 7 is considered neutral. As the values get both lower (close to 0) and higher (close to 14) the strength of the acid or base increases. Aquatic life needs a pH that is not too acidic, nor too basic. Most fish prefer to live in a pH range between about 6.5 and 8.0. We found at many sample sites our pH values were high. This is especially the case in the North Dump Pond. You can see in the graph below that the pH in this pond is 9.2-9.6. More tests would be necessary to be sure, but this could be a result of water contamination from the dump. Many cleaners are basic and could lower the pH if they leak into the water. As the North Dump Pond is located close to the north community and could contaminate ground water and
North community drinking water its pH level should be monitored. The Wadlin Lake pH values were also high (8.19.2) but many Alberta lakes have pH values between 710 because the water that fills these lakes runs over soils high in salts. However, Wadlin Lake is a popular recreation site and its pH should be monitored to ensure water health that can support fish.
What has this project done for our Schools & our Community?
This project generated funding for the school to purchase brand-new, high-quality dissecting and compound microscopes, waders, other science resources and enriched the hands-on science learning of Tallcree students. This project also generated student interest in protecting their traditional water sources and possible careers in environmental science. This study helped to address community concerns about water health and safety. Also, the study provided baseline measurements for water health prior to potential development. This study identified areas of concern and has helped to build the capacity for effective water management in Tallcree.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank all Tallcree students who were involved in sampling. I thank Alina Alook for helping on all our field trips. I would also like to thank all students who made posters to showcase the learning that took place during this project. I would not have been able to make this project a reality without the initiative of Vince Dikaitis in co-writing the proposal for funding from Health Canada; the expertise of Amanda Doyle at TSAG who helped us to choose & set up this project, Tanice McNabb who helped Amanda to train our students and staff to conduct water sampling and lastly Laura Machial at TSAG who helped analyze the results. Also Peggy & Louis Meneen were an incredible help as both guides and sampling assistants throughout the project. Many thanks also to Rob Fioraso for facilitating the poster competition.
Students will be showcasing their learning during the project and representing their results in a poster competition. Posters will be on display at the science fair. For a fully narrated version of a powerpoint presentation explaining our findings please visit our website. Copies of the full report will be available at both (North) Chief Tallcree High School & (South) Chief Tallcree Elementary School. Ask in the office after June 1st, 2013.