Lake Superior Basin Research Articles

The palaeoproductivity of ancient Lake Superior

We examine here variations in the organic carbon and nitrogen contents and isotopic compositions of Lake Superior sediments over the last 10,600 years, using bulk organic matter from four cores distributed across the Lake Superior Basin. Very low Organic Carbon (OC) and Total Nitrogen (TN) contents but high C org Mass Accumulation Rates (MARs) characterize these sediments until glacial meltwater supply to the Basin ended at ∼9000–8700 cal BP. The C/N ratios for organic matter from the glacial sediments span the range known both for organic matter adsorbed on soil clays and lacustrine algae grown under conditions of nitrogen deficiency. Organic matter in the glacial sediments has more-or-less uniform carbon-isotope compositions (∼−27‰), perhaps associated with a steady flux of soil clays. Coexisting ostracode valves vary by in carbon isotopic composition by as much as 5‰, particularly between 10,600 and 10,400 cal BP, reflecting changing DIC sources at this time. In the postglacial sediments, the C org MARs decreased sharply from glacial levels. The OC and TN concentrations increased steadily until ∼6000 cal BP, after which OC and TN concentrations either stabilized or increased at a slower rate. The C/N ratios of the postglacial organic matter (mostly <10) are typical of lacustrine algae. The carbon-isotope compositions of bulk organic matter in the postglacial sediments immediately after the end of glacial meltwater supply are lower (−29‰) than those of underlying glacial sediments. An upward increase in the carbon-isotope compositions within the postglacial sediments serves to characterize increasing primary productivity in the lake. This observation is supported by the small but steady rise in the nitrogen-isotope compositions of bulk organic matter in the postglacial sediments towards present time.

An 8,900-year-old forest drowned by Lake Superior: hydrological and paleoecological implications

Exposures along the lower Kaministiquia River (near Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada) provide insight into early Holocene lake level fluctuations and paleoenvironmental conditions in the northwestern Lake Superior basin. These exposures show at least two large paleochannels which were downcut into offshore sediments, and were later filled with >2 m of sand, ~3 m of rhythmically laminated silt and clay, and ~6 m of interbedded silt and sand. Buried by the rhythmically laminated silty clay unit is a well-preserved organic deposit with abundant plant macrofossils from terrestrial and emergent taxa, including several upright tree trunks. Three AMS radiocarbon ages were obtained on wood and conifer cones from this deposit: 8,135 ± 25 (9,130–9,010 cal), 8,010 ± 25 (9,010–8,780 cal), and 7,990 ± 20 (8,990–8,770 cal) BP. This sequence records an early postglacial high-water phase, followed by the Houghton lowstand, and reflooding of the lower Kaministiquia River Valley. The drop in lake level associated with the Houghton phase forced the ancestral Kaministiquia River to downcut. By ~9,100 cal (~8,100) BP, older channels eroded into subaqueous underflow fan deposits in the Thunder Bay area near Fort William Historical Park (FWHP) were abandoned and colonized by a Picea-Abies-Larix forest. Based on stratigraphic data corrected for differential isostatic rebound, the lake was below the Sault Ste. Marie bedrock sill between at least 9,100 cal (8,100) and 8,900 cal (8,000) BP. Shortly after 8,900 cal BP, the lake quickly rose and buried in situ lowland vegetation at FWHP with varved sediments. We argue that this transgression was due to overflow from glacial Lakes Agassiz or Ojibway associated with the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet from the Nakina moraine and/or the Cochrane surge margins in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. A continued rise in lake level after 6,420 ± 20 (7,400 cal) BP at FWHP may record uplift of the North Bay outlet above the Sault Ste. Marie bedrock sill and the onset of the Nipissing transgression in the Lake Superior basin.

A late Lake Minong transgression in the Lake Superior basin as documented by sediments from Fenton Lake, Ontario

The evolution of the early Great Lakes was driven by changing ice sheet geometry, meltwater influx, variable climate, and isostatic rebound. Unfortunately none of these factors are fully understood. Sediment cores from Fenton Lake and other sites in the Lake Superior basin have been used to document constantly falling water levels in glacial Lake Minong between 9,000 and 10,600 cal (8.1–9.5 ka) BP. Over three meters of previously unrecovered sediment from Fenton Lake detail a more complex lake level history than formerly realized, and consists of an early regression, transgression, and final regression. The initial regression is documented by a transition from gray, clayey silt to black sapropelic silt. The transgression is recorded by an abrupt return to gray sand and silt, and dates between 9,000 and 9,500 cal (8.1–8.6 ka) BP. The transgression could be the result of increased discharge from Lake Agassiz overflow or the Laurentide Ice Sheet, and hydraulic damming at the Lake Minong outlet. Alternatively ice advance in northern Ontario may have blocked an unrecognized low level northern outlet to glacial Lake Ojibway, which switched Lake Minong overflow back to the Lake Huron basin and raised lake levels. Multiple sites in the Lake Huron and Michigan basins suggest increased meltwater discharges occurred around the time of the transgression in Lake Minong, suggesting a possible linkage. The final regression in Fenton Lake is documented by a return to black sapropelic silt, which coincides with varve cessation in the Superior basin when Lake Agassiz overflow and glacial meltwater was diverted to glacial Lake Ojibway in northern Ontario.

Variability of Lake Michigan water level during the past 1000 years reconstructed through optical dating of a coastal strandplain

Post Nipissing-phase strandplains of the Great Lakes reflect late-Holocene water levels that are linked to climate variability, glacial isostasy, and changes in basin hydrology. This study examines a strandplain sequence at Bailey’s Harbor, Door County, Wisconsin, along Lake Michigan, which contains a record of water-level variations during the past 1000 years, following the separation of the Lake Michigan-Huron basin from the Lake Superior basin. Vibracores are used to define the current elevation of the foreshore facies in 25 preserved beach ridges. Optical ages for five individual beach ridges are compared with radiocarbon ages on basal peats from nine swales collected in a previous study. The optical chronology yields a ridge formation/preservation rate of 30 ± 2 yr/ridge similar to that of previous assessments. This study further demonstrates the efficacy of optical dating for deciphering late-Holocene beach-ridge sequences, providing multidecadal resolution. Lake level meets or exceeds, by at least 0.5 m, historic metrics at c. AD 1125—1225. The maximum water level after c. AD 1225 is comparable with that recorded by the instrumental data. There is a noticeable high lake level from c. AD 1560 to 1725. Dating of additional sites along Lake Michigan is required to establish local rates of glacio-isostatic adjustment, identify possible erosion of the outlets and to resolve lake-level records for individual lakes following the separation of the upper Great Lakes currently constrained to have occurred c. 2400 to 1200 years ago.

Paleohydrology of the upper Laurentian Great Lakes from the late glacial to early Holocene

Between 10,500 and 9000 cal yr BP, δ 18O values of benthic ostracodes within glaciolacustrine varves from Lake Superior range from − 18 to − 22‰ PDB. In contrast, coeval ostracode and bivalve records from the Lake Huron and Lake Michigan basins are characterized by extreme δ 18O variations, ranging from values that reflect a source that is primarily glacial (∼ − 20‰ PDB) to much higher values characteristic of a regional meteoric source (∼ − 5‰ PDB). Re-evaluated age models for the Huron and Michigan records yield a more consistent δ 18O stratigraphy. The striking feature of these records is a sharp drop in δ 18O values between 9400 and 9000 cal yr BP. In the Huron basin, this low δ 18O excursion was ascribed to the late Stanley lowstand, and in the Lake Michigan basin to Lake Agassiz flooding. Catastrophic flooding from Lake Agassiz is likely, but a second possibility is that the low δ 18O excursion records the switching of overflow from the Lake Superior basin from an undocumented northern outlet back into the Great Lakes basin. Quantifying freshwater fluxes for this system remains difficult because the benthic ostracodes in the glaciolacustrine varves of Lake Superior and Lake Agassiz may not record the average δ 18O value of surface water.

Model Calculations of Total Maximum Daily Loads of Mercury for Drainage Lakes1

Abstract: The Watershed Analysis Risk Management Framework watershed model was enhanced to simulate the transport and fate of mercury and to calculate the fish mercury concentrations (FMC) attained by fish through the food web. The model was applied to Western Lake Superior Basin of Minnesota, which has many peat lands and lakes. Topographic, land use, and soil data were used to set up the model. Meteorology and precipitation chemistry data from nearby monitoring stations were compiled to drive the model. Simulated flow and mercury concentrations for several stream stations were comparable to available data. The model was used to perform mercury total maximum daily load calculations for two contrasting drainage lakes (Wild Rice Lake and Whiteface Reservoir). The model results for wet deposition, dry deposition, evasion, watershed yield, and soil sequestration of mercury were comparable with available actual data. The model predicted lake ice cover from November to April and weak stratification in summer, typical of shallow lakes in cold regions. The simulated sulfate decrease and methylmercury increase near the lake bottom in late summer are caused by sulfate reduction and mercury methylation that occur in the surficial sediment. Simulated FMC were within the range of observed values and the R2 of correlation between the simulated and observed FMC was 0.77. Under the 1989‐2004 base condition, the average simulated FMC of four‐year‐old walleye was 0.31 μg/g for Whiteface Reservoir and 0.15 μg/g for Wild Rice Lake. The FMC criterion in Minnesota is 0.2 μg/g. Wild Rice Lake already meets this criterion without any load reduction. The model showed that a 65% reduction in atmospheric mercury deposition will not, by itself, allow Whiteface Reservoir to meet the criterion in 15 years. Additional best management practices will be needed to reduce 50% of the watershed input.

Ecology and Life History of Coaster Brook Trout and Potential Bottlenecks in Their Rehabilitation

AbstractLake Superior once supported abundant lake‐dwelling brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis called coasters; however, only scattered remnant populations remained by the early 20th century. Owing to their early decline, there is little information about their ecology and life history, yet such information is vital for the ecologically based rehabilitation and management of coasters. This study reviews the ecology of coaster brook trout from a life history perspective and presents quantitative data on the biology and status of the few populations that have been studied. Within the Lake Superior basin, some brook trout are stream residents while others are lacustrine or adfluvial. Although the variation in migratory behavior may be related to individual energetics, the role of evolution and the proximate factors triggering specific life histories remain uncertain. Comparisons of recent biological data from populations in the Lake Superior basin show that the northern populations have longer lengths at age and length frequency distributions skewed toward longer individuals. The degrees to which this difference is driven by variation in individual growth rates and size‐selective mortality are unknown. All known populations around the Lake Superior basin appear to have a small number of individuals and are thus of conservation concern. We believe that biotic interactions such as competition with introduced salmonines (in particular coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch) have a strong negative influence on the individual and population performance of coasters. Coupled with high past and recent mortality from fisheries, these factors may create bottlenecks limiting the growth and rehabilitation of the remnant populations. Lake Superior coaster brook trout are persisting, albeit uncertainly, under conditions different from those in which they once thrived. Management focused on native ecosystem rehabilitation may foster the return of these fish as abundant members of Great Lakes food webs, and recent basinwide restrictions on length and catch limits are a positive step toward enhancing their rehabilitation and evolution.

Management Perspectives on Coaster Brook Trout Rehabilitation in the Lake Superior Basin

AbstractCoaster brook trout are a migratory form of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis that spend part of their lives in the Great Lakes. Over the last century the abundance of coaster brook trout in Lake Superior has declined dramatically, and only remnant stocks remain. Recently, the rehabilitation of coaster brook trout in Lake Superior has become a goal of fish management agencies. The specific goal agreed upon by all of the agencies involved is to maintain widely distributed, self‐sustaining populations in as many of the historical habitats as practical. We discuss realistic expectations for rehabilitation and emphasize the need for management agencies, academia, and angling organizations to work cooperatively. We first present a brief history of coaster brook trout in Lake Superior, then discuss habitat requirements and protection, the regulations required for rehabilitation, stocking, species interactions, and the role that human dimensions play in rehabilitation. The management issues that must be addressed are implementation of a basinwide survey to identify remnant stocks and critical habitat, restrictive harvest regulations, watershed rehabilitation, critical biological review, and the formulation of expectations before experimental stocking programs are initiated, along with coordinated, basinwide information sharing and cooperative management among agencies similar to that undertaken during the rehabilitation of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake Superior. Future research needs include basic coaster biology and life history, habitat use in streams and the lake, interaction with other species in the Lake Superior fish community, and interaction between stream‐resident and coaster brook trout. Successful rehabilitation will require a shift from a harvest fishery to one with minimal or no harvest of coaster brook trout in the Lake Superior basin. Coaster brook trout rehabilitation will take time and will proceed at different rates at different locations, depending on the presence of remnant stocks, quality of habitat, angling pressure, and political will.

Late Glacial Sedimentation and History of the Lake Nipigon Basin, Ontario

The Lake Nipigon basin lies north of the Lake Superior basin and was the hydrological link between glacial Lake Agassiz and the Great Lakes during part of the last deglaciation. A sequence of glaciolacustrine sediments, composed mainly of silt-clay rhythmites and sand, was deposited in the offshore waters of glacial Lake Nipigon by overflow from Lake Agassiz and meltwater from the retreating glacier margin. Sections from six long sediment cores and four lake bluff exposures reveal a sandy (early deglacial) lower section that is overlain by 300 to 850 silt-clay rhythmites (varves). Deposition of these varves, as well as coarser sediment along the western shore, began after 9200 BP, as the glacial margin retreated northward along the continental divide that separated the Nipigon basin from the higher Lake Agassiz basin to the west. The absence of ice rafted clasts in the rhythmites suggests that the ice had retreated from the lake by the time they were deposited. On the basis of their elevation in relation to the lowest raised beach at West Bay, which formed about 9000 BP, most rhythmites probably were deposited between 9000 and 8000 BP. Species of arboreal pollen are present in early postglacial sediments of the Nipigon-Superior lowlands, suggesting that the Lake Nipigon region became colonized by coniferous and deciduous forests soon after déglaciation. The presence of non-arboreal pollen species suggest that these forests were interspersed with open meadows and grasslands, similar to today's floral assemblages. Fossil molluscs recovered from glaciolacustrine sand exposed along the eastern side of the basin suggest that the limnological characteristics of late glacial Lake Nipigon were similar to those of today.

Constraints on paleolake levels, spillways and glacial lake history, north-central Ontario, Canada

The recognition of ice-marginal deltas constructed during the formation of the Nakina II moraine and a previously unrecognized spillway, in the vicinity of Longlac, northern Ontario, indicates that existing concepts of ancestral lake level history and drainage systems in the Lake Superior–Lake Nipigon region is inadequate. Based on isostatically corrected digital elevation maps, ice-marginal deltas of the Nakina II moraine probably formed at the level of glacial Lake Minong, most likely Minong III, and not glacial Lake Nakina as has been commonly suggested. In addition, the presence of a spillway near Longlac indicates that lake water drained southward through the Mullet Outlet–Pic River system immediately following ice-marginal retreat from the Nakina II moraine and not eastward as previously proposed. Architectural-element analysis of exposures within the spillway indicates hyperconcentrated outbursts of meltwater produced thick channel-fill elements during flood conditions with peak-velocities exceeding 3 m/s. Subsequent retreat of ice from the Pic River valley to the east, may have allowed waters of Lake Agassiz, Lake Barlow–Ojibway, or both, to drain into post-Minong lake levels in the Lake Superior basin. These findings place major constraints on previously proposed concepts of northeastern or eastern outlets of Lake Agassiz.

The Duck Lake Site and Implications for Late Archaic Copper Procurement and Production in the Southern Lake Superior Basin

Few sites relating to Archaic procurement of copper have been archaeologically investigated in the southern part of the Lake Superior basin. The Duck Lake site, located in the Ontonagon River watershed of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is within the source area for native copper. Investigations at this site reveal a field camp consisting of one or more occupations by Late Archaic groups. Lithic analysis demonstrates a strong reliance on non-local raw materials, and suggests a degree of residential mobility within a region known to the occupants. Lithic material was obtained through embedded procurement and exchange with more distant groups. Copper likely entered the early Late Archaic exchange system in the Midwest through frequent interactions and trade between groups, and appears consistent with a down-the-line model of exchange.

Testing the Lake Agassiz meltwater trigger for the Younger Dryas

Meltwater drainage from glacial Lake Agassiz has been implicated for nearly 15 years as a trigger for thermohaline circulation changes producing the abrupt cold period known as the Younger Dryas. On the basis of initial field reconnaissance to the lake's proposed outlets, regional geomorphic mapping, and preliminary chronological data, an alternative hypothesis may be warranted.Should ongoing data collection continue to support preliminary results, it could be concluded that Lake Agassiz did not flood catastrophically into the Lake Superior basin preceding the Younger Dryas (Figure 1). All preliminary findings imply a retreating ice sheet margin approximately 1000 years younger than previously thought, which would have blocked key meltwater corridors at the start of the Younger Dryas.

Geophysicists

Meltwater drainage from glacial Lake Agassiz has been implicated for nearly 15 years as a trigger for thermohaline circulation changes producing the abrupt cold period known as the Younger Dryas. On the basis of initial field reconnaissance to the lake's proposed outlets, regional geomorphic mapping, and preliminary chronological data, an alternative hypothesis may be warranted.Should ongoing data collection continue to support preliminary results, it could be concluded that Lake Agassiz did not flood catastrophically into the Lake Superior basin preceding the Younger Dryas (Figure 1). All preliminary findings imply a retreating ice sheet margin approximately 1000 years younger than previously thought, which would have blocked key meltwater corridors at the start of the Younger Dryas.

Relationship of stream flow regime in the western Lake Superior basin to watershed type characteristics

To test a conceptual model of non-linear response of hydrologic regimes to watershed characteristics, we selected 48 second- and third-order study sites on the North and South Shores of western Lake Superior, MN (USA) using a random-stratified design based on hydrogeomorphic region, fraction mature forest, and fraction watershed storage (lake+wetland area/watershed area). We calculated several commonly used hydrologic indices from discharge and velocity estimates, including daily flow indices, overall flood indices, low flow variables, and ratios or ranges of flow percentiles reflecting the nature of cumulative frequency distributions. Four principal components (PCs) explained 85.9 and 88.6% of the variation of flow metrics among second- and third-order stream sites, respectively. Axes of variation corresponded to a runoff vs. baseflow axis, flow variability, mean flow, and contrasts between flood duration and frequency. Analysis of velocity metrics for third-order streams yielded four PCs corresponding to mean or maximum velocity, Froude number, and inferred shear velocity, as well as spate frequencies vs. intervals associated with different velocity ranges. Using discriminant function analysis, we could discriminate among watershed classes based on region, mature forest, or watershed storage as a function of flow metrics. For second-order streams, median flow ( Qs 50) increased as watershed storage increased. North Shore streams showed a more skewed distribution and greater spread of discharge values than did South Shore streams for both stream orders, while third-order North Shore streams exhibited a higher frequency of spates. Independent of regional differences, loss of mature forest increased the range of variation between baseflow and peak flows, and depressed baseflow. Consistent with our initial model for watershed classification, Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis confirmed significant thresholds of change in flow metrics averaging between 0.506 and 0.636 for fraction mature forest and between 0.180 and 0.258 for fraction watershed storage.

REGION, LANDSCAPE, AND SCALE EFFECTS ON LAKE SUPERIOR TRIBUTARY WATER QUALITY1

ABSTRACT: In 1998 and 1999, third‐order watersheds in high mature forest (HMF) and low mature forest (LMF) classes were selected along gradients of watershed storage within each of two hydrogeomorphic regions in the Lake Superior Basin to evaluate threshold effects of storage on hydrologic regimes and watershed exports. Differences were detected between regions (North and South Shore) for particulates, nutrients, and pH, with all but silica values higher for South Shore streams (p &lt; 0.05). Mature forest effects were detected for turbidity, nutrients, color, and alkalinity, with higher values in the LMF watersheds, that is, watersheds with less that 50 percent mature forest cover. Dissolved N, ammonium, N:P, organic carbon, and color increased, while suspended solids, turbidity, and dissolved P decreased as a function of storage. Few two‐way interactions were detected between region and mature forest or watershed storage, thus threshold based classification schemes could be used to extrapolate effects across regions. Both regional differences in water quality and those associated with watershed attributes were more common for third‐order streams in the western Lake Superior drainage basin as compared with second‐order streams examined in an earlier study. Use of ecoregions alone as a basis for setting regional water quality criteria would have led to misinterpretation of reference condition and assessment of impacts in the Northern Lakes and Forest Ecoregion.

Landscape Character and Fish Assemblage Structure and Function in Western Lake Superior Streams: General Relationships and Identification of Thresholds

As part of a comparative watershed project investigating land-cover/land-use disturbance gradients for streams in the western Lake Superior Basin, we examined general relationships between landscape character and fish assemblage structure and function. We also examined the shape of those relationships to identify discontinuity thresholds where small changes in landscape character were associated with marked shifts in the fish assemblages. After completing a geographic analysis of second- and third-order watersheds in the western Lake Superior drainage, we randomly selected 48 streams along mature forest and watershed storage gradients in 2 hydrogeomorphic regions as our study sites. During the summers of 1997 and 1998, we used electrofishing to sample fish assemblages from each stream. Each of the landscape factors was significantly associated with fish assemblage structure and function based on analysis of covariance. Watershed storage was related to the greatest number of fish assemblage characteristics, but hydrogeopmorphic region and mature forest cover were strongly associated as well. The hydrogeomorphic region also mediated relationships between watershed character and fish assemblages. Discontinuity thresholds for our fish assemblages averaged 11% for watershed storage and 50% for watershed mature forest cover based on piecewise regression analysis. Although many of the landscape-fish relationships might have been manifest through effects on in-stream habitat, our results highlight the importance of management and land-use planning decisions at the watershed and landscape scales.

A Comparison of Organochlorine Contaminant Levels, on a Lipid Basis, in Sea Lamprey Larvae from Mad River, Lake Huron Basin and Michipicoten River, Lake Superior Basin (1960-1976)

Abstract Organochlorine concentrations, on a lipid basis, were determined for formalin-preserved sea lamprey larvae, collected between 1960 and 1976 in the Mad River, Lake Huron basin, and compared with previously published data from Michipicoten River, Lake Superior basin. Although the ages of the lamprey specimens between the two lake basins were different, their lipid content, expressed as a percentage of dry body weight, was comparable. Despite the fact that the samples came from areas separated by about 550 km and with different land use (heavily forested area with mining activities but little agriculture for Lake Superior versus poultry farming, agricultural, urban and military uses for Lake Huron), no statistically significant differences were found for most organochlorine residue concentrations (Σaldrin, ΣCB, Σchlordane, ΣDDT, Σendosulfan and ΣPCB) between the two lake basins. The exception was ΣHCH, which was significantly lower in Lake Huron due to the absence of a high-level period observed in 1970 to 1975 in Lake Superior samples. Additionally, no differences were found between the relative concentrations of the various DDT metabolites between the two basins, but significantly higher relative concentrations of higher chlorinated PCBs (hexa to decachloro congeners) were found in Lake Huron samples. This study demonstrates the usefulness of formalin-preserved museum material to conduct retrospective contaminant analyses. However, given that certain amounts of contaminants were also found in the preservative solution, consideration of these levels is important to properly interpret the results.

Effects of hydrogeomorphic region, catchment storage and mature forest on baseflow and snowmelt stream water quality in second‐order Lake Superior Basin tributaries

SUMMARY1. In this study we predict stream sensitivity to non‐point source pollution based on the non‐linear responses of hydrological regimes and associated loadings of non‐point source pollutants to catchment properties. We assessed two hydrologically based thresholds of impairment, one for catchment storage (5–10%) and one for mature forest (&lt;50% versus &gt;60% of catchment in mature forest cover) across two different hydrogeomorphic regions within the Northern Lakes and Forest (NLF) ecoregion: the North Shore [predominantly within the North Shore Highlands Ecological Unit] and the South Shore (predominantly within the Lake Superior Clay Plain Ecological Unit). Water quality samples were collected and analysed during peak snowmelt and baseflow conditions from 24 second‐order streams grouped as follows: three in each region × catchment storage × mature forest class.2. Water quality was affected by a combination of regional influences, catchment storage and mature forest. Regional differences were significant for suspended solids, phosphorus, nitrogen: phosphorus ratios, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and alkalinity. Catchment storage was significantly correlated with dissolved silica during the early to mid‐growing season, and with DOC, specific conductance and alkalinity during all seasons. Total nitrogen and dissolved nitrogen were consistently less in low mature forest than in high mature forest catchments. Catchment storage interacted with the influence of mature forest for only two metrics: colour and the soluble inorganic nitrogen : phosphorus ratio.3. Significant interaction terms (region by mature forest or region by storage) suggest differences in regional sensitivity for conductance, alkalinity, total organic carbon, and colour, as well as possible shifts in thresholds of impact across region or mature forest class.4. Use of the NLF Ecoregion alone as a basis for setting regional water quality criteria would lead to the misinterpretation of reference condition and assessment of condition. There were pronounced differences in background water quality between the North and South Shore streams, particularly for parameters related to differences in soil parent material and glacial history. A stratified random sampling design for baseflow and snowmelt stream water quality based on both hydrogeomorphic region and catchment attributes improves assessments of both reference condition and differences in regional sensitivity.

Spatial Distribution of Mercury and Organochlorine Contaminants in Great Lakes Sea Lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus)

Adult sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus) were collected during their spawning migration in streams entering each of the Great Lakes, except Lake Michigan. Skinless muscle tissue samples were analyzed for a range of organochlorine contaminants including p,p’-DDE, total PCB, toxaphene, and mercury. Concentrations of p,p’-DDE and PCBs were above the detection limit of 0.002 μg/g in all samples. Levels of total toxaphene in some individuals from Lake Superior were above recent Health Canada consumption advisory limits of 0.2 μg/g for fish. PCBs and ΣDDT concentrations in some lamprey tissue samples from the Lake Ontario basin exceeded limits for unrestricted human consumption. Mercury concentrations were highest in lamprey from the Lake Superior basin. Mercury levels were above the 0.5 μg/g Canada Health Protection Guideline for consumption in 75% of all the lamprey muscle tissue samples analyzed. Comparison of organic contaminant levels for lamprey muscle tissue samples and whole lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush) collected from the same lakes showed patterns of contaminant accumulation that were similar within each lake for both species. Mercury concentrations were up to 10 times higher in lamprey muscle tissue samples than whole lake trout sampled from the same lake. Lamprey display a differential ability to accumulate mercury versus organochlorines. By understanding these relationships for different classes of contaminants, it may be possible to utilize lamprey as a future alternate to lake trout as an indicator species to track spatial and temporal contaminant trends in the Great Lakes.

Modification of a correlation-based circulation pattern classification to reduce within-type variability of temperature and precipitation

When a correlation-based circulation pattern classification was applied to daily 700 hPa heights for 25 summer seasons, and the circulation types were related to surface temperature and precipitation for the Lake Superior basin, within-type variability was found to be high. Regarding temperature, the difference between warm and cold days of a type is a positive height anomaly centred to the east of the lake, which is very similar to the height anomaly for winter temperatures identified in an earlier study. The difference between wet and dry days of a type is a pattern quite unlike that for temperature. It is a dipole pattern consisting of a negative anomaly to the northwest of the lake and a positive anomaly to the east and southeast. These small-scale circulation components were missed by the correlation-based classification because they are much smaller than the differences in height between circulation types. Regression models, relating monthly mean temperature anomalies to circulation type frequencies, produced results comparable to those obtained for winter temperature. For precipitation, the variance explained by the regression models is only half that obtained for temperature. Two approaches were used to reduce within-type variability and to improve the regression results: the division of the first few circulation types into warm/cold and wet/dry subtypes on the basis of differences in 700 hPa vorticity (an approach introduced in the earlier paper), and a modified correlation-based circulation pattern classification. The modification consisted of raising the correlation threshold for a few selected grid-points to capture the small-scale circulation component and also, of lowering the threshold for the comparison between maps and map sectors in order to minimize the number of unclassified days. Of the two approaches used to reduce within-type variability, the modified classification scheme produced superior results. In particular, the variance in precipitation explained by the regression models is about 30% higher than that achieved using vorticity to create subtypes. Copyright © 2000 Royal Meteorological Society