Peace River Research Articles

Climate change impacts on Peace River ice thickness and implications to ice-jam flooding of Peace-Athabasca Delta, Canada

Major ice jams forming in lower reaches of the Peace River during spring breakup have been identified as the main agents of flooding and replenishment of perched basins of the Peace–Athabasca Delta, one of the world's largest inland freshwater deltas that supports a dynamic and valuable ecosystem. The paucity of ice jamming in the lower Peace River following construction of the Bennett Dam and the potential impacts of climate change have raised concerns regarding habitat degradation. One of the factors controlling ice-jam formation is the thickness of the winter ice cover, which may decrease in the future as a result of climatic warming, known to be most pronounced in northern parts of the globe and during the winter season. Using downscaled daily output from six Global Climate Models under two Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios, ice thickness is calculated for the years 1950 to 2100. Comparisons of monthly model-generated air temperatures and winter snowfall to historical data at nearby Fort Chipewyan indicate satisfactory agreement in terms of both magnitude and variability. Future projections show that under the highest emission scenario, average thickness decreases by about 0.2 m between the 1980s and the 2050s; and by an additional 0.1 m by the 2080s. Projected probability distributions of ice thickness point to increased incidence of thermal breakup, potentially reducing the already-low chances of ice-jam flooding. At the same time, a need for enhanced ice thickness monitoring is identified, aiming to develop a database of annual thickness values at selected sites within the lower reach of Peace River.

Heavy oil viscosity reduction at mild temperatures using palladium acetylacetonate

Metal-ligand compounds (“MLCs”) have been shown to reduce heavy oil viscosity and upgrade oil quality. However, MLCs generally require high treatment temperatures (around 250 °C), which is undesirably energy-intensive. We identified palladium(II) acetylacetonate (“PdA”) as a model MLC that can operate at mild temperatures (<200 °C). We studied its effectiveness on heavy oil viscosity reduction in the range of 80–300 °C using viscometry, SARA analysis, GC–MS, XPS, and XRD to characterize Peace River oil samples thermally treated with and without PdA. This MLC effectively lowered oil viscosity at all treatment temperatures, whereas thermal-only treatments did not reduce viscosity below 160 °C. The thermal treatment with PdA in the 130–250 °C range reduced viscosity by up to ~35% more than the thermal treatment alone. GC–MS and TGA results indicated the PdA partially decomposed at 80 °C and higher temperatures, releasing acetylacetone (“HA”), which lowered oil viscosity. The temperature and HA effects did not completely account for the observed viscosity reduction from thermal treatment with PdA, indicating there were other significant effects. In the 80–130 °C range, the asphaltene fraction increased due to PdA or its decomposition products intercalating into the asphaltene clusters. At temperatures around 250 °C, the resin fraction decreased, correlating to in situ formed metallic Pd that catalytically hydrogenate the resin sulfonyl groups to aliphatic sulfur. This new understanding of the temperature-dependent impact – acetylacetonate ligand, MLC-asphaltene attraction, and palladium metal catalyst formation – on oil viscosity changes provides an improved approach to developing new MLCs for field-relevant conditions.

Spatial and temporal changes in climate extremes over northwestern North America: the influence of internal climate variability and external forcing

Increases in the intensity and frequency of hydroclimatic extremes associated with climate change can cause significant socioeconomic problems. Assessments of projected extremes using only a limited number of general circulation model (GCM) simulations can undermine the capacity to differentiate and communicate the contribution of internal climate variability (ICV) and external forcing and result in an underestimation of associated risks. In this study, we assess the impacts of climate change on extreme temperature and precipitation and quantify the contribution of internal variability over the Columbia, Fraser, Peace and Campbell River basins in northwestern North America (NWNA). Seven GCMs that participated in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) and a large ensemble of CanESM2 model simulations (50 members) are downscaled to 1/16° spatial resolution using Bias Correction Constructed Analogues with Quantile mapping reordering version 2 (BCCAQ2). Spatial and temporal changes of climate extreme indices, representing the frequency and intensity of extreme temperature and precipitation, are assessed over the historical (1981–2010) and future (2060–2089) periods under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5. The influence of ICV on the estimated trends of extreme indices is characterised. Overall, both the frequency and intensity of extreme temperature and precipitation events are projected to increase in NWNA indicating more severe dry days and wet conditions in the future. High-elevation Rocky and the Coast Mountains are at larger risks of extreme precipitation, while the Columbia basin, which already faces drought issues, is expected to experience severe dry conditions. Internal climate variability plays a significant role, particularly in the trends of precipitation-related indices. The signal to internal noise ratio analyses suggest that higher elevations experience stronger forcing signals for precipitation-based indices compared to the other regions.

Oil-source and oil-oil correlations and the origin of the heavy oil and bitumen accumulations in Northern Alberta, Canada

The saturated and aromatic hydrocarbon compositions of potential source rock samples from the Devonian/Carboniferous Duvernay, Exshaw, and Lower Banff formations, the Triassic Doig Formation, and the Jurassic Gordondale (Nordegg) and Poker Chip Shale formations in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) were investigated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The study also included produced oils from the Cretaceous Clearwater play at Marten Hills and Peace River, oil sands cores from Athabasca and Cold Lake areas, and bitumen hosted in the Grosmont carbonate deposits.Oil-oil and oil-source correlation based on the aromatic steroid hydrocarbon compounds is enabled by their strong resistance to biodegradation and their presence in all reservoir samples analyzed. In addition, of the aromatic steroids hydrocarbons, triaromatic-dimethylcholesteroids (TA-DMC) and triaromatic dinosteroids represent age-diagnostic biomarkers that distinguish Paleozoic versus Jurassic sources. The Duvernay, Exshaw, and Lower Banff extracts lack TA-DMC and triaromatic dinosteroids, whereas extracts from the Gordondale and Poker Chip Shale display appreciable quantities of TA-DMC and triaromatic dinosteroids. Meanwhile, the Doig falls between the Gordondale/Poker Chip Shale and Duvernay/Exshaw source types in terms of the distribution of these triaromatic steroids. The compositions of TA-DMC and triaromatic dinosteroids in the oil sands and Grosmont bitumen are remarkably similar, confirming that these oil deposits are genetically related. The aromatic steroid hydrocarbon compositions of the oil sands and Grosmont bitumen most strongly resemble those for the Gordondale and Poker Chip Shale. Saturated biomarker features of the oil sands and Grosmont carbonate bitumen including 28,30-bisnorhopane and high diasteranes relative to regular steranes, although lacking in the Gordondale extracts, may be introduced through mixing with oil generated from the Poker Chip Shale. However, plots based on aromatic steroids and source-specific biomarkers such as aryl and diaryl isoprenoids indicate some degree of mixing with Duvernay and/or Exshaw contributions. This is also supported by a mixing model employing the averaged concentrations of methyltriaromatic steroids from endmember Gordondale and Exshaw extracts. These findings along with additional biomarker evidence support a strong Jurassic contribution to the studied oil sands and call for re-evaluation of the petroleum systematics of the WCSB.

Habitat Suitability Modeling and Mapping to Assess the Influence of Freshwater Withdrawals on Spatial Distributions and Population Numbers of Estuarine Species in the Lower Peace River and Charlotte Harbor, Florida

AbstractThe effects of potential reductions of freshwater inflow were evaluated for the lower Peace River and its largest tributary, lower Shell Creek, which flow into the Charlotte Harbor estuary in southwest Florida. Habitat suitability modeling (HSM) and mapping of fish and invertebrate species life stages were used to seasonally predict changes in spatial distributions and population numbers associated with simulated freshwater withdrawals. Seasonal salinity grids and temperature grids derived from values predicted by hydrodynamic modeling (2007–2014) were similar between baseline (i.e., flows not affected by water withdrawals) and minimum flows (flows associated with water withdrawals). Depth grids, bottom type grids, and seasonal dissolved oxygen grids were held constant between the two scenarios. Seasonal habitat suitability models were applied to 28 fish and invertebrate species life stages with affinities for low or moderate salinity. Salinity was the most significant factor in seasonal models for species life stages. The seasonal HSM maps produced showed that spatial distributions were similar between baseline and minimum flows for each species life stage. Most seasonal estimates of population numbers under minimum flows were less than the estimates for the baseline condition, indicating some effect on population numbers associated with flow reductions. Reductions in population numbers under minimum flows ranged from 0.3% to 21.0%, with 3 out of 28 seasonal comparisons indicating losses &gt;15% and 12 comparisons indicating losses between 5% and 15%. Although other factors related to freshwater inflow can also influence species abundance and distribution, these results demonstrate how output from hydrodynamic modeling can be applied to HSM analyses and mapping to estimate spatial changes in habitat areas and population numbers for the life stages of selected fish and invertebrate species in relation to changes in salinity distributions, which can be used to identify areas of an estuary that are particularly susceptible to the effects of inflow reductions.

Seasonal emergence patterns ofSitodiplosis mosellana(Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in the Peace River region, Alberta, Canada

AbstractWheat midge,Sitodiplosis mosellanaGéhin (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is an invasive pest of wheat,Triticumspp. (Poaceae), in North America and is found in all wheat-growing regions of the world. Wheat midge biology, particularly post-diapause emergence of adults, varies with geographic region. The biology of wheat midge has not previously been examined in the northernmost area of its range in Canada – the Peace River region of Alberta. Wheat midge adult emergence was comparedin situto two phenological models of wheat midge emergence developed in other geographic regions. In-field adult emergence did not match the published phenological models. In the Peace River region, adults emerged later than are predicted by both models and precision for both models was low. With the Saskatchewan model, accumulated rainfall that was more than 110 mm in May and early June delayed emergence, whereas accumulated rainfall that was less than 43 mm during that period caused earlier than predicted emergence. Multiple peaks of wheat midge emergence, up to 20 days apart, were observed at some sites, supporting the Jacquemin model depicting “waves” of emergence. Including differences in soil temperature accumulation related to precipitation and optimising the model temperature thresholds would improve accuracy of the current Canadian phenological model in the Peace River region.

Conservation and Indigenous Subsistence Hunting in the Peace River Region of Canada

A factor that has long complicated the enactment of conservation policies in Canada is that First Nations harvesting data are often missing or incomplete. Consequently conservation policies are based on population estimates that First Nations often regard as excessively precautionary and economically, politically, and racially motivated. We present the results of a regional study documenting the extent to which First Nations households from 13 First Nations communities in the Peace River region of British Columbia and Alberta participate in subsistence moose (Alces alces) hunting. Since the 1990s, the moose population in the Peace River region has exhibited episodic decline. This is a particular concern to First Nations who depend on moose as their primary source of wild food and a critical component of their culture and identity. First Nations leaders are now calling upon provincial governments to engage with them directly in a form of collaborative conservation that can build trust, cross-cultural competencies, and the co-production of new knowledge that can inform conservation policies that protect rather than restrict First Nation subsistence rights.

Liquidating Separability: Peace River v Petrowest and the Meaning of Separability in Canadian Arbitration Law

This piece examines the British Columbia Court of Appeal's approach to separability in its Peace River and Petrowest decision. The paper concludes that the decision is a step in the wrong direction.

Hydraulic Fracturing, Cumulative Development and Earthquakes in the Peace River Region of British Columbia, Canada

Unconventional petroleum development involving large volume fluid injection into horizontal well bores, referred to as hydraulic fracturing (HF, or fracking), began in the Montney Trend of northeast British Columbia, Canada, in 2005, quickly initiating earthquakes. Earthquake frequency increased substantially in the Montney by 2008, in relation to the number of wells fracked and the volume of injected frack water. A spatiotemporal filter was used to associate earthquakes with HF wells. A total of 439 earthquakes (M 1.0 - 4.6 (NRCAN catalogue) during 2013-2019 have close association with HF activity, of which 77% are associated with three operators. Fifteen percent of HF wells in the Montney are associated with these earthquakes, while 1.7% of HF wells are associated with M ≥ 3.0 earthquakes. There are strong linear relationships between the maximum earthquake magnitude each year and the annual volume of injected frack fluid. M ≥ 3.0 earthquakes are associated with large cumulative frack water volumes for antecedent time periods of 1 - 3 years, often with fluid injection by multiple operators. Eighty-seven percent of the Montney M ≥ 3.0 earthquakes have associated HF triggering events, but a few are sufficiently distant to be ambiguous. Distances from the induced earthquake epicentres indicate a variety of causal mechanisms are involved. It is concluded that ~60% - 70% of M ≥ 3.0 earthquakes are induced by hydraulic fracturing. HF-induced earthquakes can be considered in part related to the cumulative development density from multiple proximal operators and cumulative antecedent fluid injection over periods ranging from a few months to a few years. It is probable that induced earthquakes of M > 5 will occur in the future. There are significant public safety and infrastructure risks associated with future HF-induced earthquakes in the Peace River area. To carry out HF operations effectively and safely, potentially destructive earthquakes must be avoided or mitigated. The Traffic Light Protocol mitigation system used in British Columbia appears unlikely to prevent large magnitude earthquakes. Risk avoidance therefore becomes important and could include the establishment of frack-free zones proximal to populations and critical infrastructure.

Understanding First Nations exposure and sensitivity to economic and ecological change in Canada

First Nations in Canada engage in a form of mixed economic production that includes the complementary integration of subsistence (eg hunting, fishing, gathering, sharing) and wage-earning sectors. The flexibility of mixed economies has long enabled First Nations to optimise the use and allocation of household assets (eg time, labour, income) during times of economic and ecological change. In this study, we relied on the disaggregation of household (N=1268) data to measure the extent to which First Nations households in the Peace River region of British Columbia and Alberta engage in the mixed economy. We found that 24% (N=303) of First Nations households participate at an above average level in wage-earning and subsistence harvesting and are involved in relatively dense food sharing networks. These households are in the most optimal position to respond to economic or ecological changes by exploiting the range of household assets at their disposal. Conversely, 29% (N=368) of households participate in both wage-earning and subsistence harvesting at below average levels and are largely excluded from food sharing networks. These households may be most sensitive to even modest exposure. The results of this research offer a fine scale analysis of household characteristics that can be used by First Nations governments for targeted interventions to alleviate household exposure to economic and ecological change.

Petrowest v. Peace River Hydro: The Revocability and Separability of Commercial ‎Arbitration Agreements ‎

Petrowest v. Peace River Hydro: The Revocability and Separability of Commercial ‎Arbitration Agreements ‎

The Economics of the Site C Hydroelectric Project in British Columbia

The Site C hydroelectric project is an 1100-Megawatt hydroelectric facility under development on the Peace River in British Columbia. Construction costs for the project are currently estimated to be $10.7 billion. The project has been criticized for its high cost and the impacts it will have on the river system, including the flooding of land to establish the reservoir. Project proponents argue that Site C will provide low-carbon electricity that will help BC and Canada reach their greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. In this paper, we assess the cost-effectiveness of the Site C project using a detailed linear programming capacity expansion and dispatch model of the British Columbia and Alberta electricity systems. Our model includes hourly electricity demand data for sixteen sub-regions within BC and Alberta, hourly wind resource data for 681 grid cells in the two provinces, hourly solar irradiation data from 112 weather stations to characterize the solar resource, and a detailed hydroelectric model that accounts for the chaining of hydroelectric facilities and reservoirs within the Peace River, Columbia River, Kootenay River and Bridge River watersheds. We assess the value of the Site C project by calculating the optimal electricity system for supplying BC and Alberta electricity demand in 2030 both with and without the presence of the Site C project. Our model simulations reveal that under current electricity sector policies, the Site C project is uneconomic. We find that the value created by Site C only exceeds its costs in scenarios where BC and Alberta coordinate electricity markets, build additional transmission capacity, and work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly below baseline levels.

"Something Is Wrong Here": An Interview With Sarah Cox About Damming Canadian Rivers for Hydroelectricity.

Only one-third of the world's rivers remain free flowing, and one million species face extinction. In the climate crisis, the race for "clean energy" is on. Over the last century, the Canadian government has built hundreds of hydropower dams and is pushing ahead with more big dams despite decades of science showing their irreversible and significant social, environmental, and economic harms. Canada markets its hydropower as "clean" and "renewable." In her book, Breaching the Peace: The Site C Dam and a Valley's Stand Against Big Hydro, journalist Sarah Cox documents the externalities caused by Canada's megadams and the ongoing struggle by indigenous people, farmers, and activists to stop one of the largest and most controversial dams located on the Peace River in British Columbia, Canada. Meg Sheehan, environmental attorney, interviewed Cox during the COVID-19 pandemic to get the story behind Canada's hydropower policy and how things can change.

Commentary on “Past variation in Lower Peace River ice-jam flood frequency” by Wolfe et al. (2020)

In contrast to a large body of scientific literature that is based on empirical data and physically based and mathematical analyses, Wolfe et al. (2020) cited proxy-based paleolimnological evidence and argued that the regulation of Peace River has not played a role in the reduced incidence of large ice-jam floods. Such events are essential to the sustenance of perched basins located in the Peace Sector of the Peace–Athabasca Delta. Herein, the arguments advanced by Wolfe et al. (2020) are critically examined and shown to be unconvincing. Relevant literature indicates that a drying trend was first noticed after construction of the Bennett Dam. It is shown, moreover, that the belatedly questioned Traditional Knowledge and Historical ice-jam flood record is a reliable source of information, at least with respect to large floods, which are crucial to perched-basin replenishment. Detailed examination of the Wolfe et al. (2020) magnetic susceptibility (MS) profiles and their interpretation points to serious inconsistencies and leads to a renewed recommendation for coring perched, rather than readily flooded, basins in the future. It is also recommended that the oxbow lakes cored nearly two decades ago be revisited to obtain updated MS profiles. Deficiencies in the interpretation of inferred isotopic-composition time series of three perched basins suggest that all factors influencing such environmental variables be considered before drawing conclusions regarding the frequency of past floods.

Response to Commentary by Beltaos and Peters on: “Past variation in Lower Peace River ice-jam flood frequency” by Wolfe et al. (2020)

Response to Commentary by Beltaos and Peters on: “Past variation in Lower Peace River ice-jam flood frequency” by Wolfe et al. (2020)

Symptoms and distribution of blossom blight in alfalfa seed production on the Canadian Prairies

Surveys of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seed production fields on the Canadian Prairies from 1993 to 2017 demonstrated that epidemics of blossom blight caused by Botrytis cinerea Pers. and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary developed almost every year at some location(s). Blossom blight symptoms were prominent when epidemics were severe, but more difficult to identify when present at low levels, which likely contributes to the infrequent reporting of blossom blight in alfalfa seed production. Epidemics were observed across the entire region, from the Peace River region of northern Alberta to southern Manitoba, consistently associated with relatively cool, wet weather conditions. The widespread nature of blossom blight on alfalfa in the years following its initial diagnosis in Canada in 1993, together with the ubiquitous distribution of the pathogens involved on other crops, indicated that blossom blight was almost certainly present on alfalfa seed crops on the Canadian Prairies for many years before the initial identification. It appears likely that blossom blight continues to cause yield loss at some locations in most years.

Multi-year isoscapes of lake water balances across a dynamic northern freshwater delta

Sustainable approaches capable of tracking status, trends and drivers of lake water balances in complex, remote landscapes are needed to inform ecosystem stewardship and water-security actions. At the Peace-Athabasca Delta (Alberta, Canada), a globally recognized freshwater floodplain landscape, concerns about water-level drawdown and multiple potential stressors have prompted need to improve knowledge of lake water balances and establish a lake monitoring program. Yet, the delta’s remoteness and dynamic nature present challenges to these goals. Here we use over 1000 measurements of water isotope composition at ∼60 lakes and 9 river sites during the spring, summer and fall of five consecutive years (2015–2019) to elucidate patterns in lake water balance over time and space, the influential roles of evaporation and river floodwaters, and relations with meteorological conditions and river water levels. Calculation of evaporation-to-inflow ratios using a coupled-isotope tracer approach, displayed via generalized additive models and geospatial ‘isoscapes’, reveal strongly varying lake water balances. Results identify distinct areas vulnerable to lake-level drawdown, given the likelihood of continued decline in ice-jam flood frequency, longer ice-free season duration and reduced snowmelt runoff. Results also demarcate areas of the delta where lakes are more resilient to factors that cause drawdown. The former defines the Peace sector, which is influenced by floodwaters from the Peace River during episodic ice-jam flood events, whereas the latter describes portions of the active floodplain environment of the Athabasca sector which receives more frequent contributions of Athabasca River floodwaters during both spring ice-jam and open-water seasons. Efficiency of water isotope tracers to capture the marked temporal and spatial heterogeneity in lake water balances during this 5 year time span, and their diagnostic responses to key hydrological processes, serves as a foundation for ongoing lake monitoring, an approach readily transferable to other remote and dynamic lake-rich landscapes.

Hydrodynamic Simulations of Charlotte Harbor and its Major Tributaries in Florida Using a Dynamically Coupled 3D – 2DV model

Hydrodynamics, salinity transport processes, and thermodynamics in Charlotte Harbor and its major tributaries in Florida, USA were simulated using a coupled three-dimensional (3D) and laterally averaged two-dimensional (2DV) hydrodynamic model named UnLESS, in support of the re-evaluation of minimum freshwater inflows for two water bodies in the system, namely the lower Peace River (LPR) and lower Shell Creek (LSC). The UnLESS model involves a dynamic and two-way coupling of the 3D unstructured Cartesian grid model UnLESS3D (Chen, 2011) with the laterally averaged model LAMFE (Chen, 2003a) using a semi-implicit scheme named the free-surface correction (FSC) method (Chen, 2003b.)The simulation period was January 2013 through August 2014, during which best real-time data of water elevation, current, salinity, and temperature at five measurement stations within the simulation domain were available. Comparisons of model results with these real-time field data show that UnLESS is capable of simulating hydrodynamics, salinity transport processes, and thermodynamics well in the Charlotte Harbor estuary. Good matches of model results with measured data suggest that both estimated ungauged flows and downstream boundary conditions were reasonable. Major physical characteristics in the Charlotte Harbor system are correctly simulated by the UnLESS model. It is demonstrated that the dynamically coupled 3D-2DV model UnLESS is robust and very efficient for complex systems such as Charlotte Harbor, which has a large waterbody with islands and several narrow and meandering tributaries.

Accounting for intracultural variability in first nation environmental knowledge: A requisite for environmental monitoring and impact assessments

In many environmental monitoring and impact assessment processes, Indigenous communities are treated as intellectually homogenous and intracultural variation in environmental knowledge often goes unaccounted for. This not only poses obvious risks to the effectiveness of environmental impact assessments but also gives standing to those who question the credibility of traditional ecological knowledge and its contribution to environmental monitoring and assessment programs altogether. In this paper we describe the steps that were taken to account for intracultural variability in First Nation knowledge of fish and the potential impacts associated with the Peace River oil sands development in Alberta, Canada. Involving the delivery of a household survey to 1,127 First Nation households in 11 Peace River communities, our approach was successful in identifying regional, community, and household variability in fishing activity, and has allowed us to differentiate novice from expert knowledge holders. This research demonstrates the need to account for intracultural variability in First Nations environmental knowledge in order for traditional ecological knowledge to make meaningful contributions to environmental monitoring and assessment programs.

Past variation in Lower Peace River ice-jam flood frequency

Opposing interpretations of Lower Peace River ice-jam flood frequency data sets are at the centre of identifying causes of reduced freshwater availability in the Peace-Athabasca Delta (northern Alberta), a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and a major contributor to Wood Buffalo National Park’s listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recently, conclusions drawn from statistical inference of traditional knowledge and historical observation sources suggested that flood frequency was accelerating during 1880–1967 and then declined coincident with hydroelectric regulation of Peace River flow since 1968 that altered the river’s hydrograph. In contrast, prior paleolimnological measurements of laminated sediments from oxbow lakes proximal to the Peace River have, along with alternate presentation of the traditional knowledge and historical observation sources, identified flood frequency was in decline for decades preceding river regulation due to climate change since the Little Ice Age. Here we revisit these data sets and, specifically, review their inherent uncertainties to assess their value and limitations. The notion of increasing versus decreasing flood frequency in the decades preceding river regulation (1880–1967) is tested using previously published paleohydrological records from perched lakes in the delta. Those records from lakes most proximal and sensitive to changes in the flow regime of the Peace River show increasing influence of lake evaporation during 1880–1967, consistent with long-term decline in flood frequency. Reconciling uncertainties of multiple lines-of-evidence and their findings should inform decisions by UNESCO on the World Heritage status of Wood Buffalo National Park and execution of the park’s federally funded Action Plan. New paleolimnological studies that have recently been launched will continue to probe the hydrological history of the Peace-Athabasca Delta to serve as a foundation for effective stewardship.