In collaboration with the Department of Earth Sciences alumni Dr. Jennifer Galloway (PhD 2006; GSC, Calgary), Hendrik Falck (MSc '89, Northwest Territories Geological Survey) and many others in Yellowknife, researchers in the Patterson Lab have for the past few years been investigating the causes behind the degradation of Frame Lake in the heart of Yellowknife, NWT. Starting in the 1960's, this lake went in only a decade from being a pristine swimming and fishing destination, to massively arsenic contaminated and nutrient overloaded water body, choked with weeds and swarming with leeches. Multiple student thesis projects that led to peer-reviewed literature publications (Gavel et al. 2018; Menard et al., 2019; Nasser et al., 2020) resulted in an understanding of how the rapid decline in water quality came about and presented scenarios as to how the lake might be remediated.
This valuable baseline data will be of great use to Rio Tinto (owner of the Diavic Diamond Mine) which has joined the rehabilitation effort. It is hoped that the allocation of much appreciated resources by this company will return Frame Lake to a recreational destination of choice for Yellowknife residents and visitors alike.
To review the full article, please click New Life for Frame Lake
Photo credit: Wikipedia
Posted on: Monday, March 15, 2021