1999 Lake Winnipeg project: cruise report and scientific results

Abstract

Following the 1997 Red River flood, a program of research was initiated to determine how large the floods can be, how often large floods have occurred in recent centuries, and whether natural factors may be changing the flood risk. As part of this program, 15 cores were collected from the south basin of Lake Winnipeg. Paleomagnetic profiles were used to select three apparently undisturbed, high-sedimentation-rate cores for detailed chemical, physical, and biological analyses, to assess whether Red River floods are recognizable in the lake. A thousand-year paleomagnetic chronology was confirmed and augmented by Cs-137, Pb-210, palynology, radiocarbon dating, and inorganic geochemical relative age markers. While some parameters exhibit multi-century fluctuations, varying excursions, and 20th century shifts, grain-size results show the clearest signal of recurring events. Several layers of enhanced silt, 1-4 cm thick, with 6-15 % more silt than background are present, in several cases correlating core to core. A Red River flood origin for these silt excursions is plausible. The results also provide indications of increased contamination, nutrient influx, and more rapid sedimentation in the 20th century.

Cosmopolitanism or Multiculturalism? Towards an Anti-Colonial Reading

“…The 'Indigenous anticolonial lens' (see also Sium, 2011) gives primacy to the Land as inclusive of waters, seas, rivers, sky, etc., with teachings about ourselves, society and our socio-physical environments and an understanding of our shared humanity and humanness. These Land and its Earthly teachings constitute powerful literacies, ontologies and epistemologies pointing to cultural, spiritual, psychic memories and "living forces" we can all learn from (Simpson, 2011; see also Styres, 2019;Smith, Tuck & Yang, International Journal for Talent Development and Creativity -10 (1), August, 2022; and 10(2), December, 2022. 2019; Tuck & Yang, 2012). They are relationality, sharing, reciprocity, connections, mutual interdependence, building communities and relationships, ethics, responsibility and accountability, much needed to support subversive educational practice (see also Dei 2022).…”

The need for paleoflood investigations on the American reach of the Red River of the North

“…In the Canadian (downstream) reach of the Red River, paleohydrological studies have searched for evidence of past floods within alluvial deposits (Brooks, 2002), lacustrine sequences in oxbow lakes (Medioli et al, 2005) and Lake Winnipeg (Simpson et al, 2003), and a back-barrier lagoon complex at the river’s mouth (Nielsen et al, 2003). Ultimately, oak trees growing within the riparian forest fringe have proven to be the best source of paleoflood information for the Red River (Brooks and St. George, 2015).…”

Geomorphic Approaches to Integrated Floodplain Management of Lowland Fluvial Systems in North America and Europe

“…Investigations were initiated to reconstruct a paleoflood record from stratigraphic records by examining alluvial deposits in the river banks (see Brooks, 2002) and lacustrine deposits in the south basin of Lake Winnipeg off the mouth of the Red River (see Simpson et al 2003), in Netley Marsh, a back-barrier lagoon complex at the river mouth (see Nielson et al 2003), and in three small lakes along the river within the flood zone (see Medioli 2003;Medioli et al 2005;Medioli and Brooks 2003). None were successful because of difficulties in recognizing the deposits of the major nineteenth-century floods.…”