Canada's mines pose transboundary risks

Sexton, Erin K.; Sergeant, Christopher J.; Moore, Jonathan W.; Westwood, Alana R.; Chambers, David M.; McPhee, Megan V.; Nagorski, Sonia A.; O'Neal, Sarah; Weitz, Jill; Berchtold, Adrienne; Capito, Marissa; Frissell, Christopher A.; Hamblen, Jennifer; Hauer, F. Richard; Jones, Leslie; Knox, Greg; Macnair, Randal; Malison, Rachel L.; Marlatt, Vicki L.; McIntyre, Jennifer; Skuce, Nikki; Whited, Diane C.

doi:10.1126/science.abb8819

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Concentration in the lower reaches of the Fording River must be below 10 mg/L of nitrate by 2019, with the rest of the watershed below 3 mg/L by the same date (Teck, 2016). Current permitting regulations are not adequate in ensuring protection of aquatic ecosystems (Sexton et al, 2020;Skinner, 2017), and our results suggest that the N:P ratio in the Kootenai watershed is highly skewed due to excessive N loading in this large oligotrophic river. Protection, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…Human driven cultivation will continue to alter land cover and consequently nutrient loading in aquatic systems (Du et al, 2014;Jordan et al, 1997;Peterjohn & Correll, 1984). Future work will need to consider the specific contributions of specific land cover types, like mining, and efficiencies of biological processes with elevated nitrate levels (Sexton et al, 2020;Starnes & Gasper, 1995). Establishing a consortium of records for a transboundary river system will be important in understanding spatial and temporal differences at the watershed scale along with documentation of the influence of land cover change.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The time during which explosives are placed and awaiting detonation, commonly referred to as sleep time, presents the opportunity for nitrate leaching into groundwater while residue from incomplete combustion may transfer nitrate to surface water (Degnan et al, 2016, Skinner, 2017, Starnes & Gasper, 1995. Water quality downstream of mining operations is of great concern for rivers such as the Unuk and Kootenai (Sexton et al, 2020). Agricultural, urban development, and mining land covers are increasing to provide the necessary infrastructure and resources to support human population growth, and contribute nutrients to surface and groundwater (Du et al, 2014; U.S. Energy Information Administration Bipartisan Policy Center, 2020; International Energy Agency, 2019; Jordan et al, 1997).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Small land cover changes in the transboundary Kootenai River basin greatly alter water quality

Stickney

Kunza

Hoffman

et al. 2021

River Research & Apps

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Increased nutrient loading in aquatic environments can have a long-lasting influence on ecosystem processes and functions. The Kootenai River was historically oligotrophic, but nitrate levels have been steadily increasing since the mid-2000s, while phosphorus levels have remained low. Our study objective was to evaluate the current nutrient distribution throughout the Kootenai River watershed in the context of land use and land cover change. Each of the three land cover types we assessed, agriculture, developed areas, and surface mines, encompass less than 1% of the land area in the Kootenai River watershed. We measured nitrate, ammonium, and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) monthly at sites spanning 400 river km on the Kootenai River, and co-located tributary sites in British Columbia, Canada, and Montana and Idaho, USA. During July 2017, we measured the same nutrients along each of the selected tributaries with co-located sites at sub-catchment tributaries. Sites were selected to include a range of contributing drainage areas identified as agricultural, developed, or mining. Nutrient concentrations ranged from 0.012 to 4.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Small land cover changes in the transboundary Kootenai River basin greatly alter water quality

Stickney

Kunza

Hoffman

et al. 2021

River Research & Apps

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“…Therefore, the migratory life cycle of salmon poses additional challenges to sustainability by creating mismatches between management decisions, fishery opportunities, and the biologically relevant processes that support salmon populations (e.g., river disturbance, rainfall and temperature, and ocean climate and productivity; Bottom et al 2009 , Malick et al 2017 ). These mismatches have created adverse downstream consequences for people, ecosystems, and salmon through intensive mixed-stock harvest, resource development, land use, and overproduction of hatchery salmon by industrial nations around the Pacific Rim (e.g., Moore et al 2015 , Sexton et al 2020 , Vierros et al 2020 ). Supporting greater engagement and participation in monitoring and management among Indigenous peoples and local communities is one avenue toward alleviating the negative impacts of these scale mismatches (Herse et al 2020 ).…”

Section: Contemporary Salmon Management: History and Challenges To Sumentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenous Systems of Management for Culturally and Ecologically Resilient Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchusspp.) Fisheries

et al. 2020

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Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are at the center of social–ecological systems that have supported Indigenous peoples around the North Pacific Rim since time immemorial. Through generations of interdependence with salmon, Indigenous Peoples developed sophisticated systems of management involving cultural and spiritual beliefs, and stewardship practices. Colonization radically altered these social–ecological systems, disrupting Indigenous management, consolidating authority within colonial governments, and moving most harvest into mixed-stock fisheries. We review Indigenous management of salmon, including selective fishing technologies, harvest practices, and governance grounded in multigenerational place-based knowledge. These systems and practices showcase pathways for sustained productivity and resilience in contemporary salmon fisheries. Contrasting Indigenous systems with contemporary management, we document vulnerabilities of colonial governance and harvest management that have contributed to declining salmon fisheries in many locations. We suggest that revitalizing traditional systems of salmon management can improve prospects for sustainable fisheries and healthy fishing communities and identify opportunities for their resurgence.

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“…Although salmon colonization of recently deglaciated streams has been well documented in individual watersheds 8 , predicting future shifts in the distribution of productive salmon habitat remains a challenge, and there are no regional projections for the creation of new salmon habitat in response to retreating glaciers. Forecasting the location of emerging salmon habitat is imperative because, while declining glacier ice can present local opportunities for salmon, it is also creating new prospects for large-scale resource extraction industries such as mining, which have the potential to degrade these salmon habitat frontiers [13][14][15][16] . Understanding the timing and location of emerging salmon habitat frontiers throughout the Pacific Mountain ranges of western North America can inform forward-looking management decision-making and conservation planning.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Glacier retreat creating new Pacific salmon habitat in western North America

et al. 2021

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Glacier retreat poses risks and benefits for species of cultural and economic importance. One example is Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), supporting subsistence harvests, and commercial and recreational fisheries worth billions of dollars annually. Although decreases in summer streamflow and warming freshwater is reducing salmon habitat quality in parts of their range, glacier retreat is creating new streams and lakes that salmon can colonize. However, potential gains in future salmon habitat associated with glacier loss have yet to be quantified across the range of Pacific salmon. Here we project future gains in Pacific salmon freshwater habitat by linking a model of glacier mass change for 315 glaciers, forced by five different Global Climate Models, with a simple model of salmon stream habitat potential throughout the Pacific Mountain ranges of western North America. We project that by the year 2100 glacier retreat will create 6,146 (±1,619) km of new streams accessible for colonization by Pacific salmon, of which 1,930 (±569) km have the potential to be used for spawning and juvenile rearing, representing 0 to 27% gains within the 18 sub-regions we studied. These findings can inform proactive management and conservation of Pacific salmon in this era of rapid climate change.

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Canada's mines pose transboundary risks

Cited by 13 publications

References 3 publications

Small land cover changes in the transboundary Kootenai River basin greatly alter water quality

Small land cover changes in the transboundary Kootenai River basin greatly alter water quality

Indigenous Systems of Management for Culturally and Ecologically Resilient Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchusspp.) Fisheries

Glacier retreat creating new Pacific salmon habitat in western North America

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