In 2014, Fort McKay First Nation (FMFN) began work to conduct lake sediment coring work with the University of Alberta, and water quality and quantity measurements started shortly after. FMFN now has five hydrometric stations installed in the Moose Lake area that measure water temperature and water depth. These stations are important to FMFN to help better understand the inflows and outflows of the lake and river/creek system in the Moose Lake area, as summer algae blooms have become a more prevalent issue over the last five years.

FMFN’s hydrometric stations provide data via satellite communication to a database that is accessible to FMFN anywhere there is internet service. Data is uploaded daily, so near real-time information is available.

FMFN’s water quality monitoring program is focused largely on the levels of algae, water chemistry (potential nutrient levels for algae growth), as well as important parameters for aquatic health, such as dissolved oxygen and pH. The water monitoring program is further developing its water quality monitoring design to be able to include winter testing, as well as bathymetry (lake bottom mapping).

Contact
Ryan Grandjambe
Environmental Guardian-Lead
Phone: (780) 828 8803
Cell: (587) 646 1865
Email: rgrandjambe@fortmckay.com