Jackfish Bay: Area of Concern (In Recovery)
Jackfish Bay was designated an Area of Concern (AOC) in 1987 under the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Pollution from the pulp mill in Terrace Bay contributed to the degraded environmental quality. Six out of 14 beneficial use impairments (BUIs) were identified, which measure the environmental, human health and economic impact of poor water quality. Two additional beneficial uses were deemed “requiring further assessment”, meaning more information was required to determine whether they were impaired.
Accomplishments
In 2011, Jackfish Bay was redesignated as an Area of Concern in Recovery. This means all actions to restore water quality and ecosystem health are complete, and the area needs time to recover naturally. A long-term monitoring plan is being implemented to track environmental recovery.
Over the past 35 years, there has been significant progress in the bay. This includes:
- improved wastewater treatment at the Terrace Bay pulp mill and a change to chlorine-free pulp production in the early 1990s, which reduced the release of harmful pollutants like dioxins and furans before the mill halted operations in 2024
- declines in toxic dioxin and furan concentrations in local fish
- declining fish liver tumour rates by over 7% between 1985 to 2006, bringing this impairment into a healthy range
- recovering native fish populations, with Lake Trout and Whitefish now abundant, a growing Brook Trout population, and healthy spawning and nursery habitat in the eastern portion of the bay
Restoration of beneficial uses
Significant progress has been made to improve environmental conditions. These beneficial uses are no longer considered “impaired”:
- restrictions on dredging activities (1998)
- fish tumours or other deformities (2010)
- bird or animal deformities or reproduction problems (2010)
Work continues on restoring the remaining beneficial uses:
- degradation of fish and wildlife populations - wildlife populations are not impaired and an assessment of fish populations is underway
- degradation of benthos – an assessment of benthic communities (sediment-dwelling organisms) is underway
- loss of fish and wildlife habitat – wildlife habitat is not impaired, with plans underway to assess fish habitat and collect additional data
- restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption - wildlife consumption is not impaired, and an updated analysis of fish contaminants and consumption advisories is underway
- degradation of aesthetics – an assessment is currently underway
Recent actions
The overall health of Jackfish Bay is improving through these recent actions:
- the sampling and assessment of sediment entering from Blackbird Creek, which show the concentration of contaminants is lower than levels in Jackfish Bay
- the assessment of benthic and fish communities, which is showing recovery in the area
- the completion of field studies to monitor aesthetics, which will allow a comparison of conditions after the pulp mill stopped operations in early 2024
Remaining actions
We will continue to work with local and provincial partners to support restoration actions and the environmental monitoring and assessment studies needed to confirm environmental quality objectives are met. Priorities are to:
- continue implementing long-term monitoring for Jackfish Bay while it recovers naturally until the delisting criteria is met
- continue assessing fish health, water and sediment quality
Outlook
Jackfish Bay has seen significant progress towards restoration since its designation as an AOC and will remain an AOC in Recovery until monitoring indicates that the remaining beneficial uses have been restored. Under the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health, we will work with the province of Ontario to continue monitoring results for environmental recovery. Once restoration has been confirmed, Jackfish Bay will be removed from the list of AOCs.
Partners
We partner with other levels of government, non-government groups, Indigenous communities and members of the public. This restoration work requires a large amount of scientific and technical expertise, local knowledge, hard work and the help of:
- Biigtigong Nishnaabeg
- EcoSuperior Environmental Programs
- Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Jackfish Bay Remedial Action Plan Community Advisory Committee
- Lakehead University
- Métis Nation of Ontario
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
- Pays Plat First Nation
- Red Rock Indian Band
- Township of Terrace Bay