Turkey Lakes Watershed Study reference list: 1999

The TLW was chosen in 1979 for an interdisciplinary study of the impact on forests, lakes and streams of air pollutants deposited through long-range transport. A 20 year data base has been compiled. Throughout the years the site has also been used for several other studies, including participation in the Integrated Forest Study (1986-1989) and ARNEWS biomonitoring (ongoing), a harvesting impacts study (initiated 1997), and recently the ECOLEAP project to test terrain and climate models and relate them to species distribution, abundance and productivity.

A field guide to the TLW, with descriptions of its physical, chemical and biological characteristics. Also included are synopses of the impact of atmospheric deposition of acidifying substances.

This paper discusses the history and current status of the Acid Rain problem in Canada, specifically as it pertains to ecological effects of acid rain in surface waters in eastern Canada, and provides an outline of the Canadian Wildlife Service Acid Rain Biomonitoring Program designed to verify the degree of environmental improvement achieved and the adequacy of acid rain control programs. Results of monitoring and modelling efforts together demonstrate that certain water birds, especially piscivores, are effective indicators of acidification. Predictions reported in this paper demonstrate that little improvement in habitat suitability for water birds will occur in eastern Canada, including Algoma, even with the strongest legislated emission reductions (post-2010), but that further recommended reductions should lead to substantial improvements in water quality and habitat suitability for some populations, as currently being observed in the heavily damaged (but recovering) Sudbury area.

This paper presents an analysis of regional trends in surface water chemistry. Data from the TLW was included in the station grouping called ‘South-Central Ontario". Strong declines in SO₄ concentrations in this region have not been matched by improving acidity conditions (i.e. increasing alkalinity) but rather by decreasing base cation concentrations. The paper speculates that alkalinity increases will not occur until acid anion concentrations decline to the point where base cation supply by primary weathering can compensate the base cation leaching.

The TLW was one of 5 study areas for which a model was developed to predict late-winter oxygen profiles in temperate lakes.  Data from all groups were used to evaluate annual variation on oxygen budgets.  A morphometric variable, strata volume:sediment surface area had the largest influence on these budgets. The model underestimated the oxygen available during winters when temperatures were higher than normal and when new accumulation was lower than average.  Results of the study support the continued use of inductive models in limnological studies.