ALGONQUIN ECO SYSTEM

HEADWATER - LICHEN STUDY

This program is the result of a partnership between Algonquin Eco Watch, the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, the McLean Foundation, SirSandford FlemingCollege, the Lake Partners Program and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources/Ontario Parks.

This is year 2 of a 3-year water quality/quantity study. This year’s sampling area will include the headwaters of flowages sourcing outside the southwestern, southern and southeastern AlgonquinPark boundary, but only those waters that flow into the Park. In addition sampling/testing will take place along the eastern portion of Highway 60 from Cache Lake to Whitney. This year our field crew will also be collecting and identifying lichens, which are known to be good indicators of air quality. If sufficent funding can be obtained we hope to have completely circled AlgonquinPark by the completion of the 2003 field season.The data gathered as a result of this and future similar projects will provide the information necessary to monitor the ongoing health of the Algonquin Ecosystem. It should further assist in the pinpointing and correcting of existing or future problems.

Lichens such as those seen growing on this white ash tree, can be good indicators of air quality.

This year’s crew consists of Andrea Rhodenizer, technologist (left) and Leigh Hann, technician (right). Any assistance or cooperation that you may offer them during this field season will be greatly appreciated. (Watch for the truck with our logo.)

CNR DECOMMISSIONING

Our efforts to ensure the environmentally responsible decommissioning of the Canadian National Railway’s main line through Algonquin Park continue. On February 2, 2002, Algonquin Eco Watch, the Wildlands League, the Federation of Ontario Naturalists and the Sierra Club, Eastern Canada Chapter, co-submitted petitions to the federal Ministers of Transport and the Environment, through the Office of the Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development.These petitions outlined our concerns regarding the apparent lack of a railway decommissioning protocol in Canada, and a lack of enforcement pertaining to environmental problems along and adjacent to the CNR right-of-way.

By regulation, both Ministers must respond substantively within 120 days of receiving the petitions – in this case that means by about July 1^st, 2002. Developments in this regard will be summarized this fall in our “Members Update”.

Dozens of steel culverts remain along the CNR right-of-way through Algonquin Park, which will collapse through time. This will block natural stream flow patterns, unless they are removed.

Road Salt

Road Salt, consisting primarily of sodium chloride to promote more rapid snow/ice melting in the winter, is in common use on Ontario highways, including Highway 60 through AlgonquinPark. Summer road salt, consisting primarily of calcium chloride with the addition of ferro-cyanide, an anti-clumping agent, is used on dirt or bush roads - of which there are many in AlgonquinPark - to lay dust. As part of our water quality/quantity testing program, Algonquin Eco Watch is monitoring aquatic electrical conductivity, which can be directly related to the presence of salts, such as chlorides in water.

Found Lake , located beside the Algonquin Gallery (Old Museum), contains elevated salt levels likely resulting from the continued use of road salt on adjacent Highway 60

While the majority of lakes tested to date, have low conductivity levels, Found, Ouse and JakeLakes, headwaters adjacent to Highway 60, have levels 4 to 10 times higher than expected. This may be explained by the fact that these lakes are relatively small in size, do not have significant inflow, and consequently have low “flushing” rates. Since salt water is heavier than fresh water, there will be an increasing tendency toward higher salt concentrations in lakes having low flushing rates, with the continued use of road salt. Intuitively, this problem if unabated, will become increasingly difficult to reverse through time.

The following abstract describes a study¹conducted in New YorkState’s Adirondack Mountains, an area very similar in habitat-type to the Algonquin Ecosystem:

“A 2 yr study was conducted in 1987 and 1988 to determine the effects of road salt runoff from New York State Highway 28N on chloride levels in four tributary streams to Rich Lake, located in the central Adirondack Mountains of New York. All four study streams exhibited significant increases in chloride concentrations at sampling stations located 50 and 100m downstream from the highway. Chloride concentrations in downstream samples were as much as 31 times higher than comparative upstream samples. Elevated chloride levels continued throughout the 6mo period following the termination of winter salt applications. A water chemistry profile for Rich Lake revealed a slight increase in chloride levels at lower depths”.

Wildlife, in particular moose, is attracted to roadside salt pools in spring, as a means of replacing natural body electrolytes. While this provides many viewing opportunities, it also contributes toward the loss of more than 20 moose in Algonquin Park annually, through vehicle-moose collisions, some of which also result in serious human injury.

Algonquin Eco Watch will continue to lobby toward the discontinuance of road salts and to seek viable, non-toxic alternatives.

¹ Demers, C.L, and R.W. Sage, Jr. 1990. Effects of road deicing salt on chloride levels in four Adirondack streams. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 49:369-373.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL

One interesting fact that was learned as a result of the Algonquin Large Adult Male Black Bear Study, was that the majority of adult male bears consistently move to dumps outside AlgonquinPark during the summer-fall period, but return to the Park for denning and breeding. Many Algonquin bears die annually because they do not return to the Park prior to the fall hunt, thus affecting the natural balance of this important population.

All the garbage generated along the Highway 60 corridor is presently transported outside AlgonquinPark to the South Algonquin Township Dump, located at Whitney. Many Algonquin bears go to this dump, which is located less than 2km outside the Park boundary, when they leave AlgonquinPark each spring. Barring the granting of an extension by the Ministry of the Environment, it is likely that the Whitney dump has only 3-4 years of life remaining. After that time, a new location must be found for Algonquin’s garbage.

On the one hand it is consistent with the “Algonquin” philosophy to remove all garbage from the Park, thereby ensuring its pristine nature. On the other hand, it is also consistent with the “Algonquin” philosophy to treat the Park as a self-sustaining ecosystem – in which case, garbage generated within the Park should be properly treated within the Park.

This male black bear was radio collared at Lake Opeongo, Algonquin Park denning/breeding range, but emigrated each year to the Whitney dump for the summer-early fall period. He was legally shot by a hunter in the fall of 1994.

In some ways this problem is analogous to the Toronto-KirklandLake controversy, in which it was suggested that Toronto’s garbage should be transported hundreds of kilometers and dumped in an abandoned open-pit mine. To put off discussion of this matter could result in the same type of last minute debate that caused so many bad feelings in that situation.

Algonquin Eco Watch tends toward the second choice, i.e. treat garbage where it is generated, since this would not only reduce emigration by Algonquin bears, but would serve as an excellent example of a balanced, self contained ecosystem. However, there are also arguments in favour of garbage removal; e.g. Algonquin’s garbage is generated by people who do not reside year-round in the Park. Therefore removal is justified and preferable.

We feel that this matter should be discussed before final decisions become necessary and are therefore soliciting ideas and arguments from our members, so that Algonquin Eco Watch may approach the Park Superintendent and initiate meaningful dialogue. We invite you to participate in this discussion.

CHEMICALLY TREATED LUMBER

The use of pressure treated lumber (PTL) became increasingly common in recent decades for the building of such outdoor structures as decks, picnic tables and docks. It has also been used in AlgonquinPark for the construction and replacement of walkways and bridges on hiking trails and portages.

The purpose of pressure treatment is to inject preservatives into the wood that will protect it from invasion by insects, fungi and molds, particularly in the moist and wet situations that are often encountered in the bush. Wood preservation is accomplished by destroying those organisms through the use of such chemicals as arsenic, a highly toxic substance.

Tests have shown that arsenic can exit PTL simply by rubbing, or through contact with water, prompting cities such as Ottawa to seriously consider banning its use in playground equipment.

Should PTL be used in a natural environment park such as Algonquin, when locally occurring Ontario white cedar is available, which is naturally resistant to water damage without the use of preservatives?

This photo, taken on the Head Lake Portage, shows the original bridging (right), constructed of “local” material, as well as the replacement bridging (left), which consists of PTL that was flown in by helicopter at considerable expense. It will be interesting to monitor the ongoing decay of these different materials.

Points To Consider:

Economic: Algonquin Eco Watch (AEW) has learned that in general PTL is likely to cost approximately 20% less than local (OttawaValley) white cedar.

Longevity: A building contractor, interviewed by AEW, feels that local cedar will outlast PTL, since the latter wood often “checks” (splits through drying), admitting moisture to the untreated portions, resulting in premature deterioration. This might at least partially offset the purchase price differential.

Transportation: White cedar is estimated to be generally about half the weight of pressure treated spruce or pine. Since Ontario Parks often flies material to the site via helicopter, e.g. Head Lake Portage, transportation costs would be reduced proportionately through the use of cedar. If however, as some people contend, cedar has less tensile strength than PTL, this could warrant the use of dimensionally larger cedar, thereby equalising transportation costs.

Safety: Some individuals feel that PTL becomes more “slippery” when wet, than does natural cedar. While this has not been verified objectively, if true it could lead to personal injury. While “peeled” cedar can also be slippery, dimensional or rough-cut cedar provides better grip or traction owing to its more porous nature.

This photo, taken at Daventry along the former Canadian National Railway right-of-way, shows one of many creosote-treated trestles remaining in Algonquin Park, after the abandonment of railways. In addition to those along the CNR route, decaying trestles may also be seen at such locations as Cache Lake along the route of the old J.R. Booth Railway. Creosote is known to be toxic to aquatic life.

In view of the above, Algonquin Eco Watch urges Ontario Parks to henceforth use only white cedar, rather than Pressure Treated Lumber on trail and portage maintenance in Algonquin Park.

As a result of direct communication, Mr. John Winters, Algonquin Park Superintendent made the following comments:

“As a principle, Ontario Parks should not be using products that are environmentally unfriendly – this includes treated lumber.”

“ My instructions to our staff will be to use alternate material unless there is some compelling reason why that is not possible.”

SOURCE WATERS

Source waters, our most precious renewable natural resource, originate as rain or snow and may be stored in two ways; as surface water, or as ground water.Surface water will often be stored in marshes and swamps, which act as gigantic sponges, to be released gradually during dry periods, maintaining flow in creeks and rivers. Since surface water is exposed to the air, its temperature will fluctuate according to the air temperature. Steams sourcing from surface water are therefore often referred to as “warm water streams”, since they warm up during the summer period and will not support cold-water fish species such as brook trout year round.

The adjacent photo shows a headwater cedar swamp, with spongy sphagnum moss that is capable of absorbing and storing great quantities of water. Disturbance, such as that experienced during logging operations will not only affect the ability of the sphagnum to retain water, but will also open up the crown canopy, admitting more sunlight, leading to higher summer water temperatures and increased water loss through evaporation.

Headwater sphagnum swamp.

Ground water is stored beneath the earth’s surface in seams or caverns, through or from which it will flow to a point on the surface and emerge as a “spring” above ground, or through an “upwelling”, if it emerges beneath the surface of a lake. Since ground water is not influenced by changes in air temperature, it is less subject to warming in summer, or freezing in winter.

Headwater lakes where upwelling of ground water occurs through gravel, with accompanying cold water, spring fed inflowing creeks, will often contain self-sustaining brook trout populations. The upwellings serve as suitable spawning strata for adults, while the inflowing creek(s) provide “nursery “ facilities for the tiny brook trout fingerlings during their first year of life. The Algonquin Ecosystem is blessed with hundreds of such lakes.

When ground water storage/flow systems are altered, through mining or aggregate extraction, they remain altered forever, since these activities are removing non-renewable natural resources. This photo of a rock-cut adjacent to Lake of Two Rivers on Highway 60 through AlgonquinPark, illustrates how natural ground water flow has been interrupted when the water emerged into sub-freezing air temperatures.

Ground water freezes as it encounters sub-zero temperatures in this Highway 60 rock-cut.

It can be argued that the basin created by open-pit mining, for instance, will actually create a larger storage area by volume than previously existed naturally. While this may be true, flow patterns have been altered forever and the water thus stored has now become surface water, and is therefore subject to fluctuations in air temperature. This is not a satisfactory trade-off.

Website designed and created by Stepping Forward