New research from the University of Northern British Columbia has found elevated levels of turbidity, or cloudiness, in portions of Quesnel Lake each spring and fall.
These elevated levels happen due to a natural process called turnover where the lake mixes from the top to the bottom. The source of the cloudiness appears to be the resuspension of spill-related material from the bottom of the lake, raising concerns about contaminants being reintroduced to the water column.
The Mount Polley mine spill was the largest mine-related spill ever documented at the time. It dumped 18 million cubic metres of waste water and sediment into Quesnel Lake.
Researcher Andrew Hamilton says, “The tailings contain elevated concentrations of some metals, such as copper, and if these metals are being seasonally resuspended from the lake bed they could make their way into the food web.”
The multi-year research is led by Dr. Ellen Petticrew, a geography professor at the University of Northern British Columbia. If you would like to see the full research it can be found online at the Advancing Earth and Space Science’s website.
Photo provided by: University of Northern British Columbia
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