The health of Lake Superior fish populations in Thunder Bay will be the central topic on the agenda for the September 21st meeting of the Public Advisory Committee (PAC) to the Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan. The meeting takes place at 7 p.m. at Lakehead University in Room 3004 of the ATAC building. Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting which is free of charge. Parking is available close to the ATAC building. Parking is free of charge in the evening at the university.
Eric Berglund of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry will be presenting the data on fish populations including information about diversity of species, populations of individual species and also information about size, gender and age. Fish populations in Thunder Bay were originally listed as impaired due to water quality issues in the lower Kaministiquia River resulting in periodic fish kills and a change in fish community structure below and above the Bowater (now Resolute) effluent outfall. Over twenty years have passed since this time and several factors have combined to change this situation. Among these factors are strict environmental regulations which now limit effluent discharges and cessation of river and lake log drives leading to a dramatic reduction in bark and debris, which heavily impacted critical fish habitat.
A representative of the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority will also be attending the meeting to provide an overview of work evaluating wetlands in the McVicar Creek and McIntyre River watersheds, as well as work started this summer to minimize impacts of agriculture on the Slate River.
The meeting agenda and a map of the Lakehead University campus showing the ATAC building is accessible below.
- Meeting agenda
- Map of Lkehead University Campus showing ATAC building (labelled “AT” on map)
- The Public Advisory Committee previously agreed upon delisting criteria which, if met, would assist in determining whether Thunder Bay fish populations have recovered to the extent that status of this item should be changed to “unimpaired.”
- Minutes of the June 1, 2016 Thunder Bay PAC meeting.