Cowley Lake Project

Overview :

Cowley Lake is a shallow horseshoe shaped lake that has been decreasing in volume over the past 30 years. The lake is about 30 km outside Whitehorse Yukon and is near the South Klondike Highway. There is no road access to the lake. A number of human activities have contributed to altering the lake but none, in recent years, have removed water from the lake. We have proposed to undertake more detailed analysis to understand processes that have contributed to changes in lake volume. Such analysis would included the following:

study of the drainage basin of the lake,
analysis of intake and outflow,
long term history of lake levels through paleolimnology,
analysis of the role human actions have played in altering lake levels over the past 100 years, flows and dynamics through interviews and
review of the historical record.
biotic characteristics of the lake and these have changed over time.

This project represents collaboration between a public school, a community government and a University. The University participant provides training and extension education to groups of northern high school students who are, in turn, addressing an issue of community concern. This project addresses the major objectives as outlined in the IPY call for proposals.

Objectives:

Raise awareness about the Canadian Arctic, its peoples, and northern issues, among Canadians and the international community

Create dialogue and build connections between and within Northern and Southern regions of Canada, as well as between Canada and other countries, to foster greater understanding of the importance of the polar regions

Promote IPY and polar science and research, and communicate the progress and collective results of IPY science and research on climate change impacts and adaptation, and health and well-being of northern communities

Engage youth, particularly Northern youth, in polar science and research

Provide experience and training for Northerners, particularly Aboriginal Northerners, in the skills, techniques and knowledge needed to carry out northern-based research and monitoring during and beyond IPY

Document and share Traditional Knowledge as it relates to northern environmental change

Detailed Project Description :

Cowley Lake falls within the Hamlet of Mt Lorne. Members of the Hamlet have expressed concerns respecting the dropping lake levels and have asked the Experiential Science 11 if they would make it a subject of ongoing study. The Experiential Science 11 classes, over the past 15 years, have undertaken a number of such community studies and have incorporated assistance from other professional and educators when undertaking such studies. Experiential Science 11 classes have been monitoring snow fall and stream flows for the last 3 years in the upper portions of the Cowley Lake drainage basin. In order to better understand the dynamics associated with this shallow lake we propose to undertake the following activities over a three to five year period:

Monitoring stream flows four times a year on both Dugdall Creek and Cowley Creek, +monitor precipitation in drainage basin using snow fall studies in three locations with snow depth and water equivalence measures at established sites at different elevations within the basin.

   Schedule:

May, June readings on stream flow and Sept. Oct readings at established stations. Use of flow meter and standard stream flow analysis protocols.

February, March, and April snow fall studies, using snow sticks and snow density measures, March to Oct on rainfall analysis. Using long term collection systems and daily trip gauges.

Monitor weather throughout the study period using weather station data loggers.

   Schedule:

May, Dec download data form weather station loggers.

Monitor lake water quality twice a year using DO, pH, turbidity, BOD and temperature measures and conduct benthic analysis twice a year.

   Schedule:

Dec and March, May and Sept readings on lake water quality May and Sept for benthic analysis.

Monitoring lake levels four times a year. And establish data logging arrangements for recording ongoing lake levels.

   Schedule:

May, June 08 readings on lake levels. Set up data loggers for lake level monitoring.

Conduct core sampling of lake sediments at three locations to determine a long term history of lake levels through paleolimnology and conduct 210 Pb dating of sediment cores. Method will follow conventional core sampling methods from the ice surface of the lake. Interpretation will be an instructional process involving Dr Marianne Douglas and the students and teachers of the Experiential Science 11 classes.

Schedule:

March, April 08, core samples of lake sediments from ice surface. April and May interpretation of cores May and June 08, March, April 09, core samples of lake sediments from ice surface. April and May interpretation of cores in May and June 09.

October 08 sediment dating at U of A.

Conduct interviews with area residents and biologists that have monitored flora and fauna such as bird arrival and departure dated of the past 20 years.

Schedule:

March, April and May 08, interviews with area biologists respecting flora and fauna studies in the area.

analysis of the role human actions have altered lake levels over the past 100 years, flows and dynamics through interviews and review of the historical record.

Annual presentation of results to Hamlet of Mt Lorne.

   Schedule:

May and Oct throughout study period.

Funding Application Approved:

We are very pleased to inform you that the Assistant Deputy Minister Committee on International Polar Year (IPY) has approve funding for the project, “Cowley Lake Studies”

This project will be funded for a maximum of $10 000 from the Government of Canada IPY Program.