Title
Investigation of Fish and Water Quality at Mitsue Lake and Buffalo Bay with Sawridge and Kapawe’no First Nation
Fiscal Year
2021-2022
Community/Region
Sawridge First Nation and Kapawe’no First Nation, Alberta
Principal Investigator
Dr. Ave Dersch (Moccasin Flower Consulting) and Claire McAuley (Intrinsik Corp)
Community Project Lead
Chief Roland Twinn and Michelle Knibb
Project Members
steering committee members, including Elders, youth and land users

Project Summary
The communities of Sawridge and Kapawe’no First Nations in Alberta were concerned about the increase in industrial activities in their traditional territories and the potential impacts on traditional harvesting areas. Industrial activities including forestry, oil and gas resource operations, agriculture, and infrastructure development had impacted traditional food harvesting and fishing in the Lesser Slave Lake watershed region. The study was designed to determine if the fish harvested from Mitsue Lake were safe to eat and in what quantities; and if the water from Mitsue Lake and Buffalo Bay had been influenced by industrial or agricultural activities.
Sawridge First Nation collected samples of water, fish, and vegetation at Mitsue Lake due to its proximity to the Mitsue Industrial Park. Water samples from the lake were analyzed for general water quality parameters, total metal concentrations, petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), and biological and chemical oxygen demand. Fish and vegetation samples were analyzed for metals. Kapawe’no First Nation collected samples of water and vegetation at Buffalo Bay. Samples were analyzed for general water quality parameters, total metal concentrations, total coliforms, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and chemical oxygen demand. Community members completed a consumption questionnaire to determine their reliance on fish from these water bodies.
The study found the lake water at Mitsue Lake met environmental guidelines and had no significant contaminant concerns. The metals seen in the water (aluminum, manganese and iron) were at levels that were naturally occurring. The mint and saskatoon berry samples and the fish showed no contamination and were similar to concentrations found in other studies.
The water in Buffalo Bay showed significant impacts from agriculture but met the applicable guidelines for human health (i.e., drinking water and recreational water use) and ecological health (i.e., freshwater aquatic life). However, the analysis found bacteriological contamination in samples from both the inflowing creek and outflowing South Heart River. Livestock were observed using the creek during sampling and the water samples consisted of turbid water. Select metals (e.g., aluminum, manganese, iron) in these samples were found to be elevated, which is most likely associated with erosion of the adjacent banks. Metal concentrations in the cranberries collected were similar to those from other studies from Alberta.