Wetland water quality in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region and its relationship to aquatic invertebrate communities: pilot phase monitoring results

Abstract

Wetlands in the Oil Sands Region of Alberta are vulnerable to direct and indirect effects of human development including land disturbance, hydrologic alteration, and addition of contaminants. Nineteen wetlands in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region were monitored over a five-year period to evaluate differences in water quality and benthic invertebrate composition between sites near to and further afield from surface mining operations. Concentrations of dissolved sulphate, dissolved iron, total dibenzothiophenes and specific conductance were significantly higher in wetlands near to surface mining operations. In addition, beta diversity of wetland invertebrates was higher in wetlands further afield of the industrial centre. Drivers of benthic assemblage differences among sites include specific conductance and pH. Conductance was positively correlated with Caenidae (Ephemeroptera) abundance and pH was negatively correlated with abundance of Naididae (Annelida).