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Russell Lake, Dartmouth

March 12, 2008   

Caution: Since Russell Lake is a shallow lake, the standard limnetic (i.e., open-water) trophic parameters may not represent the true trophic status of the lake.

Contents:

• Water Quality; and general overview!
  • An update: April 09, 2007
  • Future and monitoring
  • Total stormwater treatment recommended

• Events relating to the HRM's regulatory process
• Russell Lake West development
• Portland West development; August 10, 1993

• Concerns of stakeholders and Government agencies
  • Assaults (2006 onwards) on this rapidly recovering lake inspite of all the commitments made by regulatory agencies and political appointees!

• Salutations Lcdr. Tom Willdey of Princes Lodge for his supreme volunteer dedication over decades all over HRM and its adjoining counties; and also also thank you David Upright of Waverley!

Water Quality

Select scientific modelling and chemical/biological limnology are part of our miscellaneous archives!

The bathymetric map; the morphological data; the location map; the Cow Bay River watershed flow chart; the paleolimnology of lakes in the HRM; HRM's receiving water baseline sampling program for fecal coliforms; the first ever study in Nova Scotia utilizing the Lake Evaluation Index (LEI) developed by the USEPA's Corvallis Research Lab

• Our one page overview on LCCs (based on TP) for Morris and Russell Lakes, Dartmouth pursuant to the HECC’s agenda for August 03, 2006  

  • Our overview submission to the Harbour East Community Council (HECC) dated June 26, 2006 delves into considerable detail

  • The Harbour East Community Council (HECC) lost it's only opportunity of restoring Russell Lake by adopting the unscientific recommendations of the HRM's staff on August 03, 2006 with possible strong dissent of Councillor Gloria McCluskey. The unscientific recommendations of staff are enunciated in their May 31, 2006 and July 26, 2006 reports  
    
    • For sound LCC methodology, see the report by a leading worldwide scientist in this domain, Prof. Dr. Peter Dillon FRSC, and his collaborators!

    • Also read our Lake Carrying Capacities Homepage

  • The Predictive TP/Cha base model developed by Shalom Mandaville along with control field data elucidates total correspondence even with latter data! For a brief overview on our predictive TP/Cha modelling, see TP/Cha Models!

  • As the year-2004 CCME Policy on Phosphorus (TP) clearly narrates that not adhering to the reference/background (i.e., the natural pre-development value) + 50% maximum increase concept, even if they fall within the reference/background trigger ranges, could result in significant changes to the `COMMUNITY STRUCTURE' (cf. eutro1, and eutro2)!

  • Our original recommendation of fifteen (15) µg/l mean yearly TP with a preferred value not to exceed twelve (12) µg/l was not based on the CCME's year-2004 policy since the recommedations were developed during the late-1990s. While the CCME's policy was derived from a 1991 paper published by NALMS (Hutchinson et al., 1991), nevertheless, it was not the official policy of CCME until year-2004!

• Overview on water quality- submission to the Harbour East Community Council; November 01, 2005  

• Biomonitoring, an addendum to the aforesaid submission of Nov., 01, 2005; November 03, 2005  

• Russell and Morris Lakes: opinions have to be based on authentic limnology (chemical and biological limnology); January 09, 2006  

• The first ever application of the USEPA's LEI (Lake Evaluation Index) in Nova Scotia!

• Tracking environmental changes in Russell Lake using diatoms as paleoecological indicators: Thesis of Amy Tropea, April, 2005

• Subfossil Chironomidae (Diptera) as Indicators of Water Quality Changes in Russell Lake: Thesis of Erica Elizabeth Johnson, April, 2005
  

Percent change in urban land use and indicators of stress:

Future and monitoring:

Since Russell Lake is a shallow lake, the standard limnetic (i.e., open-water or pelagic) trophic parameters may not represent the true trophic status of the lake.

The limnetic parameters may not reflect changes in the watershed unless those changes are significant in relationship to the overall size of the watershed and/or in its prevailing inputs!

To reliably ascertain incremental inputs from new developments, outflows of every storm pipe outlet, of in-situ devices (e.g., CDS, Stormceptor or Vortechnics), of constructed wetlands outlets, and others have to be monitored almost on an hourly basis during runoff, and pollutographs have to be developed.

Total stormwater treatment recommended:

A note of caution: There have been conflicting results in the long term removal of typical stressors in storm drainage using constructed (or engineered) wetlands. Further, such wetlands have not had a successful history in the amelioration of acid drainage in HRM. Hence, the only sustainable methodology would be treatment of urban and suburban stormwater by traditional wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) based on the tertiary removal process in the case of stressed lakes! This implies considerable capital costs and operation & maintenance!

The other option is to disallow any further development similar to what residents in Lower Sackville triumphed at Second Lake after years of intense lobbying! Even there, significant amount of chemical and biological limnology was conducted by us!

Events relating to the HRM's regulatory process

• Our one page overview on LCCs (based on TP) for Morris and Russell Lakes, Dartmouth pursuant to the HECC’s agenda for August 03, 2006  

• Our overview submission to the Harbour East Community Council (HECC) dated June 26, 2006 delves into considerable detail

• Submission to the Harbour East Community Council (HECC): May 23, 2005: Case 00731: Russell Lake West Development Agreement- Public hearing to be held on May 25, 2005  
  

• Submission to the Regional Council's public hearing on the Morris-Russell Lakes Secondary Planning Strategy: March 22, 2005 (the attachments here are slightly modified in order)  
  

• Public Info meeting re Morris-Russell Lakes Development Area held on Thursday, December 09, 2004, at the Bel Ayr Elementary School (HRM's minutes relevant to our statements are only included)  
  

• Our email to Mr. Phil Elliott, Chair, Morris/Russell Lakes PPC, d/July 11, 2004, requesting for an opportunity to make a semi-scientific presentation to his municipal committee, and Mr. Elliott's immediate response d/July 13, 2004; there has been no interest from the PPC at this time, hence our request has been shelved!

• Email from Ms. Renee Roberge PEng thanking us again; February 04, 2000

• Email from Ms. Renee Roberge PEng asking for our advice; July 02, 1999

Concerns of stakeholders and Government agencies

• Assaults (2006 onwards) on this rapidly recovering lake inspite of all the commitments made by regulatory agencies and political appointees!

• "Water Quality Issues Close Russell, Morris Lakes to Swimmers"; Thursday, September 06, 2007  
  

• Developer told to prevent lake run-off, Chronicle Herald; July 18, 2006  
  

• "I wouldn’t want to swim in that", Chronicle Herald; July 15, 2006  
  

• Mud slides into Dartmouth lake, Chronicle Herald; June 07, 2001

• Russell Lake among the worst, The New Dartmouth News; September, 15, 1994

• Warnings by DFO biologist, Paul Mandell, The Patriot; June 17-23, 1993

• Further concerns of the Nova Scotia Dept. of Fisheries; July 22, 1991

• Nova Scotia Dept. of Fisheries expresses grave concerns in stocking Russell Lake with trout; July 09, 1991

• Major concerns, The Mail Star; November 19, 1990

• Press Releases by the Nova Scotia Dept. of the Environment; August, 1974

Nova Scotia Dept. of Fisheries expresses grave concerns in stocking Russell Lake with trout; July 09, 1991:

Further concerns of the Nova Scotia Dept. of Fisheries; July 22, 1991:

Acknowledgements

We salute the Chebucto Community Net (CCN) of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada for hosting our web site, and we applaud its volunteers for their devotion in making `CCN' the best community net in the world!