Sandy Lake, Hammonds Plains is part of the watershed of the Sackville River. During Fall 1996, the field chemical data showed Sandy Lake to be almost at its natural background modelled values! But Sandy Lake underwent a remarkable accelerated eutrophication during the extremely short period of 1997-1999, a process which normally takes tens of thousands of years, if at all!
Applied Limnologist, Shalom M. Mandaville, of the SWCSMH did indeed forewarn the HRM at the public hearing (see page-8 of the formal minutes of the HRM) but Ms. Jacqui Hamilton MCIP, Planner of the HRM undermined the whole process, alas!
This once again proves that HRM badly needs a credible and a pragmatic Lakes Authority!
An appeal to the Minister of Environment:
We had anticipated the problems even prior to the development dating back to the summer of 1996. Since the benthic surveys were not conducted, even if Sandy Lake recovers to its pre-development 1996 nutrient and chlorophyll a values, one can never be confident if the benthos has recovered.
As a result we appealed to Minister of the Nova Scotia Department of the Environment with a comprehensive brief on probable solutions and leading protocols. The Minister refused; Sept., 10, 1997!
The field data supplied by the proponent to the HRM plotted on our management model for Sandy Lake:
As per the proponent's own data supplied to the HRM under a legal agreement, Sandy Lake (Hammonds Plains) was ultraoligotrophic (totally undisturbed) prior to the development in the Fall of 1996. One can also observe in the Predictive TP/Ch-a model developed by us (SWCSMH), the field data of the proponent was in acquiescence with the theoretical model developed by Shalom M. Mandaville of the SWCSMH!
We had also supplied the HRM approximately three (3) scenarios and by memory two (2) of the scenarios predicted the inevitable rapid cultural eutrophication of this once pristine lake! Now time will only tell if it will ever revert back to the Fall 1996 state which can only be confirmed by similar sampling preferably at the same times!
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![[Img-sandymodel]](PIC/sandymodel.jpg)
