DETERMINATION OF WATER QUALITY INDICATORS ALONG A TRANSECT OF THE HUDSON BAY WATERSHED USING CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS

The study area is comprised of 1300+ miles of Canada’s surface waters spanning from Fort Frances, Ontario to Hudson Bay at Churchill, Manitoba. Water samples were collected along this extensive transect during a canoe expedition and encompass the Rainy River, Lake of the Woods, The Winnipeg River, Lake Winnipeg, Southern Indian Lake and The Churchill River. These water bodies, prized for their economic and environmental value, offer important information about the reaches of runoff from urban centers, industry and agriculture. Thus, the goal of this study is to evaluate human impacts on the water system. Water quality data points were collected twice daily between 2 and 15 river miles apart and consist of basic water parameters taken with a YSI 6600V2 including temperature, specific conductance, blue-green algae, dissolved oxygen, pH, and turbidity. Additionally, a 3ml sampling of surface water was collected for laboratory analysis by Capillary Electrophoresis; analyses include major cations (Ca²⁺, Mg⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺) and anions (Cl^-, Br^-, NO₃^-, NO₂^-, and PO₄^3-). Notations were also made on precipitation, temperature, cloud cover and wind, proximity to shoreline, speed of current, description of shoreline and other possible relevant aspects such as forest fires, high boat traffic, presence of hydroelectric power stations or tributaries. Preliminary data show that early in the study (Lake of the Woods and southern portions of The Winnipeg River), elevated spikes in chloride appear correlated with spikes in blue-green algae with an approximate 1:1 Na:Cl ratio, while later in the study (northern Winnipeg River), there is a less correlated relationship between chloride and blue-green algae and a lower Na:Cl ratio. In fact, the areas of maximum chloride concentration were observed in areas of low blue-green algae. These trends may suggest greater influence of non-point source pollution such as agricultural runoff and road salt earlier in the study, and additional sources of chloride later, possibly related to animal waste, drinking water chlorination and industrial discharges.