Egg Thiamine Status of Lake Ontario Salmonines 1995–2004 with Emphasis on Lake Trout

Alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus), the major prey fish for Lake Ontario, contain thiaminase. They are associated with development of a thiamine deficiency in salmonines which greatly increases the potential for developing an early mortality syndrome (EMS). To assess the possible effects of thiamine deficiency on salmonine reproduction we measured egg thiamine concentrations for five species of Lake Ontario salmonines. From this we estimated the proportion of families susceptible to EMS based on whether they were below the ED20, the egg thiamine concentration associated with 20% mortality due to EMS. The ED20s were 1.52, 2.63, and 2.99 nmol/g egg for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), respectively. Based on the proportion of fish having egg thiamine concentrations falling below the ED20, the risk of developing EMS in Lake Ontario was highest for lake trout, followed by coho (O. kisutch), and Chinook salmon, with the least risk for rainbow trout (O. mykiss). For lake trout from western Lake Ontario, mean egg thiamine concentration showed significant annual variability during 1994 to 2003, when the proportion of lake trout at risk of developing EMS based on ED20 ranged between 77 and 100%. Variation in the annual mean egg thiamine concentration for western Lake Ontario lake trout was positively related (p < 0.001, r² = 0.94) with indices of annual adult alewife biomass. While suggesting the possible involvement of density-dependent changes in alewives, the changes are small relative to egg thiamine concentrations when alewife are not part of the diet and are of insufficient magnitude to allow for natural reproduction by lake trout.     

Restoration of small lakes through cooperative management: A suitable strategy for poverty‐laden areas in developing countries?

Lake Rupa is a small, subtropical, shallow lake with a surface area of 100 ha situated 600 m a.s.l. in Central Himalaya, Nepal. This degraded lake was studied between 2000 and 2006, with the goal of determining whether or not it could be restored by a community‐based cooperative of local people living in its catchment. Main threats to the lake, its aquatic life and its very existence include encroachment by excessive aquatic vegetation, sedimentation, and low in‐lake concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO). Small lakes (≤ 500 ha) are relatively prone to the process of ‘succession and climax’, although they also can be of social, environmental and ecological importance. Thus, their disappearance could spark social chaos and disorder in areas already having to cope with other rapid environmental changes. This means that credible mechanisms for revitalizing or protecting small lakes are an important goal. Accordingly, a lake cooperative of 329 households living in close vicinity to Lake Rupa was formed in 2002, by prioritizing traditional fishers, women and other deprived community members with the goals of respecting the citizenry and equity. Following the cooperative's campaigns directed at weed removal and fish stocking, encroachment of vegetation on the lake margins was halted, its aquatic weeds became under control, and its fisheries improved. In addition to the cooperative's restoration activities, several water quality parameters, including water transparency and DO and chlorophyll‐a concentrations, were monitored on a monthly basis. The measured water transparency was inconsistent, exhibiting large variations between 2000 and 2003. Relatively low, but consistent, values, however, were measured after 2004. The results imply that the removal of weeds, and sufficient nutrients and solar radiation are subsequently available to the lake's phytoplankton communities. Supporting this notion is that the chlorophyll‐a concentration spiked to 205 µg L⁻¹ in November 2006, the water transparency became consistent, and the DO concentration increased to >3.8 mg L⁻¹ during the critical months (March–May) after 2004. These water quality indicators indicated improvement in the degraded Lake Rupa, suggesting that the establishment of cooperatives such as that highlighted in this study could be a powerful and sustainable mechanism for restoring degraded lakes in similar socioeconomic settings by maintaining equity, by connecting communities with their resources, and by facilitating integrity, equity, citizenry and social justice.     

Effect of Channel Changes in the St. Clair River During the Present Century

Periodic man-made changes in the outlet of Lake Huron through the St. Clair River date back to the middle of the last century. These artificial channel changes have been well documented during the present century. They consist of dredging for commercial gravel removal in the upper river during 1908–25 and uncompensated navigation improvements for the 7.6-m (25-ft) and 8.2-m (27-ft) projects completed in 1933 and 1962, respectively. The total effect of these changes on the levels of Lakes Michigan and Huron (hydraulically one lake) and on the upper St. Clair River profile was determined with dynamic flow models. The ultimate effect of the above dredging was a permanent lowering of the Lake Michigan-Huron levels 0.27 m (0.89 ft), which represents a tremendous loss of freshwater resource [32 km³ (7.7 mi³)].     

森林植被改善对鄱阳湖流域径流和输沙过程的影响

以河流基流为切入点,研究流域植被调节径流、水土保持等微观作用影响大中型河流湖泊径流过程和水沙过程宏观效应的机理。鄱阳湖流域60年来天然降水没有发生趋势性变化。流域森林覆盖率由34.73%上升到63.00%,植被质量改善,赣江等入湖河流基流增加83 m~3/s,河流输沙量减少。2000年以后和2000年以前相比较,枯水期降水径流系数增大,年流量过程平坦化,一定程度上减小洪灾风险,有利于水资源利用和生态环境保护。2001年以后进入鄱阳湖泥沙平均每年减少1 007×10~4t;出湖泥沙增加314×10~4t。因此,鄱阳湖入江水道由淤积转变为冲刷,但出湖流量过程没有趋势性变化。     

Development of a system‐based water balance model to assess interrelated physical and anthropogenic constraints in lake and reservoir watersheds,applied to Coeur d'Alene Lake,Idaho, USA

This study presents a methodology for the development of a water balance model that uses publicly available data in a manner useful to water scientists and managers who manage complex lake and reservoir watersheds. The approach was applied to Coeur d'Alene Lake, a naturally occurring lake that is controlled by a dam located on its outlet (Spokane River) in North Idaho, USA. As in many other areas, the region surrounding Coeur d'Alene Lake has experienced high rates of population growth in recent years, and there is concern that, as consumptive water use increases, the lake will eventually not be able to be managed to simultaneously maintain the federally mandated minimum flow requirements in the Spokane River and also maintain the target summertime elevation of 2128 feet (648.6 m) for recreation and hydropower purposes. The complexity caused by the competing uses at Coeur d'Alene Lake makes it an excellent case study for similarly characterized watersheds. Both a natural flow model and regulated elevation model were developed, and sensitivity analysis was conducted on both models to evaluate which lake processes have the greatest effects on lake elevation, thereby requiring the most attention. A ‘low‐flow’ scenario was modelled to demonstrate the usefulness of the model and to inform Coeur d'Alene Lake regional stakeholders regarding the interrelationship between current water policy and the lake's physical behaviour under stressed conditions that could result from climate change. Model result indicates that, while lake elevation may be maintained at the summertime elevation of 2128 feet (648.6 m) under a low‐flow scenario, the outflows in the Spokane River start to approach the minimum flow requirements in the month of August. The developed approach is useful where publicly available data exist and allows for economic, yet rigorous, water resources systems evaluation without requiring significant field data collection.     

两种溃坝模型在唐家山堰塞湖溃决模拟中的对比

基于唐家山堰塞坝溃决的实测数据,使用BREACH模型及中国水科院DB-IWHR模型,对唐家山堰塞坝溃决过程进行了反演分析,并对两种模型进行参数敏感性分析。研究结果表明:使用针对唐家山的参数,两种模型均可较好地反演唐家山溃决洪水的过程,BREACH模型的下游坡比和孔隙率是对结果影响比较敏感的输入参数;DB-IWHR模型在冲刷参数和下游水深计算两方面做了改善,较好地解决了这一问题;DB-IWHR提供了一个Excel格式的计算软件,数值分析稳定性好,使用简洁客观,可供类似堰塞湖应急处置时参考。     

Advancing Africa’s Great Lakes research and academic potential: Answering the call for harmonized,long-term,collaborative networks and partnerships

The African Great Lakes (AGL) have rich fisheries and are renowned “biodiversity hotspots”. Consequently the AGL and the ecosystem services they provide, underpin the welfare and livelihoods of over 50 million people across 10 countries. Despite the recognized importance of the AGL, these vital ecosystems and their livelihood support systems are threatened by numerous anthropogenic stressors at local, regional, and global scales. Past and continued efforts to address critical challenges on these lakes are often short-term, parochial, disparate, and uncoordinated resulting in a lack of comprehensive and comparable scientific data and inadequate resources to influence evidence-based policy. Over the past two decades, several international workshops, conferences and scientific publications have identified the need for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and harmonization of research and management as key elements to enhance conservation efforts in the AGL. In this commentary, we introduce the African Center for Aquatic Research and Education (ACARE), which aims to strengthen research and provide the scientific evidence needed to make informed decisions related to sustainable fisheries and aquatic resource management in the AGL. To do this, ACARE will administer a highly collaborative network of experts with three long-term goals: (1) strengthen global and regional research partnerships; (2) establish transboundary and inter-jurisdictional lake advisory groups; and (3) build capacity of freshwater scientists through experiential education and public engagement.     

河湖淤泥絮凝沉降特性试验研究

絮凝沉降性能是河湖疏浚淤泥资源化处理中重要且未完善的研究课题。以武汉沙湖、官桥湖及南湖3种淤泥为研究对象,通过沉降筒试验,利用清浑交界面沉降速度和上清液浊度研究了粒径分布、初始含沙量及高分子聚合物对河湖淤泥絮凝沉降特性的影响规律,并探讨了沉降筒尺寸对试验结果的影响。试验结果表明:河湖淤泥粒径越小,淤泥絮凝沉降越慢,上清液浊度越小;随初始含沙量的增加,河湖淤泥整体沉降速度变小,但当初始含沙量增加到一定值后,初始含沙量的影响作用开始变弱;高分子聚合物会促进河湖淤泥絮凝沉降;沉降筒尺寸虽然对试验结果略有影响,但对于分析河湖淤泥絮凝沉降特性无较大影响。研究河湖淤泥絮凝沉降特性对于河湖通航、蓄洪、水质修复、疏浚淤泥的处理均有重要意义。     

岱海湖温排水对湖面附加蒸发量影响研究

岱海湖为一内陆封闭型湖泊。本研究利用3、7、12月份冬夏工况,综合考虑岱海湖边界条件,水面温度、密度、水面天然温度、大气温度、相对湿度等影响因子,构建温排水对岱海湖附加蒸发量影响的计算公式。经计算,电厂温排水引起的岱海湖附加蒸发损失量为:3月份为39.46万m3,7月份为73.3万m3,12月份为10.6万m3,岱海湖电厂温排水年附加蒸发水量约为678.2万m3/a。结果表明:附加蒸发量与电厂温排水量变化一致。本研究对干旱区水资源利用具有重要意义。