The King's Connection Magazine Volume 23 Number 4//Fall 2013 | Page 16

FEATURED ARTICLE

King’s Adds to Understanding
of Alberta Lake
STUDENTS PARTNER IN RESEARCH
By Kealy Litun, Marketing Coordinator

W

ith the summer season coming to a close, Albertans all
over the province are recalling memories of a refreshing
swim, an exhilarating boat ride, a fight with a lively fish or a
dazzling lakeside sunset. As Alberta’s lakes play an important
role in recreation, and in some cases supply drinking water
to neighbouring communities, understanding the health of
a water system becomes valuable knowledge that helps
manage the system and ensure its health for years to come.

The group worked through the challenges of trying to
simultaneously learn software systems and develop a
useable model. Wesselson explains: “Understanding how
the modeling system worked and inputting the data into
BATHTUB was the most substantial part of the project. We
had to rework the model several times to create a model for
Lac St Cyr. The challenge represented by the model was the
most rewarding part of this project.”

A group of King’s Environmental Studies students, interested
in increasing their understanding of lake and watershed
management, have completed a research project in
collaboration with the North Saskatchewan Watershed
Alliance (NSWA). The project was designed to assist in the
development of a lake management strategy for Lac. St Cyr,
located north east of Edmonton. This lake supplies the Town
of St. Paul, the County of St. Paul and the Town of Elk Point
with drinking water, and is a much-loved lake for outdoor
enthusiasts of all kinds.

For all three group members, learning about the lake further
nurtured their individual passion for water management. After
graduation, Johnston took a position with a Calgary firm
continuing to work on water testing and modelling. Wesselson
completed a summer work program with the NSWA and
recently began working for Alberta Environment as part of a
water management team for the North Saskatchewan River.
Dyck just finished another summer position with Stantec with
the Aquatic department, working as a Jr. Fisheries Biologist
(she had competed her first internship with Stantec in the
Water Services department). She says, “The experience
gained from working with the NSWA has strengthened my
understanding of water quality which applies directly to the
field work I have done this summer.”

In the fall of 2012, NSWA approached Dr. John Wood with
the possibility of having senior students complete a portion
of the research. Graduating students JACINDA JOHNSTON
and ALYSSA WESSELSON, along with fourth-year student
CHELSEA DYCK (a member of the Eagles women’s
basketball team), welcomed the invitation to work on the
project. The specific goal was to build a predictive water
quality model of the lake. Through bi-weekly meetings
with NSWA and Alberta Environment and Sustainable
Development (AESRD) staff, the students were coached on
how to use water sciences to understand the lake and how
their classroom studies could be applied in a career.
Using “BATHTUB” – a computerized water quality model
developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – the
students researched the evolution of the lake’s water quality
using historic and current data. Applying skills learned in a
Limnology (the study of fresh water ecosystems) course,
the students were able to develop a physical, chemical and
biological picture of the lake.
“By understanding the history of the diversion and land use
surrounding the lake, we were able to simulate the levels of
phosphorus, nitrogen, chlorophyll, and dissolved oxygen, all
elements that characterize water quality” says Johnston.

14 /// The King’s Connection /// Fall 2013

“At King’s we expect Bachelor of Science students to
complete a high-level final research project,” says Dean of
Natural Science, Dr. Wood, the project’s faculty advisor.
“This group excelled at the task, and completed a research
project that supports a local organization’s research and
offers valuable insight into a drinking water supply that directly
affects many Albertans.”

ABOUT LAKE ST. CYR
Lac St. Cyr is supplemented by a water diversion from
the North Saskatchewan River, which was built in 1978
to keep water levels optimal for lake users. These users
include fishers, campers, lakeside property owners, and
the municipalities that rely on the lake for their supply of
drinking water. As the diversion is on the North Saskatchewan
River downstream from the City of Edmonton, wastewater
treatment practices in the Capital Region have a direct effect
on both the river and lake water quality. ?

“The scientific
understanding of lakes
is an essential component in
developing a lake management
strategy for Alberta. This student
research project was an important step
in helping NSWA and AESRD better
understand the history and functioning
of Lac St Cyr, and in providing advice
for its long-term management.”
– NSWA Executive Director
David Trew

LEFT TO RIGHT: Jacinda

Johnston, Chelsea Dyck and Alyssa Wesselson

The King’s Connection /// Fall 2013 /// 15