Sediment Quality Notes (French, PDF)

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2019-02-21

Sediment Transport This data set demonstrates some variation in the data parameters, both in time and with distance along the mainstem Athabasca and two tributaries (Ells and Steepbank Rivers). For the mainstem Athabasca (bulk suspended sediment samples collected via continuous flow centrifugation), these variations are not considered unusual for a dynamic mobile bed river. For the Ells and Steepbank Rivers (bulk suspended sediment samples collected via long-term time-integrated Phillips Tube samplers), however, some spatial and temporal trends were evident. Eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon parameters for the Ells River and thirteen for the Steepbank River showed increasing trends as you move downstream (for periods where samples were collected at multiple sites). This is consistent with cumulative exposure time and erosion of surficial channel bitumen as the water/sediment travels down river. Temporally, one sample collection event (August 13 to September 29, 2013) showed a marked increase in numerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations relative to other sample periods for both the Steepbank River and Ells River sites. The exact reason for this is unclear but may…

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