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ScientiststomonitorhydroimpactsonSlaveAmonitoringinitiativefortheSlaveRiversystemplanstode-termineimpactsofBCHydrosSiteCdamdownstreamasfarastheNWT.Seepage2.SnakesoutinfullforceforWoodBuffalovisitorsRed-sidedgartersnakesareslitheringoutofthecrevicesofWoodBuffaloNationalParktoputonamatingshowforvisitors.Seepage15.AHelpingofHeritageNWTstudentsshowofftheirheritageattheterritorysannualfair.Seepage9.FortChipcelebratesopeningofeldershomeHundredscameouttohelpFortChipewyancelebratetheopeningofitselderscarecentreforassistedlivingandendoflifecare.Seepage7.FortChipwarnedtolimitwildeggconsumptionFortChipewyanarearesi-dentsarebeingadvisedtolimitconsumptionofgullandterneggsduetorisingmercurylevels.Seepage3.Visitwww.norj.caAnationalawardwinningindependentnewspaperservingnorthernAlbertaandtheNorthwestTerritoriessince1977May202014Vol.38No.03SlaveRivershhealthyfornowAthabascacanserveasearlywarningindicatorforSlaveRiversaysfishscientistByMEAGANWOHLBERGFishintheSlaveRiverareexhibitingmuchlowerlevelsofcontaminantsthantheircounterpartsupstreamnearFortMcMurraybutthatcouldallchangeifinputsofpollu-tioncontinuetoincreaseintheAthabascaRiveroronthePeaceaccordingtoashsci-entistworkingintheregion.Dr.PaulJoneswhohasbeenconductingshhealthresearchbetweenFortMcMur-rayandFortResolutionsince2011wasinFortSmithlastweektopresenthismostrecentndingstothecommunityontheincidencerateofabnor-malitiesandthepresenceofcontaminantslikemetalsandhydrocarbonsinsh.AcrosstheboardhesaidtheresultsareshowinggoodnewsfortheshoftheSlaveRiver.Theredontseemtobeanyconsistentimpactsonshhealthatthisstage.Weseesomechangesbuttheyrerelativelysmallandtheyrealsonotconsistentwithinspe-ciesJonessaid.Butwedoneedtokeepawatchonanomaliestoseeiftheyrechangingandalsomon-itoringtheconditionfactorsandotherhealthmeasuresandwehavetorealizethatthereareyearlynaturalvariations.Thatswhyweneedafairlyextendedperiodofbaselinemeasurementssowecangetanideaofwhatsnormalforthelocationsaroundhere.MorecontaminantsinAthabascashAspartofthestudyshsamplesgothroughchemicalanalysisforpolycyclicaromatichydrocarbonsPAHs-poten-tiallycarcinogeniccompoundslinkedtooilsandsdevelopmentforestresandcigarettesmokeamongothersourcesthattendtoinvolvecombustion.FisharetestedforPAHsbyanalyzingthebilestoredinthegallbladderswhichindicateswhatchemicalstheyhavebeenexposedtowithinaroundaweekmakingiteasierfortheresearcherstoagtheapprox-imatelocationofthesource.WhatJoneshasfoundisareallybigdifferencebe-tweenthekindsandtotalcon-centrationsofPAHsamongshcaughtintheSlaveandAthabascaRivers.WeseeatrendtolowerconcentrationsinthetotalPAHsaswegointotheSlaveRiverdownstreamfromFortMcMurrayhesaid.Contaminantsoilsands-relatedWhilesomeofthelighter-twoorthree-ringedPAHcompounds-aremorelikelytocomefromforestresve-hicleexhaustandvariousotherhuman-madesourcesJonessaidtheheaviermoleculeswithfourorvecarbonringsarepetrochemicalinnatureandcanbeassociatedwithoilsandsextraction.ThoseheavierPAHsaretheonesbeingdetectedinhigherconcentrationsinAthabascashclosertoFortMcMurraydespitebeingal-mostabsentfromtheSlave.Thisdifferenceshowsupmostdramaticallyinwhite-shbutcanbenotedinwall-eyeaswell.SeeAthabascaonpage3.KayakersJohnBlythleftandKarlCoxplayaroundinthefoambelowtheLittleBuffaloRiverfallsduringtheFortSmithPaddlingClubsrstspringrun.TheannualspringoutingtakesadvantageofthesmallwindowwhentheLittleBuffaloRiverishighenoughtopaddle.Seepage15formore.PhotoDaliCarmichael1.00