Grant: Engage Grants Program

The proposed partnership between I. Spooner (applicant) and EXP (consultant) focuses on the application of*an Applied Paleolake Assessment (APA) approach to determining the impact of watershed development and*mining on water quality in water source supply lakes and reservoirs in Cape Breton Regional Municipality,*Canada. This partnership will focus on technology transfer to EXP using MacAskill's Reservoir, a water*supply reservoir near Sydney, Nova Scotia as the test site. In Spooner's lab at Acadia University the APA*method has been used to investigate water quality variability in lakes in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).*Spooner's lab has developed new and innovative applications of standard analytical tools (portable XRF, stable*isotopes) to rapidly distinguish between natural variability in lake water quality and conditions caused by*human activities*EXP is a Canadian-owned company that has offices throughout Maritime Canada. They provide*comprehensive services in all aspects of water infrastructure and have extensive experience working with Cape*Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM Water Supply and Treatment) on surface water reservoir concerns. EXP*would like to develop the expertise to employ the APA approach to address CBRM's needs. The APA approach*uses an integrated assessment of lake sediments, water chemistry, watershed characteristics and environmental*change to inform management decisions. EXP understands that lake impact assessments must be completed*rapidly and be understandable to managers and operators; APA has been recognized as a new, user friendly*method developed to meet this requirement. The APA method of lake assessment is compatible with CEAA*guidelines and industry requirements as it is cost-effective, time-efficient and readily accessible.