Evaluation of the Remedial Action Plan goal for dissolved oxygen in Hamilton Harbour: A goal based on habitat requirements for Cisco

Abstract

The Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan has adopted a dissolved oxygen goal for restoring habitat in the pelagic portion of Hamilton Harbour based on the ecological needs of Cisco (Coregonus artedii), a fish formerly abundant in Hamilton Harbour. The goal for dissolved oxygen is based on retaining an adequate volume of optimum Cisco habitat characterized as temperature <20°C and dissolved oxygen >6 mg l⁻¹ during the June to September period. The goal also specifies minimum habitat requirements for when optimum conditions are not achieved, that being a smaller volume of refuge habitat with temperature <20°C and dissolved oxygen >3 mg l⁻¹ for no more than 2 weeks per year. Weekly temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles during May to October, 1987 to 2012 in the center of Hamilton Harbour were assessed to evaluate optimum and refuge Cisco habitat relative to the Remedial Action Plan goal for dissolved oxygen. This goal was met only in 2009. However, this was fortuitous, based on a combination of cooler water temperatures in May and June and exchanges of cool oxygenated water from Lake Ontario. From 1987 to 2002 optimum habitat was estimated to be absent at least one week and up to seven weeks during June to September. Cisco could not have survived in Hamilton Harbour during six of these years when refuge habitat was absent for one or two weeks. Since 2003, Cisco habitat in Hamilton Harbour improved markedly, as some refuge habitat was always present. As well, the number of weeks with inadequate refuge habitat, and with no optimum habitat has declined. These improvements in Cisco habitat since 2003 were related to higher dissolved oxygen in the mid-depths of Hamilton Harbour.

Keywords:

• Lake Ontario
• hypoxia
• Area of Concern
• thermal habitat volume

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Environment Canada staff and students for collecting and processing water quality data from Hamilton Harbour. Comments from Mike Yuille and two anonymous reviewers improved this manuscript. The encouragement of Vic Cairns was instrumental in the development of the manuscript.