Postimpoundment Winter Sedimentation and Survival of Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) Eggs in Southern Indian Lake, Manitoba

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Abstract
Flooding of Southern Indian Lake for hydroelectric power development has resulted in extensive wave erosion of glacio-lacustrine clay shore material and greatly increased suspended sediment levels. Winter sedimentation on spawning grounds of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) ranged from 0.03 to 0.14 g dry wt sediment∙cm−2. This deposited a layer 1–4 mm in depth. The sediment, low in organic content, was categorized as silty clay. The effect of this winter sedimentation on survival of whitefish eggs was tested at four sites over a range of winter sedimentation rates. Three of the sites were whitefish spawning areas. Egg survival was significantly higher for eggs incubated in cages designed to minimize exposure to sedimentation compared with survival in cages allowing full exposure to sedimentation. Winter sedimentation rates and whitefish egg survival were negatively correlated for cages designed to minimize exposure to sedimentation, while egg survival in the exposed cages was uniformly low.

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