Lake Nipissing Research Conference
Nipissing University recently hosted the Lake Nipissing Research Conference, an opportunity to share ongoing research in the watershed and develop a strategic research plan for the lake. The conference grew out of, and will inform the Lake Nipissing Summit, which has been held each spring for the past three years.
The Lake Nipissing Research Conference featured a series of presentations on issues of water quality, the hydrology and environmental history of the watershed, bioindicators of change, and visualizing of scientific data.
Some of the presentations includes:
- Mapping Water Movement in the Lake Nipissing Watershed using Water Isotopes (Krystopher Chutko and Brittnay Rundle, Watershed Analysis Centre, Nipissing University);
- Revisiting the Lake Nipissing Environment Map (Kirsten Greer, Assistant Professor, Geography and History at Nipissing University);
- Phosphorus in the Wasi watershed/Callander Bay system (Sue Miller, Source Water Protection, North Bay — Mattawa Conservation Authority);
- Cyanobacteria Blooms in the West Nipissing Region (Greg Ross, Associate Dean of Research at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine).
It featured opening remarks from Chief Marianna Couchie, Chief of Nipissing First Nation; Dr. Mike DeGagné, President and Vice-Chancellor of Nipissing University; and Dr. April James, Canada Research Chair in Watershed Analysis and Modelling at Nipissing University.
“Our goal is to improve our abilities, as researchers, to share and conduct research on Lake Nipissing and the larger watershed,” said Dr. James, who helped organize the conference. “The Spring Summit has been an important venue for a broad discussion of social, environmental and economic issues surrounding the lake. This conference was planned to be very research focussed. We hope to enhance communication on what research is ongoing and to prompt discussion on the development of a strategic research plan. We expect that simply getting to know what’s already going on in the watershed will facilitate new collaborations and partnerships. Ultimately, we want to identify how we can best work together as researchers to improve our understanding of Lake Nipissing and the greater watershed to ensure its continued health.”