Young gravel pit lakes along Canada’s Dempster Highway: How do they compare with natural lakes?

Abstract

Gravel-pit lakes are a common feature of many human-modified landscapes throughout the world. In Canada’s north, they are often formed when gravel is extracted to construct dams, bridges, and highways. Past studies suggest that gravel-pit lakes differ from natural lakes in terms of their morphometry, water quality, and biological communities. In this study, we compared gravel-pit and natural lakes by sampling lakes between Inuvik and Fort McPherson in the Northwest Territories. We collected lake morphometry, water quality, and biological data (zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and fish presence) from six gravel-pit lakes and fifteen natural lakes. In comparison to natural lakes, gravel-pit lakes were four times deeper, two times clearer, and five times smaller in their surface area. In addition, important nutrients, including phosphorus and nitrogen, were significantly lower in gravel-pit lakes. Despite the differences in morphometry and nutrients, pelagic zooplankton and littoral macroinvertebrate communities did not differ significantly between the two lake types. Therefore, we conclude that despite their recent formation and unnatural morphometry, gravel-pit lakes along the Dempster Highway can support invertebrate communities typical of natural lakes in the region.