Sediment, Oil Sands Region

Monitoring activities have collected bulk suspended sediment samples using continuous flow centrifuges and Phillips Tube samplers in the Lower Athabasca River and tributaries respectively. Further, in the absence of pre-development monitoring for this region, high fidelity dated lake sediment cores were used to assess the natural range in contaminant deposition to this region and to obtain a historical perspective of contaminant loadings. All sediments (suspended river and lake cores) have been analyzed in the laboratory for sediment quality variables as per Appendix B in the Integrated Monitoring Plan (cores were also analyzed for paleo indicators of ecosystem health such as diatoms). In addition, as the Lower Athabasca river bed sediments are known to shift and migrate downstream, bathymetric maps of the bed-channel morphology over time was also completed. This will allow for estimates of bed sediment transport downstream for the period of survey, and be useful in calibration/validation of sediment and contaminant numerical transport models.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Last Updated April 17, 2026, 18:46 (UTC)
Created April 17, 2026, 18:46 (UTC)
contact_email ian.droppo@canada.ca
contact_person {"en": "Government of Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada,1-800-668-6767,ec.enviroinfo.ec@canada.ca", "fr": "Gouvernement du Canada; Environnement et Changement climatique Canada,ec.enviroinfo.ec@canada.ca"}
criticality_level []
data_dictionary ["environment", "inland_waters"]
geographic_scope []
open_canada_collection fgp
open_canada_date_published 2014-12-30 00:00:00
open_canada_keywords {"en": ["Sediments", "Oil sands", "Water", "Assess Toxicity; Manage and Monitor for Environmental Presence of Hazardous Substances and Waste", "Monitor / Assess Substance and Waste Levels in Air; Water; Soil; Biota", "Water - Drainage regions - Peace–Athabasca", "Science and Technology Branch", "Water Science and Technology", "1.3.2. Ecosystem Assessment and Approaches", "Unclassified"], "fr": ["Sédiment", "Sables bitumineux", "Eau", "Évaluer la toxicité de la présence dans l'environnement des substances et des déchets dangereux; les gérer et les surveiller", "Surveiller et évaluer les niveaux des substances et des déchets dans l'air; l'eau; le sol; le biote", "L'eau - Régions de drainage - Paix–Athabasca", "Direction générale des sciences et de la technologie", "Sciences et technologie; Eau", "1.3.2 Évaluation et approches axées sur les écosystèmes", "Non Classifié"]}
open_canada_subject ["nature_and_environment"]
sensitivity_level unrestricted
title_fr Sédiments, région des sables bitumineux
update_frequency as_needed