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A further note to Lance's observations:
One summer I worked with some folks studying duck habitat in NS and I did the macro-invertebrate sweeps and cores of various water bodies from a canoe. Two of these were sewage ponds in Canning and Port Williams. The invertebrates present in these places were diverse and abundant- not only rat-tailed maggots and such but also dragonfly- and damselfly nymphs, water beetles, water bugs of various sorts, caddisflies, snails etc. Frankly an amazing supply of duck food compared to even the most nutrient-rich natural water bodies sampled. No wonder ducks hang out around sewage. Harbour and other salt water outfalls host many crustaceans, molluscs and other benthic creatures as well as fish that would attract diving ducks and other birds.
Not my most pleasant sampling locations that summer but nevertheless informative.
Nancy
On 2015-01-06, at 6:29 PM, "Laviolette, Lance (EXP)" <lance.laviolette@lmco.com> wrote:
> Hi Jen,
>
> Sewage ponds and their outlets are quite simply the most nutrient rich areas that can be found and are filled with invertebrates. Whether they are located in Nova Scotia, Ontario or Florida they are some of the best places to find birds associated with water and marshes. That’s as long as there is some component of natural habitat included in them and they are not cement lined, sterile pools as is usually the case in Quebec. One of my favorite memories is Jim Wolford showing my field biology class the abundance of invertebrates in a sewage pond sweep. Can you say Daphnia and Rat-tailed Maggot? Sure you can. Thanks Jim!
>
> All the best,
>
> Lance
>
> Lance Laviolette
> Glen Robertson, Ontario
>
>
>
> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of jen cooper
> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2015 11:41 AM
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: EXTERNAL: RE: [NatureNS] Sewer Strolls: Before and After Harbour Cleanup ?
>
> Hello all,
>
> I can't speak to Halifax Harbour but for comparison...
> The Sydney side of Sydney harbour was fitted with wastewater infrastructure within the last ten years. Since the diversion of wastewater the clusters of diving ducks and seals, have either left or are very obviously not as plentiful as they used to be. On the west side of the harbour where infrastructure is yet to come (but on the way!) ducks still frequent the outfalls.
>
> My two cents on why, are these:
>
> Wastewater does cause eutrophication, fertilizing plants and algae (an onwards up the web). Food availability would definatley be different at outfalls than where there are none.
>
> Often times, here, the warmer water at outfalls causes openings in the ice. In some areas these are the only access points to the water.
>
> :) Jen
>
>
> From: soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Sewer Strolls: Before and After Harbour Cleanup ?
> Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2015 18:21:18 -0400
>
> Joanne,
> an excellent question. A broader one is what is it that attracts birds to the outfalls? The warm temperature of the discharge? it seems that a lot of the herring and great black-backed gulls that used to frequent the Point Pleasant Park outfalls were just bathing. Lots of preening, wind fluttering, etc. is the attraction the fish that are themselves attracted to this warm water? The sewage itself?
> Dusan Soudek
>
>
> From: Joanne Cook
> Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2015 5:44 PM
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Sewer Strolls: Before and After Harbour Cleanup ?
>
> Dusan,
>
> I was wondering the same thing yesterday, and also wondering about the temperature of the current effluent, and what effects it has - if any - where it emerges.
>
> cheers,
> Joanne
>
>
>
>
> ____________________________________
>
> Do not meddle with the Forces of Nature, for you are small, insignificant, and biodegradable.
> ____________________________________
>
> On Sun, Jan 4, 2015 at 5:25 PM, Dusan Soudek <soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote:
> Just curious: Have there been any noticeable changes in the numbers and species of waterfowl associated with Halifax Harbour sewer outlets since the Harbour Solutions project was completed? Only a small percentage of the city’s raw sewage gets dumped into the harbour these days, more so after periods of heavy rainfall when the sewage plants are overwhelmed by discharge from combined sewers...
> Dusan Soudek
>
>
>
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