Collaborative seasonal monitoring of rivers within the Dehcho and South Slave regions of the Northwest Territories and Dene Tha' lands of Northern Alberta

This project samples streams throughout the Dehcho and South Slave regions of the Northwest Territories and throughout the Hay River basin of Northern Alberta. Samples are collected throughout the open water season through a collaborative effort between the university of Alberta; Dehcho Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management (AAROM), Dehcho First Nations, Kátł’odeeche Fırst Nation Lands Department; Nahendeh Kehotsendı̨ Program, Dene Tha' First Nation's Lands Department, and Department of Environment and Climate Change; Government of NWT. Data collection began in 2020 with a subset of streams, with additional streams added throughout the project as further sampling and investigation occurred, as well as by community interest and concern. This data represents the beginning of a continuing multi-year and collaborative collection effort which will allow us to monitor variations in water chemistry between years, particularly for methylmercury, a parameter less commonly sampled.