FACTORS AFFECTING MICROBIAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE IN SPLIT LAKE, MANITOBA

Split Lake is a large freshwater lake located on the lower Nelson River in northern Manitoba that was heavily negatively impacted by the 1976 Churchill River Diversion hydroelectric project, which diverted 75% of the water from the Churchill River into the Nelson. On the north shore of the Split Lake, lies Tatatskweyak Cree Nation, a community of the original Ininew people who have inhabited northern Manitoba for millennia and have been under boil water advisory since 2017. In partnership with the Tataskweyak Environmental Monitoring Agency, a group of tribal Members concerned for the health of the lake and people, we conducted a week-long sampling expedition to establish a baseline and understand the environmental factors influencing the lake’s microbial community. The study conducted in August 2024 encompassed 16 stations on Split Lake and Assean Lake, a nearby lake with minimal influence from hydroelectric development and the source of water for a new treatment plant. We used 16s SSU rRNA gene metabarcoding of aquatic eDNA to assess microbial community composition across the lake, which was strongly correlated with turbidity and dissolved oxygen level; six distinct microbial community clusters were identified. The dominant prokaryotic taxa were Actinobacteria hgcl clade and Cyanobium. Microcystin concentrations measured in lake waters were well below the Maximum Acceptable Concentration (MAC) set for Canadian federal drinking water standards. These results will inform community monitoring effects on the health of the lake.

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Primary Presenter: Thamali Vidanage, University of Manitoba (vidanagethamali96@gmail.com)

Authors:

Thamali Vidanage, University of Manitoba  (vidanagethamali96@gmail.com)

Tataskweyak Environmental Monitoring Agency TEMA, Tataskweyak Environmental Monitoring Agency  (306tema@gmail.com)

Eric Collins, University of Manitoba  (eric.collins@umanitoba.ca)