Lake Melville

7. CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Lake Melville is a unique subarctic estuary that supports high species
diversity and productivity, but it is also more: it is a ‘grocery store’ for
thousands of Inuit and non-Inuit residents that live on its shores and
regularly harvest country food such as fish, marine mammals, and
waterfowl from its waters; a critical component of travel infrastructure
in a remote region where residents depend on ice to move across the
landscape for much of the year; and a place with rich historical and
culture meaning for Inuit rooted in a relationship that spans many
generations. In this report, we have presented findings regarding
physical, chemical, and biological processes and dynamics that are part
of and shape Lake Melville, including past influences of hydroelectric
development and climate change, to improve our understanding of this
valued and complex ecosystem.
A major emergent theme in this report is the enormous influence of the
Churchill River on Lake Melville. The Churchill River is Lake Melville’s
largest freshwater source, supplying over 60% of the freshwater that
enters the estuary. Evidence in this report demonstrates that the
Churchill River has a significant effect on numerous processes in Lake
Melville: physical lake dynamics; ice formation and transport; sediment
and organic carbon cycling, which supports the base of the food web;
and the production and bioaccumulation of methylmercury in the
food web. Developing a robust understanding of the influence of the
Churchill River on Lake Melville is critically important, as changes to
the river are expected due to the development of Muskrat Falls. The
findings documented in this report provide an updated and authoritative
understanding of key aspects of the Lake Melville ecosystem. They also
present projections of future changes related to Muskrat Falls and the
compounding effects of climate change. This new knowledge is made
available to support science-based management and monitoring of the
Muskrat Falls project and its projected downstream impacts on the Lake
Melville ecosystem and the health of Inuit who depend on it.
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