PRAIRIE POTHOLE WETLANDS
 Frank Lake wetland, AB |
|---|
WETLAND HYDROLOGY AND FUNCTIONING IN THE NORTH AMERICAN PRAIRIES
My current research is focused on understanding the hydrology, biogeochemical composition, and metabolic functioning of wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of southern Alberta. To investigate these dynamics and the dominance of autotrophy versus heterotrophy, a range of discrete and in situ sampling has been conducted. Data include dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, DIC, DOC, turbidity, salinity, and stable isotope (16O, 18O, 2H) measurements.
​
Additional work is being conducted on Frank Lake, one of the largest reconstructed wetlands in Canada. Frank Lake receives treated wastewater from the town of High River and effluent from the nearby Cargill meat processing plant. My work in the system revolves around studying residence time and stratification regimes, in order to understand the treatment efficacy of this wetland.