Tlicho Aquatic Ecosystem Monitoring Program (TAEMP) - Whati 2014

The purpose of the Tlicho Aquatic Ecosystem Monitoring Program (TAEMP) is to continue to successfully implement an aquatic ecosystem monitoring program based on Tlicho and scientific knowledge in order to determine whether fish health, water, and sediment quality are changing over time at locations near Tlicho communities. There are historic and proposed developments in the region, and there is concern in Tlicho communities that contamination of nearby aquatic ecosystems may occur, or has already occurred. As a result of concerns and a general lack of information, there is a need to collect and update baseline information, and have ongoing monitoring of the aquatic ecosystems in Wek'eezhii in anticipation of continuing pressures on the watershed. Further, it is important to have Tlicho community members (including elders and youth) directly involved in the monitoring, and have a genuine opportunity for community members to exchange knowledge with research scientists in appropriate community and on-the-land settings. The main objectives of the Tlicho Aquatic Ecosystem Monitoring Program (TAEMP) are: i) To collaborate with Program partners (including the Wek'eezhii Land and Water Board, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Tlicho Government, and Tlicho communities) in the long-term implementation of community-based monitoring; ii) To develop long-term datasets for aquatic ecosystem monitoring in Wek'eezhii, and contribute to concurrent monitoring initiatives (such as the Tlicho Government's Marian Watershed Stewardship Program, and GNWT Water Stewardship Strategy); iii) To provide training and educational opportunities for Tlicho community members; and, iv) To engage schools in educational opportunities for youth related to aquatic ecosystems and environmental monitoring. The conclusion of the TAEMP, or 'fish camp', near Whati in September 2014 successfully completed baseline sampling near all four Tlicho communities. In 2015, the TAEMP will return to Behchoko, beginning a new phase: the first round of comparative sampling. Through maintaining this four-year rotation over the long-term, the TAEMP will continue to help address aquatic ecosystem-related concerns by providing up-to-date information to communities and other co-management partners in Wek'eezhii.