Abstract
The massive hydroelectric development (1967–1971) on the Churchill River altered runoff, but did this affect the local ocean? Comparison of data from the 1950s and 1972–81 shows there has been a threefold increase in winter runoff and a one-third reduction in summer peak runoff. However, mixing in Lake Melville, especially near the outlet, and the lake’s capacity to absorb a freshwater volume equivalent to the March to July runoff, effectively buffers the runoff changes. This fresh water passes out of Lake Melville during the winter replacement of deep water. We therefore observed no difference in the summer water properties of Groswater Bay before and after the Churchill development.
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References
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© 1986 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Akenhead, S.A., Bobbitt, J. (1986). The Capacity of Lake Melville Fjord to Store Runoff. In: Skreslet, S. (eds) The Role of Freshwater Outflow in Coastal Marine Ecosystems. NATO ASI Series, vol 7. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70886-2_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70886-2_11
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