LAKE 626 DIVERSION PROJECT

A fact sheet from the International Institute for Sustainable Development Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) describing a 2010 project to simulate reduced water inputs in Lake 626 to study the effects of climate change and industrial diversions on water chemistry and cold-water fish species.

• In 2010, IISD-ELA researchers constructed a dike and diversion channel to decrease water inputs to Lake 626, simulating the effects of industrial diversions and climate-change-induced precipitation decreases. This resulted in the water residence time increasing from 2.1 years to 10.9 years.
• The reduction in water inputs led to a decrease in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which is derived from decomposed plant and animal matter. Lower DOC levels allow sunlight to penetrate deeper into the water, which increases the depth of the warm surface layer.
• The project is investigating the impact on cold-water fish species like lake trout, which typically require oxygen-rich water below 15 C. Preliminary ongoing research indicates that trout are spending more time in water that lacks their ideal oxygen levels.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). LAKE 626 DIVERSION PROJECT. https://www.iisd.org/ela/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iisd-ela-lake-626-diversion-project-infographic.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. LAKE 626 DIVERSION PROJECT. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/ela/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iisd-ela-lake-626-diversion-project-infographic.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=LAKE 626 DIVERSION PROJECT |url=https://www.iisd.org/ela/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iisd-ela-lake-626-diversion-project-infographic.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndlake, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{LAKE 626 DIVERSION PROJECT}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/ela/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iisd-ela-lake-626-diversion-project-infographic.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }