Effects of oil sands related aquatic reclamation on yellow perch (Perca flavescens). I. Water quality characteristics and yellow perch physiological and population responses

In order to test the viability of oil sands aquatic reclamation techniques, yellow perch (Perca flavescens) were stocked into three experimental ponds. Pond substrates consisted of either oil sands fine tailings or clay and lean oil sands deposited by the mining operations. Yellow perch were stocked immediately postspawning and subsamples were sacrificed at 5 and 11 months to measure indicators of energy storage and utilization. These indicators included survival, age, spawning periodicity, condition factor, gonad size, fecundity, and liver size. Indicators generally showed patterns consistent with improved energy storage and utilization in the experimental pond yellow perch as compared with yellow perch in the lake from which the stocked fish originated. This was evidenced by increased gonad size, condition factor, and Liver size and the disappearance of spawning periodicity. The patterns observed in experimental ponds suggest improved resource availability and (or) reduced intra- and interspecific competition. Yellow perch physiological indicators were also compared with those measured at several remote natural lakes in the area. Fisheries parameters measured in yellow perch from the experimental ponds generally fell within the range of those found in natural lakes.