Fish Hatchery Solves Mortality Issues with Real-Time Water Quality Data

Overview

Tom Killingbeck of Arcadis recently put his problem-solving expertise to use devising a simple but effective water quality monitoring solution for an Ontario fish hatchery operated by a mining company.

Challenge

Since the discovery of high concentrations of nickel-ore during railway construction in 1883, mining has been a primary economic driver for the Sudbury region of Ontario, Canada. It’s also left an indelible mark on the region’s environment. And for decades, local mining companies have taken steps large and small to mitigate the environmental impact of their activities and nurture positive relationships with the community.

To that end, one Sudbury-based company has operated a fish hatchery in conjunction with its mining operation for more than 30 years. Each year the company rears 10,000 to 20,000 fish to release into local lakes.

But over the years, the hatchery’s somewhat remote location and the potential for error inherent in fish farming have exacted a toll. All it takes is an unmonitored temperature spike, someone coming in to change the water and leaving a valve open, or a hose slipping off a pump, and thousands of fish can perish in moments. 

Recurrent die offs and the associated costs were unacceptable.

Solution

So, when the hatchery manager asked Tom Killingbeck, principal scientist for mining at Arcadis, to devise a real-time water monitoring solution that would collect and deliver data to keep him apprised of conditions at the hatchery, Killingbeck worked with...

READ MORE