PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL LIMNOLOGY OF 24 LAKES LOCATED BETWEEN YELLOWKNIFE AND CONTWOYTO LAKE, NORTHWEST-TERRITORIES (CANADA)

Data on the water chemistry and limnology of 24 lakes located between Yellowknife (62 degrees 27/N, 114 degrees 21'W) and Contwoyto Lake (65 degrees 30'N, 110 degrees 00'W) in the central Northwest Territories were examined using principal components analysis and other statistica l techniques. The study sites were mostly shallow (Z(max) = 2.5-25 m; mean = 8.2 m), nutrient-poor (3.4-12.7 mu g total phosphorus/L; mean = 6.6 mu g.L-1), low-alkalinity lakes. Water was typically low in solut es (specific conductance near 0-100 mu S.cm(-1), with slightly acidic to alkaline pH (6.2-8.9). Levels of all nutrients and major ions showe d identical trends of decreasing concentrations with increasing latitu de, with the highest concentrations generally in lakes with conifer-fo rested catchments in the south.