Limnological and Biological Observations in the Region of the Ungava or Chubb Crater, Province of Quebec

• Published in: Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
• Main Author: Martin, N. V.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1955
• Subjects: General Medicine; Arctic; Crater Lake; Salvelinus alpinus; Tundra
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f55-027; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f55-027

Ungava Crater Lake, at 73° 41′ W.L. and 61° 17′ N.L., lies in a meteoritic crater of the northern Quebec tundra. The lake is nearly circular, 1.7 miles in diameter, with steep walls and a maximum known depth of 825 feet. Secchi disc transparency was 35 metres. Summer surface temperatures were 3–4 °C., of the deep water a little less. Surface oxygen was abundant, pH was 6.5–6.6. Total solids in the water were less than 20 parts per million, and hardness was only 1.7 p.p.m. Three kinds of mammals and 14 of birds were found in the crater region. Arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus, were the only fish taken in the crater lake. Specimens up to 21.8 inches fork length and 18 years old were taken; they fed on insects and other char. Char in other nearby waters grew somewhat faster but ate the same foods; mature females as small as 4.0 inches were seen. Lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, in a lake near the crater reached 33.5 inches and 15.8 pounds. Growth was very slow, the greatest age determined being 21 years, at 13 pounds. Twenty-nine species of vascular plants were collected close to the crater.