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Restoring the health of an aquatic ecosystem
Can we restore the health of an aquatic ecosystem? Perhaps, but it takes time and is dependent on the nature of the disturbance. The effects of dredging, for example, may last from one to several years, but many of the displaced organisms such as fish can re-establish themselves. In other cases, more severe disturbances (e.g., dam construction) may cause local extinction of already endangered species. These ecosystems are unlikely to recover naturally.
In many cases, mechanisms exist that allow us to help restore ecosystem health or minimize detrimental impacts caused by human use. Following are some of these mechanisms.
- Environmental legislation: Legislation such as the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA)
 is designed to ensure that Canadians and the aquatic environment are protected from exposure to toxic substances and from the risks associated with the use of chemicals.
- Integrated resource planning: This approach ensures that relationships among land use, development, water flows, water quality, and aquatic ecosystems are considered prior to an area's land use designation.
- Technology: Measures to improve the quality of waste discharges and to lower both water demands and effluent loading are being implemented in response to environmental and water use concerns.
- Environmental monitoring: Monitoring of chemicals in water, sediment, and organisms helps to identify potential ecosystem problems and to track existing problems.
- Compensatory measures: For example, a fish hatchery operation can produce young fish that a disturbed habitat can no longer supply.
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