Effects of Prudhoe Bay Reserve Pit Fluids on Water Quality and Macroinvertebrates of Arctic Tundra Ponds in Alaska.

Macroinvertebrates from tundra ponds have been shown to be an important food of many waterfowl and shorebirds nesting in Arctic tundra wetlands. Birds in the Prudhoe Bay area of Alaska are among those that rely on such resources. We attempted to determine if water quality or the macroinvertebrate community of these ponds was being adversely effected by oil field operations. In particular, we examined the impacts of direct and indirect discharges of reserve pit fluids into tundra ponds. Reserve pit fluids, including drill muds and other wastes from well drilling operations diluted by snowmelt, constitute a large waste stream produced by the oil production industry.